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
Kommissar 2000
Falco Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Sog eam des
Check it out, yo
Two, three, four
Eins, zwei drei
Na, wenn ich euch erzähl' die G'schicht'
Nichts desto trotz
Ich bin es schon gewohnt
Im TV-Funk, da läuft es nicht
Ja, sie war jung
Das Herz so rein und weiß
Und jede Nacht hat ihren Preis
Sie sagt: „Sugar Sweet
You got me rappin' to the heat!“
Ich verstehe, sie ist heiß
Sie sagt: „Babe, you know
I miss my funky friends“
Sie meint Jack und Joe und Jill
Mein Funkverständnis
Ja, das reicht zur Not
Ich überreiss', was sie jetzt will
Ich überleg' bei mir
Ihr Nahsein spricht dafür
Währenddessen ich noch rauch'
Die Special Places sind ihr wohlbekannt
Ich mein', sie fährt ja U-Bahn auch
Dort singen's
„Drah' di net um, oh oh oh
Schau, schau, der Kommissar geht um! Oh oh oh
Er wird di anschauen
Und du weißt warum
Die Lebenslust bringt di um“
Alles klar, Herr Kommissar?
Hey, man, you man up
You wanna buy some stuff, huh?
Did you ever rap that thing, Jack?
So rap it to the beat
Wir treffen Jill and Joe
Und dessen Bruder Hip
Und auch den Rest der coolen Gang
Sie rappen hin, sie rappen her
Dazwischen kratzen's ab die Wänd'
Dieser Fall ist klar
Lieber Herr Kommissar
Auch wenn sie anderer Meinung sind
Den Schnee auf dem wir alle talwärts fahren
Kennt heute jedes Kind
Jetzt das Kinderlied
„Drah' di net um, oh oh oh
Schau, schau, der Kommissar geht um! Oh oh oh
Er wird di anschauen
Und du weißt warum
Die Lebenslust bringt di um“
Alles klar, Herr Kommissar?
Hey man, you man up
You wanna buy some stuff, man, huh?
Hey man, you man up
Drah di net um
Wenn er di anspricht und du weißt warum
Der Kommissar geht um
Er hat die Kraft und wir san klein und dumm
Drah di net um
Oh oh oh
Schau, schau, der Kommissar geht um! Oh oh oh
Ah, check it out
Drah di net um
Oh oh oh
Schau, schau, der Kommissar geht um! Oh oh oh
Drah di net um
Oh oh oh
Schau, schau, der Kommissar geht um! Oh oh oh
Falco's song "Kommissar 2000" tells the story of drug deals and parties taking place in the red-light district of a city, while the police commissioner, or "Kommissar," tries to keep the peace. The lyrics paint a picture of a young woman who is having a good time with her "funky friends" and is willing to do whatever it takes to keep the party going, even if it means breaking the law. The chorus of the song, "Drah' di net um, oh oh oh, schau, schau, der Kommissar geht um! Oh oh oh," roughly translates to "Don't turn around, oh oh oh, look, look, the commissioner is walking around! Oh oh oh," and suggests that the characters are constantly looking over their shoulders for the police. The song ends with the repeated refrain, "Drah di net um," which means "Don't turn around," and seems to caution against getting caught in illegal activities.
Line by Line Meaning
Alles klar, Herr Kommissar?
Are you in control, Mr. Commissioner?
Sog eam des
Tell him this
Check it out, yo
Listen carefully
Eins, zwei drei
One, two, three
Na, es is nix dabei
Well, there's nothing to it
Na, wenn ich euch erzähl' die G'schicht'
Well, let me tell you the story
Nichts desto trotz
Nevertheless
Ich bin es schon gewohnt
I'm used to it
Im TV-Funk, da läuft es nicht
It doesn't work that way on TV
Ja, sie war jung
Yes, she was young
Das Herz so rein und weiß
Her heart so pure and white
Und jede Nacht hat ihren Preis
And every night has its price
Sie sagt: „Sugar Sweet
She says: “Sugar Sweet
You got me rappin' to the heat!“
You got me rapping to the beat
Ich verstehe, sie ist heiß
I understand, she's hot
Sie sagt: „Babe, you know
She says: “Babe, you know
I miss my funky friends“
I miss my funky friends
Sie meint Jack und Joe und Jill
She means Jack and Joe and Jill
Mein Funkverständnis
My understanding of funk
Ja, das reicht zur Not
Well, that's enough in a pinch
Ich überreiss', was sie jetzt will
I understand what she wants now
Ich überleg' bei mir
I'm thinking to myself
Ihr Nahsein spricht dafür
Her proximity speaks for itself
Währenddessen ich noch rauch'
Meanwhile, I'm still smoking
Die Special Places sind ihr wohlbekannt
The special places are well-known to her
Ich mein', sie fährt ja U-Bahn auch
I mean, she takes the subway too
Dort singen's
There they sing
„Drah' di net um, oh oh oh
Don't turn around, oh oh oh
Schau, schau, der Kommissar geht um! Oh oh oh
Look, look, the commissioner is coming around! Oh oh oh
Er wird di anschauen
He will look at you
Und du weißt warum
And you know why
Die Lebenslust bringt di um“
The lust for life kills you
Hey, man, you man up
Hey, man, are you man enough?
You wanna buy some stuff, huh?
Do you want to buy something, huh?
Did you ever rap that thing, Jack?
Did you ever rap that thing, Jack?
So rap it to the beat
So rap it to the beat
Wir treffen Jill and Joe
We meet Jill and Joe
Und dessen Bruder Hip
And their brother Hip
Und auch den Rest der coolen Gang
And also the rest of the cool gang
Sie rappen hin, sie rappen her
They rap back and forth
Dazwischen kratzen's ab die Wänd'
In between, they scratch the walls
Dieser Fall ist klar
This case is clear
Lieber Herr Kommissar
Dear Mr. Commissioner
Auch wenn sie anderer Meinung sind
Even if they have a different opinion
Den Schnee auf dem wir alle talwärts fahren
The snow on which we all travel downhill
Kennt heute jedes Kind
Every child knows it today
Jetzt das Kinderlied
Now the children's song
Drah' di net um, oh oh oh
Don't turn around, oh oh oh
Schau, schau, der Kommissar geht um! Oh oh oh
Look, look, the commissioner is coming around! Oh oh oh
Er wird di anschauen
He will look at you
Und du weißt warum
And you know why
Die Lebenslust bringt di um“
The lust for life kills you
Hey man, you man up
Hey, man, are you man enough?
Drah di net um
Don't turn around
Wenn er di anspricht und du weißt warum
If he approaches you and you know why
Der Kommissar geht um
The commissioner is coming around
Er hat die Kraft und wir san klein und dumm
He has the power and we are small and dumb
Schau, schau, der Kommissar geht um! Oh oh oh
Look, look, the commissioner is coming around! Oh oh oh
Ah, check it out
Ah, check it out
Drah di net um
Don't turn around
Oh oh oh
Oh oh oh
Schau, schau, der Kommissar geht um! Oh oh oh
Look, look, the commissioner is coming around! Oh oh oh
Drah di net um
Don't turn around
Oh oh oh
Oh oh oh
Schau, schau, der Kommissar geht um! Oh oh oh
Look, look, the commissioner is coming around! Oh oh oh
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Robert Ponger, Johann Hoelzel
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Libor Synthesizer
on Out of the Dark
super muzika ,nádhera