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
Ihre Tochter
Falco Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
kein blaues Auge tut mir so gut, I say - yeah, yeah, yeah
A very british girl white skinned, grey eyed
London-Heathrow, Terminal four, side by side
American girls so young and fresh
They're gonna kick me up side down, states are - best
Hin und wieder, ab und zu
will es der Zufall, dieser Fall bist do, I say - yeah, yeah, yeah
Ihre Tochter, ihre Tochter ist,
sie ist ein braves Kind
Ich gratuliere zu ihrer Tochter,
sie lernt es sehr geschwind
Caribbean girls, island pearls
black or white, Einsamkeit no no
Girls in the air down on the ground
Lots of drinks and parties all around
Die Frische kommt, die Strenge hält
Das Parfüm von nebenan sieht dich - gefährlich an
Der letzte Stand der Dinge, völlig klar
Alles cool am Pool, wie's immer war - und zwar
Ihre Tochter, ihre Tochter ist,
sie ist ein braves Kind
Ich gratuliere zu ihrer Tochter,
sie lernt es sehr geschwind
Ihre Tochter, ihre Tochter hat,
sie hat das alles satt
Sie will das eine, und will es heute noch
Sie will ihr Titelblatt
Ihre Tochter, ihre Tochter ist, ...
Ihre Tochter, ihre Tochter ist
Ich gratuliere zu ihrer Tochter
The lyrics to Falco's song "Ihre Tochter" depict a man's encounters with women from different countries and backgrounds. He describes German girls with blonde hair and blue eyes as his favorite, but also expresses admiration for British, American, and Caribbean girls. He speaks of the excitement of being around young American girls and their energetic spirit. He also mentions the fun of parties and drinking. Despite all of these experiences, he eventually ends the song by congratulating a woman on her daughter, noting that she is a good child who learns quickly.
The song has been interpreted as a commentary on different cultural experiences and attitudes toward sex and women. Falco was known for his provocative lyrics and willingness to touch on sensitive topics. The song also features his signature use of language mixing German and English phrases.
Line by Line Meaning
Deutsche Mädchen von blonder Glut, kein blaues Auge tut mir so gut, I say - yeah, yeah, yeah
I prefer German girls with fair complexion, not blue eyes though, and I say - yeah, yeah, yeah
A very british girl white skinned, grey eyed London-Heathrow, Terminal four, side by side
I recently saw a British girl at Terminal four in white complexion and grey eyes standing beside me
American girls so young and fresh They're gonna kick me up side down, states are - best
American girls are young and refreshing, they leave me feeling euphoric, stateside is simply the best
Hin und wieder, ab und zu will es der Zufall, dieser Fall bist do, I say - yeah, yeah, yeah
Once in a while, fate intervenes, and you happen to be the one, and I say - yeah, yeah, yeah
Ihre Tochter, ihre Tochter ist, sie ist ein braves Kind Ich gratuliere zu ihrer Tochter, sie lernt es sehr geschwind
Her daughter is a well-behaved child, and I congratulate her for her daughter's quick learning abilities
Caribbean girls, island pearls black or white, Einsamkeit no no Girls in the air down on the ground Lots of drinks and parties all around
Girls from the Caribbean islands, with their charm and beauty, are not lonely whether they are black or white; they love to party and have fun
Die Frische kommt, die Strenge hält Das Parfüm von nebenan sieht dich - gefährlich an Der letzte Stand der Dinge, völlig klar Alles cool am Pool, wie's immer war - und zwar
Freshness and strictness coexist, your neighbor's perfume gives a dangerous vibe; the situation is clear, everything is cool at the pool, as always
Ihre Tochter, ihre Tochter hat, sie hat das alles satt Sie will das eine, und will es heute noch Sie will ihr Titelblatt
Her daughter is fed up, she wants only one thing, and she wants it now; she wants to be on the front page
Ihre Tochter, ihre Tochter ist, ...
Her daughter is...
Ihre Tochter, ihre Tochter ist Ich gratuliere zu ihrer Tochter
Her daughter is lovely, and I congratulate her for her daughter
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: FALCO, ROBERT PONGER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
BackYard Science 2000
English lyrics:
German Girl of blond blaze,
no black eye, that's good.
I say - yeah, yeah, yeah
A very british girl white skinned, grey eyed
London-Heathrow, Terminal four, side by side
American girls so young and fresh
They're gonna kick me up side down, states are - best
on and off, now and then
As luck would have it, that luck are you,
I say - yeah, yeah, yeah
Her daughter, her daugther is,
she is a nice girl
I congratulate to her daughter
she learns very quickly
Carribean girls, island pearls
Black or white, Einsamkeit no no
Girls in the air down on the ground
Lots of drinks and parties all around
freshness comes, severity stays
The perfume next door looks at you - dangerously
The newest, that's quite plain to me
Everything is cool at the pool, like it always has been - in fact
Her daughter, her daugther is,
she is a nice girl
I congratulate to her daughter
she learns very quickly
Her daughter, her daughter has
She is tired of all of that
she only wants the one, she wants it still in today
She wants her title page
Her daughter is, her daughter is,....
Her daughter is, her daughter is
I congratulate to her daughter
Ryan Callan
This man had the moves, expressions, style and character! Absolutely brilliant. Gone far too soon.
Susana Olivos
Excéntrico y talentoso eras de mi época y te amé, que pena que no estás entre nosotros.,..descansa en paz Maestro
sivakumar sathiamoorthy
excellent video and song. I like the funny facial expressions and moves by Falco. a very under-rated song compared to his more famous songs. I also like the abrupt and explosive ending. top class. a highly talented musician who left us too soon.
France Mary
Im Laufe der Zeit hören und sehen wir gerne seine verschiedenen Songs. Das Junge Römer Album wurde wirklich unterschätzt, Ich liebe dieses Nebeneinander von Gewinner / Verlierer, das ihn so sehr charakterisiert. Ich habe eine große Vorliebe für "Brillantin 'Brutal", "No Answer" und "Hoch wie nie". In diesem Clip war die Sauna genau wie in seinem wirklichen Leben einer der Treffpunkte für ihn.
Eyck Zimmer
France Mary Hoch wie nie und Junge Roemer .....2 seiner Besten !!!!
Asti from Germany
Ich habe Junge Römer erst jetzt 2021 komplett gehört, mit 53 Jahren. Und es ist ein klasse Album! Vielfältig,toller Sound,wunderschöne Texte. Es ist nicht verständlich, warum es damals floppte. Ich vermisse ihn !!!
Patrick Bateman
Mein Gott! Nach deinem Kommentar habe ich mir "No Answer" angehört und es ist klasse! Unglaublich wie einzigartig es klingt und so eine Stimmung transportiert. Danke!
Mario Abbate
@France Mary, darf ich fragen, wie das gemeint ist, dass die Sauna "genau wie in seinem wirklichen Leben einer der Tiefpunkte für ihn" war? :)
Asti from Germany
Einfach nur cool wie er sich zur Musik bewegt, ich kann nicht aufhören es wieder und wieder anzuschauen!!! Auch super wie er am Schluss durch die Wand springt und in Jeans und schwarzer Jacke rauskommt. Aber er sah ja einfach in jedem Outfit toll aus!!!
Race sliding
So geniale Musik! Unglaublich! Dafür gibt es nichts vergleichbares!