Goethes Erben (Goethe's inheritors) is a musical group from Germany started… Read Full Bio ↴Goethes Erben (Goethe's inheritors) is a musical group from Germany started in 1989 by Oswald Henke and Peter Seipt. The basic idea was to put spoken german words into the center of a music-theatre. After the releases of two demo-tapes and their debut-concert, Peter Seipt leaves the band in July 1990 to go his own musical way with The Seer. Oswald Henke is only working in his studio after that.

In February 1991 Goethes Erben is formed as a group again. Mindy Kumbalek (keyboards, drums and saxophone) and Conny R. (guitars) make the trio perfect.

In this stocking they record their debut-album "Das Sterben ist ästhetisch bunt" ('Dying is aesthetically colorful') which makes the start of a triology and is published in February 1992 on the Hamburger Label DARK STAR. On this label the following albums are also published.

Short time before the release of the second album "Der Traum an die Erinnerung" ('The dream of the rememberance'), Conny R. leaves the band of her free will. Their Germany-tour in August 1992 makes the group popular in the country. Mindy Kumbalek and Oswald Henke are supported through Peter Seipt as a part-time-musician.

Until now their musical ways have changed a lot, their popularity increased, as well. They gave several concerts and tours, have had nearly 20 albums and 3 DVDs produced (not every single one was published).

Their musical genre is not easy to describe. However, they are officially classified in the "Neue Deutsche Todeskunst" ('New german art of death') genre.

Ganz sanft
Goethes Erben Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

So fern
nur blind
bemerkt man
den eigenen Mut
springt in die Leere
und füllt sie mit Glut

Kein Sturz

nur ein Freifall
umgeben von Glück
ein Abschied vom Jetzt
und ein lustvoller Blick

Die Vergangenheit ruht
das Neue noch fern
die Wahrheit ist Liebe
doch Neid ist ihr Kern

Mit Haut offenbart sich
betäubt so den Lärm
der fallenden Körper
tief stürzender Zeit

Ganz sanft
Ganz nah So fern
So sanft
Ganz nah So fern
Ganz sanft
so still ...

So gebar die Hochmut den Fall
die Eins und das Nichts
die Zwietracht-Geschichte vom göttlichen Fall

Ganz sanft
Ganz nah So fern
So sanft
Ganz nah So fern
Ganz sanft
so still ...

Die Drei fiel gemeinsam
Liebkinder sind Engel?
gegeißeltes Fleisch
verfallen der Frucht

Wer liebt die Eins
Die Buße als Tugend
Die Drei ist ein Engel
ein Mensch und Dein Gott

Ganz sanft
Ganz nah So fern
So sanft
Ganz nah So fern

Ganz sanft
so still ...

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of "Ganz sanft" by Goethes Erben explore the themes of bravery, love, envy, and the fall from grace. The first stanza talks about how we can only appreciate our own courage when we jump into the unknown, and how that moment of free fall can be exhilarating. The second stanza contrasts the past with the future, pointing out that while love is the truth, envy is at its core. The next couplet talks about how being vulnerable can help us tune out the noise of the world and the passage of time, allowing us to focus on our inner selves. The chorus repeats the dichotomy of being close yet far, gentle yet distant.

The third stanza is the most cryptic, invoking mythical and religious imagery: the fall of man, the number three, angels and God. The last stanza contrasts the heavenly with the earthly, asking if the same divine entity that represents both punishment and redemption can also be the object of human love. Overall, the song could be interpreted as a meditation on the human condition, the fleeting nature of life and the eternal struggles between good and evil.

Line by Line Meaning

So fern
Only when you're far away, you fail to notice

nur blind
It's only because you're blind

bemerkt man
that you realize

den eigenen Mut
your own courage

springt in die Leere
jumps into the void

und füllt sie mit Glut
and fills it with fire

Kein Sturz
It's not a fall

nur ein Freifall
just a free fall

umgeben von Glück
surrounded by joy

ein Abschied vom Jetzt
a departure from the present

und ein lustvoller Blick
and a joyous look