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
Yah
Falco Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Yah - Vibration
Yah - Vibration
Es wird der Winter immer länger und es wird mir wirklich fad
Am Golfplatz Schneesturm, alle Caddies Hackenstad
Na es wird immer kälter, ice is in the air
Der Fall wird immer klarer, es muss ein Sommer her
Sie springt in ihr Gewand und wir ins Jet nach Ganja-Land
Sie hat sowohl Geschmack als auch genießt sie schlechten Ruf
Nachts in edler Schale, tags wie Gott sie schuf
Oh, oh, Jamaica makes her feel so high
Oh, oh Jamaica makes her come alive
Say
Jamaica-vibration
Positive-vibration
Rastaman-vibration
Was der Rastamann nicht alles kann
Say
Jamaica-vibration
Positive-vibration
Rastaman-vibration
Was der Rastamann nicht alles kann
Als erstes schaue ich nach einem adäquaten Platz
Die Schönste sucht einstweilen nach geeignetem Ersatz
So kommt es, dass die nächste Zeit wir uns sehr wenig sehen
Wer ein wahrer Sportsmann ist, der wird verstehen
Eines schönen Morgens fehlt von ihr dann jede Spur
Na, ist sie nicht zur Party und raucht die Gräser pur
Denn ich stehe mittlerweile nur am Platz noch meinen Mann
So kommt a jeder ganz auf seine Art zum Hole in one
Oh, oh Jamaica makes her feel so high
Oh, oh Jamaica makes her come alive
Say
Jamaica-vibration
Positive-vibration
Rastaman-vibration
Was der Rastamann nicht alles kann
Say
Jamaica-vibration
Positive-vibration
Rastaman-vibration
Was der Rastamann nicht alles kann
Hey, man, you the man, huh?
Wanna buy some stuff, man?
Did you ever toast that thing, huh?
So toast it to the beat!
Say
Jamaica-vibration
Positive-vibration
Rastaman-vibration
Was der Rastamann nicht alles kann
Say
Jamaica-vibration
Positive-vibration
Rastaman-vibration
Was der Rastamann nicht alles kann
Jamaica-vibration
Positive-vibration
Rastaman-vibration
Was der Rastamann nicht alles kann
Say
Jamaica-vibration
Positive-vibration
Rastaman-vibration
Was der Rastamann nicht alles kann
Jamaica-vibration
Positive-vibration
Rastaman-vibration
Was der Rastamann nicht alles kann
Say
Jamaica-vibration
Positive-vibration
Rastaman-vibration
Was der Rastamann nicht alles kann
The song "Yah - Vibration" by Falco is a tribute to the positive effects of Jamaica's culture and environment. The winter season has become too long, and it is boring, but Falco decides to take a break and fly to Jamaica with his partner. They both enjoy the vibe, and Falco highlights the positive effects of Jamaica's music, Rastafarian culture, and lifestyle. The lyrics are a conversation with the singer, asking him to feel the vibration of the Rastaman and the positive energy in Jamaica.
Falco highlights how Jamaica makes his partner feel so high and alive. He also touches on the stereotypical image of Jamaican culture, including smoking weed and partying. However, the song is more focused on the effect of the overall culture and positivity, as highlighted by the repeated lyrics of "Jamaica-vibration, positive-vibration, Rastaman-vibration, was der Rastamann nicht alles kann."
Overall, "Yah - Vibration" by Falco is a vibe-filled song that celebrates the culture and positivity of Jamaica. The lyrics touch on the stereotypical images of Rastafarian culture but remain centered on the potency of good energy and positive vibrations.
Line by Line Meaning
Yah - Vibration
The repeated phrase represents the uplifting feeling of positive energy that comes from experiencing Jamaican vibes and the Rastafarian lifestyle.
Es wird der Winter immer länger und es wird mir wirklich fad
The singer is getting bored with the long winter, and wants to escape it by going somewhere more exciting.
Am Golfplatz Schneesturm, alle Caddies Hackenstad
The singer is currently at a snowy golf course, and the caddies are struggling to keep up with the weather conditions.
Na es wird immer kälter, ice is in the air
The temperature continues to drop and there is a feeling of icy coldness in the air.
Der Fall wird immer klarer, es muss ein Sommer her
The solution to the artist's boredom and discomfort becomes clearer - they need to go somewhere warm and summery.
Da packe ich mein Set, die Schönste aus dem Bett
The singer prepares to leave and takes their golf set, accompanied by a beautiful woman who was in their bed.
Sie springt in ihr Gewand und wir ins Jet nach Ganja-Land
The woman quickly dresses and they both get on a private jet to go to Jamaica, a place known for its cannabis culture.
Sie hat sowohl Geschmack als auch genießt sie schlechten Ruf
The woman is tasteful but also has a reputation for enjoying wild and reckless behavior.
Nachts in edler Schale, tags wie Gott sie schuf
The woman dresses up nicely at night, but during the day she is carefree and natural.
Oh, oh, Jamaica makes her feel so high
The woman experiences a heightened sense of happiness and energy in Jamaica.
Say Jamaica-vibration, Positive-vibration, Rastaman-vibration
The singer celebrates the positive and freeing energy they feel in Jamaica, and attributes it to the Rastafarian culture.
Was der Rastamann nicht alles kann
The artist admires the Rastafarian way of life and all the benefits it has to offer.
Als erstes schaue ich nach einem adäquaten Platz
The singer looks for a good place to play golf in Jamaica.
Die Schönste sucht einstweilen nach geeignetem Ersatz
The woman looks for something else to do while the singer is occupied with golf.
So kommt es, dass die nächste Zeit wir uns sehr wenig sehen
The singer and the woman will not spend much time together while the singer plays golf.
Wer ein wahrer Sportsmann ist, der wird verstehen
A true sportsman will understand the importance of dedicating time to their sport.
Eines schönen Morgens fehlt von ihr dann jede Spur
One morning, the woman is nowhere to be found.
Na, ist sie nicht zur Party und raucht die Gräser pur
The singer assumes the woman is at a party doing drugs.
Denn ich stehe mittlerweile nur am Platz noch meinen Mann
The singer becomes more focused on golf and better at the sport as time goes on.
So kommt a jeder ganz auf seine Art zum Hole in one
Each person finds their own path to success, whether it be in golf or in life.
Hey, man, you the man, huh?
Someone tries to sell the artist drugs on the streets of Jamaica.
Wanna buy some stuff, man?
The drug dealer is trying to sell their illegal products to the artist.
Did you ever toast that thing, huh?
The drug dealer asks if the singer has tried their product before.
So toast it to the beat!
The drug dealer encourages the artist to try their drugs while listening to the music of Jamaica.
Lyrics © Budde Music Publishing GmbH, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: FERDINAND BOLLAND, ROBERT BOLLAND, JOHANN HOELZEL
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Libor Synthesizer
on Out of the Dark
super muzika ,nádhera