Gotthard, a hard-rock band from Lugano in the Italian part of Switzerland a… Read Full Bio ↴Gotthard, a hard-rock band from Lugano in the Italian part of Switzerland and Bern in the German part, was founded in 1990 by mentor and co songwriter Chris von Rohr, best known as Krokus' bass player. Gotthard is definitely one of the most famous and successful Swiss artists ever and almost every album has topped the Swiss charts since 1990.

With 2 million albums sold (1 million of which were sold in Switzerland, which only has 7 million habitants), they managed to get multi-platinum awards in different parts of the world.

Influences include Led Zeppelin, AC/DC, Whitesnake, Deep Purple and Aerosmith. Singer Steve Lee is especially fond of Whitesnake and has based his singing style on their lead singer David Coverdale.

Gotthard also performed "Immigrant Song" (originally by Led Zeppelin) live and it featured exclusively on a CD by Classic Rock (a long running monthly UK rock magazine). "Hush" was also performed live and can be found on Made In Switzerland album.

Another cover of a song they have recorded is "The Mighty Quinn", originally called Quinn The Eskimo, by Bob Dylan.

Singer Steve Lee was killed in a motorcycle accident on October 5th 2010. A truck struck him while he was stopped on the side of a desert road in Nevada (USA), putting on rain gear.

Current line-up:

Nic Maeder: Vocals
Leo Leoni: Lead Guitar
Freddy Scherer: Rhythm Guitar
Marc Lynn: Bass
Hena Habegger: Drums

Human Zoo
Gotthard Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Look at them all on the inside
Look at them wasting away
Walking around like they're hypnotized
Look , no bars on the cage

This is where they're living
Same as where they'll die
Nothing lasts forever

Can someone draw the line

Do we ever know the reason
Of what lies behind that smile
Take a seat, enjoy the journey
Just relax, I'll lead you through
Through the Human zoo
Through the Human zoo

Well, I hear â??em cry in the daylight
I hear â??em scream after dark
A real life jungle atmosphere
Watch â??em tear each other apart
Cause this is where they're living

Same as where they'll die
Stop it now or never
Can someone draw the line
Do we ever know the reason
Of what lies behind that smile

Take a seat, enjoy the journey
Just relax, I'll lead you through
Through the human zoo
Through the human zoo

Through the human zoo
Through the human zoo

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of "Human Zoo" by Gotthard paint a bleak picture of society, where people are walking around like they are hypnotized, wasting their lives away. The song, through the metaphor of a zoo, describes how people are trapped in their own prison. The line, "Look, no bars on the cage," suggests that people are not aware of their own captivity, as if they are unable or unwilling to break free from their own patterns and habits. The lyrics further delve into the theme of mortality, suggesting that life is fleeting and that we all will meet the same final destiny. The singer emphasizes that nothing lasts forever and that we are all living in the same cycle of life and death.

The song also questions the reasons behind the way people act in society, emphasizing that people often put on a smile and pretend that everything is okay, but in reality, they are struggling. The line, "Do we ever know the reason of what lies behind that smile," emphasizes the notion that people often hide their struggles and pains from the rest of the world. The song encourages listeners to take a closer look at those around them and to be more empathetic and compassionate towards others. The chorus emphasizes the metaphor of the zoo, stating, "Take a seat, enjoy the journey, just relax, I'll lead you through, through the human zoo." This line suggests that we should sit back and observe the world around us, recognizing the beauty and the sometimes tragic reality of our human existence.

Line by Line Meaning

Look at them all on the inside
Take a look at the people living in this place

Look at them wasting away
They appear to be deteriorating over time

Walking around like they're hypnotized
Moving like they're under some kind of spell or influence

Look , no bars on the cage
Despite their freedom, they seem like they are still trapped

This is where they're living
The place they reside in

Same as where they'll die
The same place where they will eventually meet their end

Nothing lasts forever
Everything at some point will come to an end

Can someone draw the line
Is there anyone willing to take initiative and stop this situation?

Do we ever know the reason
Is there a way to understand the underlying cause behind what we see?

Of what lies behind that smile
What's going on beneath someone's positive appearance?

Take a seat, enjoy the journey
Sit down and experience what's happening here.