He is the only artist to score a #1 Hit in the U.S. with a German language song, and his albums and singles have sold about 60 million copies worldwide.
Early Years
Born in Vienna, studying at the Vienna Music Conservatory in 1977 which he left after one semester to pursue a career in music, he lived for a short time in West Berlin while singing in a jazz-rock band. When he returned to Vienna he was calling himself "Falco," reportedly in tribute to the East German ski jumper Falko Weißpflog, and playing in the Austrian bands Spinning Wheel and Hallucination Company. En route to becoming an international rock star in his own right, he was bass player in the Austrian hard rock-punk rock band Drahdiwaberl (from 1978 until 1983). With Drahdiwaberl he wrote and performed the song "Ganz Wien" which he would also include on his debut solo album Einzelhaft.
Individual success
Falco's first hit was "Der Kommissar" from the 1982 album Einzelhaft. A German language song about drug consumption that combines rap verses with a sung chorus, Falco's record was a number-one success in many countries but failed to break big in the U.S. The song, however, would prove to have a life of its own in two English-language versions. British Rock band After the Fire recorded an English cover version, loosely based on Falco's lyrics and also called "Der Kommissar" (with "uh-oh" and "alles klar Herr Kommissar" the only other lyrics held over from the original). This time, the song shot to number three in the United States (their only major hit there) in 1983, though it failed to crack the UK Top 40. The band - who had been together more than a decade - broke up almost immediately thereafter. That same year, American singer Laura Branigan recorded a version of the song with new English lyrics, under the title "Deep in the Dark" on her album Branigan 2.
After a second album, Junge Roemer, failed to provide a repeat to his debut single's success (outside of Austria and Germany, where the album topped the charts), Falco began to experiment with English lyrics in an effort to broaden his appeal, and chose a new production team. The result would be the most popular album and single of his career.
Falco recorded "Rock Me Amadeus" inspired in part by the Oscar-winning film Amadeus, and the song became a worldwide hit in 1986. This time, his record reached #1 in the U.S. and UK, bringing him the success that had eluded him in that major market a few years earlier. The song remained in the top spot of the Billboard Hot 100 for three weeks and his album, Falco 3, fittingly peaked at the number three position on the Billboard album charts. Unheard of at the time for a white performer, much less a European one, the Austrian rapper's single climbed to the upper reaches of the Billboard Top R&B Singles Chart (only a few years earlier called the "Black Singles" chart), peaking at number 6. Falco 3 peaked at number 18 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums charts. Ultimately, "Rock Me Amadeus" went to the #1 spot in over a dozen countries including the Soviet Union and Japan. Follow-up single "Vienna Calling" was another international pop hit, peaking at #18 of the Billboard Charts and #17 on the U.S. Cash Box Charts in 1986. A double A-side 12" single featuring remixes of those two hits peaked at #4 on the U.S. Dance/Disco charts.
"Jeanny" the third release from the album Falco 3, brought the performer back to the top of the charts across Europe. Highly controversial when it was released in Germany and the Netherlands, the story of "Jeanny" was told from the point of view of a rapist and possible murderer. Several DJs and radio stations refused to play the ballad, which was ignored in the U.S., although it became a huge hit in many European countries, and inspired two sequels on later albums.
In 1986, the album Emotional was released, produced by Rob and Ferdi Bolland (Bolland & Bolland). On the Album were "Coming Home (Jeanny Part 2, Ein Jahr danach)" and the song "Kamikaze Cappa" which was written as a tribute to the late photojournalist Robert Capa. "The Sound of Musik" was another international success, and a Top 20 U.S. Dance hit, though he failed to make the U.S. pop charts. He also went on "Emotional-Tour" which was a world tour where he ended up in Japan at 1987. In 1987, he sang a duet with Brigitte Nielsen "Body Next to Body" and the single was a Top 10 hit in the Germanic countries. The Album Wiener Blut was released in 1988 but it did not get much publicity outside Germany and Austria.
After "Jeanny," there were a number of European hits, but Falco was rarely heard in the U.S. and the UK. His 1992 U.S. comeback attempt, the album Nachtflug with the song "Titanic" won a number of awards, but failed to chart in America.
Death
Falco died of severe injuries received from a collision with a bus in his Mitsubishi Pajero near the city of Puerto Plata, in the Dominican Republic on 6 February 1998, just two weeks before his 41st birthday. While it was initially reported that the autopsy showed high blood levels of alcohol and cocaine, this was disputed. At the time of his death, he was working on a comeback into the music world.
He was buried in the Zentralfriedhof (Central Cemetery) in Vienna, Austria.
Years active: 1974 -1998
Fascinating Man
Falco Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Er hieß Charles Darwin, und sie nannten ihn 'nen Freak
Keine Bibel, keine Offenbarung bremsten ihn ein
Denn seine Haltung hielt
Science and fiction griffen nach dem universe
Denn da ist more space in it
Darwin dachte dazu nur
And push it to the limit
Er war der Mann - he was a man
Genie und Partisan - a fascinating man
Sie sah ihn an - he was a man
Sie wusste, dass er - kann
A fascinating man
Hey, hey ya know what I am talking about
Er hieß Charles Darwin, und sie nannten ihn 'nen Freak
Keine Bibel, keine Offenbarung bremsten ihn ein
Denn seine Haltung hielt
Science and fiction griffen nach dem universe
Denn da ist more space in it
Darwin dachte dazu nur
Wir gehen auf-recht
And push it to the limit
Er war der Mann - he was a man
Genie und Partisan - a fascinating man
Sie sah ihn an - he was a man
Sie wusste, dass er - kann
A fascinating man
Er war der Mann - he was a man
Genie und Partisan - a fascinating man
Sie sah ihn an - he was a man
Sie wusste, dass er - kann
A fascinating man
Science und fiction...
Can you hear me Charles?
Er war der Mann - he was a man
Genie und Partisan - a fascinating man
Sie sah ihn an - he was a man
Sie wusste, dass er - kann
A fascinating man
Falco's song "Fascinating Man" is an ode to Charles Darwin, a renowned scientist and author of the 1859 work "On the Origin of Species". The opening lines of the song set the stage, declaring that Darwin was a fascinating figure who was not held back by religion or other beliefs. He was a man who pushed boundaries and was not afraid to embrace new ideas.
Throughout the song, Falco juxtaposes the themes of science and fiction, arguing that while the two are often at odds, there is "more space" in the universe for both. Darwin is presented as a trailblazer who challenged established norms and ways of thinking, and whose "fascinating" nature inspired awe in those around him.
The repeated refrain of "he was a man, a fascinating man" drives home the idea that Darwin was not just a great thinker, but an intriguing and captivating figure who captured the imaginations of many.
Overall, "Fascinating Man" is a tribute to Darwin as a symbol of the human desire to explore and understand the world around us. It celebrates the power of curiosity, the courage to challenge the status quo, and the enduring appeal of larger-than-life figures like Darwin.
Line by Line Meaning
Hey, hey ya know what I am talking about
Introducing the topic at hand.
Er hieß Charles Darwin, und sie nannten ihn 'nen Freak
Describing Charles Darwin and how he was viewed by some.
Keine Bibel, keine Offenbarung bremsten ihn ein
Not even religion could inhibit him.
Denn seine Haltung hielt
Because he held firm in his beliefs.
Science and fiction griffen nach dem universe
Exploring the vastness of the universe through science and imagination.
Denn da ist more space in it
Because there is much more to discover.
Darwin dachte dazu nur, Wir gehen auf-recht
Darwin believed we should stand tall and move forward in our exploration.
And push it to the limit
And we should strive to reach our full potential.
Er war der Mann - he was a man
Highlighting Darwin's humanity.
Genie und Partisan - a fascinating man
Describing Darwin as both intelligent and dedicated to his beliefs.
Sie sah ihn an - he was a man
Acknowledging Darwin's humanity once more.
Sie wusste, dass er - kann
Recognizing Darwin's abilities and potential.
A fascinating man
Emphasizing Darwin's allure and intrigue.
Can you hear me Charles?
Rhetorically asking if Darwin can hear and understand the message being conveyed.
Science und fiction...
Returning to the theme of exploring the universe through science and imagination.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA/AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Hakan
Genie und Partisan... scheiße Ohrwurm :D
DagmaraFalco1957
Vždycky si říkám, že takovejch věcí mohl nazpívat víc. Tohle jsou fakt skvosty.
France Mary
im Jahre 2009, schrieb DagmaraFalco1957 : " Ich sage immer, dass er mehr solche Dinge singen könnte. Das sind wirklich Juwelen". In 2019, es ist immer so wahr....Mary. from France
Thijs Kroon
I think this original version is better than the one on Verdammt wir leben noch
František Mestek
Nádhera. . .
Think Positive
Ehrenmann!😉😙