Der Junge von St. Pauli
Freddy Quinn Lyrics

Are e f are a I n :
The title of the song, 'Der Junge von St. Pauli', is abbreviated using the first letters of four consecutive words in the first line.

Der Junge von St. Pauli
The song is about a young man from the area of St. Pauli in Hamburg, Germany, who has traveled the world but always finds himself returning to his hometown in the end.

Der hat die Welt geseh'n
The young man has seen much of the world and experienced many different cultures and lifestyles.

In jedem fernen Hafen
He has visited many distant ports of call during his travels.

Wollt' er vor Anker geh'n.
He has often considered settling down and making a new life in these places.

Die Sehnsucht trieb ihn weiter
However, his longing for adventure and new experiences always pushed him onward to new destinations.

Er glaubte an sein Glück
The young man was always optimistic and believed that good fortune would come his way.

Doch es führten alle Wege
Despite his best efforts to find a new home, his travels always led him back to St. Pauli.

Nach St. Pauli zurück.
In the end, he realizes that his true home is in his hometown, where he feels most comfortable and content.

Wir spielten schon als Kinder
The artist reminisces about his childhood with friends in St. Pauli, when they would imagine themselves as sailors on the river Elbe.

Kapitän und Steuermann
They would take on different roles on their imaginary ship, with some being the captain and others serving as the navigator or other crew members.

Die Elbe bei St. Pauli
The Elbe river, which runs through Hamburg and past the neighborhood of St. Pauli, became their playground and an endless source of adventure.

War unser Ozean.
To the children, the river seemed as vast and endless as any ocean, full of mystery and excitement.

In Altona am Fischmarkt
As the singer grew older, he became more familiar with the local area and its landmarks, such as the fish market in the nearby town of Altona.

Da kannten wir uns aus
He and his friends knew their way around the area and felt at home there, even as they dreamed of seeing more of the world.

Aber dann mit sechzehn Jahren
When the artist was sixteen years old, he decided to pursue a life at sea and left St. Pauli to join a ship.

Fuhr ich auf's große Meer hinaus.
He sailed out onto the open ocean, leaving his childhood home and friends behind.

Ich kannte mal ein Mädchen
The singer had a girlfriend at one time, with whom he shared a strong connection.

Wir liebten uns so sehr
The two were deeply in love and believed that they would be together forever.

Ich glaubte
The artist was convinced that the girl was his destiny and that they would always be together.

Dass das Mädchen
He believed that she was the one who would complete him and make his life worth living.

Für mich mein Schicksal wär'.
He felt that she was fated to be his soulmate and true love, and that they would face whatever challenges came their way together.

Doch sie hat mich verlassen
Unfortunately, the girl left him, unable to handle the long periods of separation and loneliness that came with a life at sea.

Sie war zu lang allein
She found that she could not maintain a relationship with someone who was rarely around and whose life was so different from her own.

Die Seefahrt und die Treue
The singer laments that the demands of a life at sea often make it difficult for sailors to maintain close, lasting relationships.

Können selten Freunde sein.
He recognizes that the two things he had hoped to have in life--a successful career at sea and a loving relationship--are often at odds with one another.