In 1952 he joins an international competition for the first time in Belfast, Ireland, where he wins the first prize.
However it takes till 1954 before he records his first songs, mainly songs about life at sea and some country music.
He soon extends his career by learning to act, and he will join several movies in Germany.
1956 sees Freddy representing Germany at the first Eurovision Song Contest together with Walter Andreas Schwarz. It is the only year that countries enter the contest with two songs. No points are given, and only the winner, Lys Assia is anounced.
Freddy's songs however become instant hits in Germany, Austria, Luxemburg, the Netherlands and Belgium and several other countries.
"La Paloma","Junge, komm bald wieder" and "Die Gitarre und das Meer" bring him fame, golden records and many awards.
Freddy keeps singing all his life, and in 2002 he makes his last tour, which ends in the city where he is born : Vienna.
Wo meine Sonne scheint
Freddy Quinn Lyrics
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Ich grüss´ der Heimat flimmernden Sand, die braune Hütte am Meeresstrand. Wo meine Sonne scheintund wo meine Sterne steh´n, da kann man der Hoffnung Glanzund der Freiheit Licht in der Ferne seh´n. Ich denk´ an Last und Pein und Not, an den Ruf der Trommel im Abendrot; ich denk´ an dich und dein Schattenbild, das sich in goldene Träume hüllt. Wo meine Sonne scheintund wo meine Sterne steh´n, da kann man der Hoffnung Glanzund der Freiheit Licht in der Ferne seh´n. Ich seh´ sie knie´n im hohen Rohr
Und höre von fern der Freiheit Chor.
Ich seh´ die Hand, die zum Himmel weist
Und fühle den Schmerz der Heimweh heisst. Wo meine Sonne scheintund wo meine Sterne steh´n, da kann man der Hoffnung Glanzund der Freiheit Licht in der Ferne seh´n. Ich hoffe, dass bald die Stunde schlägt, da mich ein Schiff zu der Insel trägt; warten auch Last und Not und Pein, dort will ich still und zufrieden sein. Wo meine Sonne scheintund wo meine Sterne steh´n, da kann man der Hoffnung Glanzund der Freiheit Licht in der Ferne seh´n.
The lyrics of Freddy Quinn's song "Wo meine Sonne scheint" (Where my sun shines) are a poetic ode to the singer's homeland, a remote island where the sunrays break through the morning mist and illuminate the sand dunes and the wooden huts on the shore. The singer recalls the hardships and yearnings of his people, as well as his own nostalgia for the place where he was born and raised.
The first verse sets the tone of the song, with the singer saluting his island in the early light of day, as if waking up from a dream. He describes the silvery and bright quality of the sunlight, which also suggests hope and freedom. The second verse is more somber, as the singer remembers the struggles of his people, who had to endure the burden of work and the drumming call of the night. He also evokes the image of a beloved person, whose reflection is caught in golden dreams.
The chorus of the song reinforces the themes of hope and freedom, as the singer declares that wherever his sun shines and his stars stand, one can see the radiance of hope and the light of freedom in the distance. The third verse adds a sense of community and solidarity, as the singer pictures his people kneeling in the tall reeds and listening to the choir of freedom from afar. He also expresses his own longing for the island and the pain of homesickness.
The final verse expresses the singer's desire to return to his homeland, even if it means facing more challenges and hardships. He wants to be content and at peace on the island, where his sun shines and his stars stand, and where hope and freedom still shine bright.
Overall, "Wo meine Sonne scheint" is a nostalgic and heartfelt song that celebrates the beauty and resilience of a remote island community, and the enduring power of hope and freedom amidst adversity.
Line by Line Meaning
Ich grüss´ meine Insel im Sonnenlicht, das sich silbern und hell im Morgen bricht.
I greet my island in the sunlight that breaks into silver and bright in the morning.
Ich grüss´ der Heimat flimmernden Sand, die braune Hütte am Meeresstrand.
I greet the homeland's shimmering sand, the brown hut on the sea shore.
Wo meine Sonne scheintund wo meine Sterne steh´n, da kann man der Hoffnung Glanzund der Freiheit Licht in der Ferne seh´n.
Where my sun shines and my stars stand, there one can see the brilliance of hope and the light of freedom in the distance.
Ich denk´ an Last und Pein und Not, an den Ruf der Trommel im Abendrot; ich denk´ an dich und dein Schattenbild, das sich in goldene Träume hüllt.
I think of burdens, pain and hardship, of the call of the drum in the sunset; I think of you and your shadow that wraps itself in golden dreams.
Ich seh´ sie knie´n im hohen Rohr Und höre von fern der Freiheit Chor.
I see them kneeling in the tall reed and hear from afar the choir of freedom.
Ich seh´ die Hand, die zum Himmel weist Und fühle den Schmerz der Heimweh heisst.
I see the hand pointing to the sky and feel the pain that homesickness brings.
Ich hoffe, dass bald die Stunde schlägt, da mich ein Schiff zu der Insel trägt; warten auch Last und Not und Pein, dort will ich still und zufrieden sein.
I hope that soon the hour will strike when a ship takes me to the island; even if burdens, pain and hardship await, I want to be quiet and content there.
Contributed by Carson S. Suggest a correction in the comments below.