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
No Answer
Falco Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
It's weird to really feel out of wack
I got the urge to call home and I
Go to the hook and pick up the phone, sayin'
"Just wanted to say 'hi' to all my friends
Calling West-Berlin, where all those roads lead to an end
Germany, am I getting through?
Something's up I need to talk to you!"
Hallo Deutschland, hört ihr mich?
Via Satelliten, hört ihr mich?
Hallo, hallo Deutschland, hört ihr mich?
Ist da jemand oder täusch' ich mich?
A cup of coffee, cigarette, bathin' time
And I'm still hanging on that line
Ringin' up that girl can't be too soon, sayin'
„Hey, hey, wake up, darling, it's afternoon!"
Got still no answer, no reply
Gotta give it one last try
Operator, I count on you
"Overseas operator, may I help you?"
"You're the one to put me through!"
Hallo Deutschland, hört ihr mich?
Via Satelliten, hört ihr mich?
Hallo, hallo Deutschland, hört ihr mich?
Ist da jemand oder täusch' ich mich?
Ah, na na na na na na na
Let me know, let me know
Na na na na na na na
Ah, na na na na na na na
Let me know, let me know
Na na na na na na na
"I'm really very sorry, sir, but the line is disconnected
Uhm, I'm not receiving any type of response
But I'm sure there's a very logical explanation for this temporary breakdown, sir
Please, sir, there's nothing to be upset about
It just could be a malfunction with our satellite connection
If you wait just a moment, I'll connect you with my supervisor
I'm very sure that he has a very logical explanation for this temporary breakdown, sir
If you hold on just a moment, sir
I'll connect you with my supervisor and I'm sure he can explain this for you
I'm, I'm really very sorry, sir, but no one's there"
The song "Hallo Deutschland" by Falco is a cry for connection and a plea for communication between the singer and his home country of Germany. The lyrics describe his frustration at feeling disconnected from his friends and loved ones and his attempts to reach out to them via phone. He speaks to an overseas operator, hoping they can connect him to his home country, and pleads for a response from Deutschland.
The opening lyrics set the tone for the whole song, revealing Falco's discontent and feeling of being out of sorts. He's feeling lonely and disconnected from the world around him and is reaching out to the people he knows in an attempt to bridge the distance. The chorus highlights this need for communication, with the singer asking if anyone can hear him and questioning whether he's being heard.
Throughout the song, Falco weaves together feelings of isolation, confusion, and hope that his attempts to make contact with his home country will be successful. His use of specific locations such as West-Berlin and his mention of satellite connections demonstrate a deep concern with the idea of tenuous connections across vast distances.
Line by Line Meaning
I got up this morning, felt so bad
I felt terrible when I woke up this morning
It's weird to really feel out of wack
This feeling is strange and abnormal
I got the urge to call home and I
I felt compelled to call my friends in Germany
Go to the hook and pick up the phone, sayin'
I answered the phone
"Just wanted to say 'hi' to all my friends
I just wanted to check in with my friends
Calling West-Berlin, where all those roads lead to an end
I called friends in West-Berlin at a time when it was a symbol of division
Germany, am I getting through?
I hope I am connecting with someone in Germany
Something's up I need to talk to you!"
I need to talk about something that's bothering me
Hallo Deutschland, hört ihr mich?
Hello Germany, can you hear me?
Via Satelliten, hört ihr mich?
Can you hear me via satellite?
Ist da jemand oder täusch' ich mich?
Is anyone there, or am I mistaken?
A cup of coffee, cigarette, bathin' time
I took a break to have a cup of coffee, smoke, and relax in the bath
And I'm still hanging on that line
I'm still waiting on the phone
Ringin' up that girl can't be too soon, sayin'
I called a girl and couldn't wait any longer
„Hey, hey, wake up, darling, it's afternoon!"
I tried to wake her up and remind her it was already afternoon
Got still no answer, no reply
She didn't answer or reply to me yet
Gotta give it one last try
I have to try calling one more time
Operator, I count on you
I'm depending on the operator's assistance
"Overseas operator, may I help you?"
I asked the overseas operator for help
"You're the one to put me through!"
I asked the operator to connect me to someone in Germany
Ah, na na na na na na na
Humming sound
Let me know, let me know
I want to be informed
"I'm really very sorry, sir, but the line is disconnected
The operator apologized for the call being disconnected
Uhm, I'm not receiving any type of response
The operator is not getting any response
But I'm sure there's a very logical explanation for this temporary breakdown, sir
The operator assures me there is a reasonable explanation
Please, sir, there's nothing to be upset about
The operator tries to calm me down
It just could be a malfunction with our satellite connection
The operator suggests a malfunction may be causing the issue
If you wait just a moment, I'll connect you with my supervisor
The operator offers to transfer me to her supervisor
"I'm very sure that he has a very logical explanation for this temporary breakdown, sir
The supervisor is likely to have a reasonable explanation for the issue, according to the operator
If you hold on just a moment, sir
Please wait a moment
I'll connect you with my supervisor and I'm sure he can explain this for you
The operator thinks the supervisor can explain what's going on
I'm, I'm really very sorry, sir, but no one's there"
Unfortunately, there is no one to answer the phone right now
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Johann Hoelzel, Robert Ponger
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@stoppi4305
I got up this morning felt so bad
It's weird, really feel out of whack
I got the urge to call home and I
Go to the and pick up the phone, sayin' -
Just wanted to say to all my friends
"Calling West-Berlin,
Where all those roads lead to an end
Germany am I getting through?
Something's up I need to talk to you.
Hallo Deutschland hört ihr mich?
Via Satelliten hört ihr mich?
Hallo, hallo Deutschland hört ihr mich?
Ist da jemand oder täusch' ich mich?"
A cup of coffee, cigarette baiting time
And I'm still hanging on that line
Ringing up that girl can't be too soon
Saying hey, hey wakeup darling it's afternoon
Got still no answer no reply
Gotta give it one last try
Operator I count on you
(Overseas operator, may I help you?)
You're the one to put me through
Hallo Deutschland ...
Let me know
Let me know
Hallo Deutschland hört ihr mich
(Repeat til fade)
Übersetzen in: Deutsch
@travismcdowell8352
Falco really knew how to pick his woman for his videos.
@yvonnei.4333
Ich liebe falco ❤️🥰😍 er war wundervoll und wunderschön noch dazu 🔥🔥😊
@perezbaraquio6273
Ich nicht 😙
@pyro63
Er war super nett! Null Arroganz als ich ihn kennen lernen durfte! Erkannte mich etwa 1 1/2 Jahre später wieder und quatschten über eine Stunde! Falke war ein toller Mensch!
@sternpio
Fun Fact: Brigitta Cimarolli (das Model) war zu dem Zeitpunkt österreichische Schachmeisterin. Ihr gelang in der Zeit auch ein Untentschieden gegen Schachweltmeister Anatoli Karpow.
@philflm
Voller Ewigkeit! ❤
@mlovegoth
Lucky girl 😝 … he was so handsome
@stoppi4305
I got up this morning felt so bad
It's weird, really feel out of whack
I got the urge to call home and I
Go to the and pick up the phone, sayin' -
Just wanted to say to all my friends
"Calling West-Berlin,
Where all those roads lead to an end
Germany am I getting through?
Something's up I need to talk to you.
Hallo Deutschland hört ihr mich?
Via Satelliten hört ihr mich?
Hallo, hallo Deutschland hört ihr mich?
Ist da jemand oder täusch' ich mich?"
A cup of coffee, cigarette baiting time
And I'm still hanging on that line
Ringing up that girl can't be too soon
Saying hey, hey wakeup darling it's afternoon
Got still no answer no reply
Gotta give it one last try
Operator I count on you
(Overseas operator, may I help you?)
You're the one to put me through
Hallo Deutschland ...
Let me know
Let me know
Hallo Deutschland hört ihr mich
(Repeat til fade)
Übersetzen in: Deutsch
@RUS-xv7ut
Как всегда,прикольно ;-)
@vasokara2672
What a pity he was so dragicly gone great loss!