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
Viena Calling
Falco Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Hello, hello, Vienna calling...
Talking about
Stella sitzt in Rio - Stella liegt in Tokyo
Männer fragen sie nach Feuer, nach dem andern sowieso
Sugar Chris dich sehr vermißt-dein Bein und dein Gesicht
Du kannst auf mich verzichten-nur auf Luxus nicht
Womit spielen klein Mädchen heute, hier und dort und da,
Wien, nur Wien du kennst mich up, kennst mich down
Du kennst mich.
Nur Wien, nur Wien, du nur allein
Wohin sind deine Frau'n.
Ohoho, operator (so alone am I)
Ohoho, operator (need you to) come tonight
Hello, Vienna calling
Hello, hello, Vienna calling...
Vienna calling
Two, one, zero - Der Alarm ist rot
Wien in Not - Cha, Cha, Cha
Vienna calling, Vienna calling
Und plötzlich heißt Maria Marilyn
Und Eva heißt Yvonne
Ein junger Bogart hängt dir an den Lippen, Kleines, und sagt komm
Die Lockenpracht wird komm abgemacht
Die Tänzer sind gestoppt
Es ist 4 Uhr 45, nun wird Position geprobt
Womit spielen kleine Mädchen heute, hier und dort und da
Ob in Tucson, Arizona; Toronto, Canada
Wien, nur Wien du kennst mich up, kennst mich down
Du kennst mich.
Nur Wien, nur Wien, du nur allein
Wohin sind deine Frau'n.
Ohoho, operator (so alone am I)
Ohoho, operator (need you to) come tonight
Hello, Vienna calling
Hello, hello, Vienna calling...
Vienna calling
Two, one, zero - Der Alarm ist rot
Wien in Not - Cha, Cha, Cha
Vienna calling, Vienna calling.
Falco's song "Vienna Calling" speaks about a woman named Stella who is traveling around the world and pursued by men who are interested in her. The lyrics also mention Sugar Chris, who apparently misses her very much. The song also touches on the idea of materialism, with the line "Du kannst auf mich verzichten-nur auf Luxus nicht" which translates to "You can do without me, but not without luxury." The chorus repeats "Hello, Vienna calling" and mentions the city's name several times throughout the song, emphasizing its importance as a location for the singer.
The second verse adds some surrealism to the mix, with mention of Maria becoming Marilyn and Eva becoming Yvonne. The line "Ein junger Bogart hängt dir an den Lippen, Kleines, und sagt komm" means "A young Bogart hangs on your lips, little one, and says come." This reference to actor Humphrey Bogart is an allusion to his role in the classic film "Casablanca" and adds to the sense of vintage glamour and intrigue in the song.
As for the chorus, it repeats twice throughout the song, emphasizing the importance of Vienna and its connection to the singer. The line "Operator, need you to come tonight" conveys a sense of urgency and loneliness, as if the singer is calling for help or seeking companionship. Overall, "Vienna Calling" seems to be a song about travel, romance, and longing, with an emphasis on the city of Vienna as a symbol of the singer's identity and connection to the world.
Line by Line Meaning
Hello, Vienna calling
Falco greeting his beloved city of Vienna
Talking about
Stella sitzt in Rio - Stella liegt in Tokyo
Männer fragen sie nach Feuer, nach dem andern sowieso
Sugar Chris dich sehr vermißt-dein Bein und dein Gesicht
Du kannst auf mich verzichten-nur auf Luxus nicht
Womit spielen klein Mädchen heute, hier und dort und da,
Und in Tucson, Arizona; Toronto, Canada.
Discusses Stella, who travels the world and is hit on by men everywhere. Sugar Chris misses Falco, but Falco can do without him. He also ponders what toys little girls play with in different cities.
Wien, nur Wien du kennst mich up, kennst mich down
Du kennst mich.
Nur Wien, nur Wien, du nur allein
Wohin sind deine Frau'n.
Falco acknowledges that Vienna is the only city that truly understands him and his ups and downs. He wonders where all the women of Vienna have gone.
Ohoho, operator (so alone am I)
Ohoho, operator (need you to) come tonight
Hello, Vienna calling
Hello, hello, Vienna calling...
Falco feels lonely and is calling for the operator to come and keep him company. He then repeats his greeting to Vienna again.
Vienna calling
Two, one, zero - Der Alarm ist rot
Wien in Not - Cha, Cha, Cha
Vienna calling, Vienna calling
There is an emergency in Vienna and the alarm is sounding. Falco repeats his call to Vienna to emphasize the urgency of the situation.
Und plötzlich heißt Maria Marilyn
Und Eva heißt Yvonne
Ein junger Bogart hängt dir an den Lippen, Kleines, und sagt komm
Die Lockenpracht wird komm abgemacht
Die Tänzer sind gestoppt
Es ist 4 Uhr 45, nun wird Position geprobt
Womit spielen kleine Mädchen heute, hier und dort und da
Ob in Tucson, Arizona; Toronto, Canada
Wien, nur Wien du kennst mich up, kennst mich down
Du kennst mich.
Nur Wien, nur Wien, du nur allein
Wohin sind deine Frau'n.
Maria and Eva have taken on new, Hollywood-inspired names. A young man is captivated by Falco's words and sparks a romance with him. Meanwhile, the dancers are preparing for their performance at 4:45am and Falco once again ponders what toys little girls play with in different cities. He reiterates his love and relationship with Vienna.
Writer(s): Falco, Rob Bolland, Ferdi Bolland Copyright: GEMA, Austro-mechana Gmbh
Contributed by Ellie G. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@jimstrope701
Ich bin Amerikaner. Als Ich ein Kind war, habe Ich auf dem Radio Falko gehört. Das war mein Einführung zu Deutsch lernen.
@rianamaria7045
Jim Strope wow respekt!! Falco is a legend :)
@ssecret_04030
Ja Jim Strope so ist das eben
@user-zg3jk6zl6e
Nice story (:
@punshedanonym8509
Komisch das es sich so liest als habe er es mit dem google übersetzter geschrieben...
@punshedanonym8509
@Wunder Kind Ändert nichts an der Sache, das der Text mit dem Google Übersetzer geschireben wurde.
@Guizeira80
Someone in 2024, listening to this huge massive song by Falco's band and pure NOSTALGIA...⚡⚡
@SabinUche
No. He is a legend!
@lizzbr79
Music IS Not getting old Just the artists
@Guizeira80
Good @@SabinUche