Their most popular sound was comparable to that of Yes, but they also explored other progressive rock styles. Their sound was characterized by sometimes humorous approach to making music, exhibited in both the lyrics and in the chimeric sound of the instruments.
The band made nearly fifteen albums, from general hard rock album to concept albums. Their vocals are mostly in English, although some albums were released with German vocals for the home market and English vocals for export.
Coke-Train
Grobschnitt Lyrics
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Down FRISCO-BAY, and no one cared
And the devil stroke a pact to sell his sweat to everyone
Suffering from thirst, and no one scared
There is a freighttrain bound for China
One thousand million cans of COKE
The U.S.A. sell them to China
And the devil laughed when the great leader died
In the land of the Yellow Sons
'Cos he knew this was his greatest chance
To close a cheaten deal, and he knocked down
Let's make another revolution
The last one took place more than 10 years ago
People in China are sick of their red books
Show them how things will go better with COKE ...
America is well experienced in dropping goods down in Far East
America became the foremost in every hoax, to say the least
There is a freighttrain bound for China
One thousand million cans of COKE
The U.S.A. sell them to China
The Western blessings for the Chinese folk
America is well
America is well
America is well
America is well
America is well
America is well
America is well
America is well
America is well experienced in dropping goods down in Far East
America became the foremost in every hoax, to say the least
TO SAY THE LEAST!
The lyrics to Grobschnitt's "Coke-Train" tell a story of how the devil has taken over the world and established a new order. The song starts out by describing a time when the devil took over and nobody cared. He made a pact to sell his sweat (perhaps a metaphor for something valuable) to everyone who was suffering from thirst, and nobody was scared.
The song then shifts to the idea of a freight train heading for China, carrying a billion cans of Coke. The U.S. is selling this to China as a "Western blessing" for the Chinese people. The lyrics suggest that the devil is behind this plan, as he laughed when the great leader of China died, knowing it was his chance to make this deal happen.
The final verse urges for another revolution and suggests that people in China are tired of their current situation, and that Coke can offer a better life. The song ends by repeating the idea that America is experienced in dropping goods in the Far East and that they have become masters of deception.
Overall, the song is a critique of American capitalism and its impact on the rest of the world. The lyrics suggest that the U.S. is taking advantage of China's thirst for a better life and using it to sell their products. It also suggests that the devil is behind this plan, manipulating people and governments to achieve his goals.
Line by Line Meaning
When the devil took this world it was a hot dog-day
The world was in chaos and no one seemed to care
Down FRISCO-BAY, and no one cared
The location of the chaos was San Francisco Bay, but even then, no one really cared
And the devil stroke a pact to sell his sweat to everyone
The devil made a deal to sell his product to anyone who was thirsty and desperate
Suffering from thirst, and no one scared
Despite their suffering, people didn't realize the danger of being sold something by the devil himself
There is a freighttrain bound for China
A train carrying Coke is headed to China
One thousand million cans of COKE
There are a billion cans of Coke on the train
The U.S.A. sell them to China
The United States is selling the Coke to China
The Western blessings for the Chinese folk
The Americans are trying to market their product as a blessing for the Chinese people
And the devil laughed when the great leader died
The devil saw an opportunity to exploit the situation after the death of a prominent leader
In the land of the Yellow Sons
The country where this is happening is China
'Cos he knew this was his greatest chance
The devil knew that he had an ideal opportunity to push his product onto the Chinese people
To close a cheaten deal, and he knocked down
He closed a deceptive deal and left China in a worse position than before he arrived
Let's make another revolution
The Americans are trying to encourage another revolution in China
The last one took place more than 10 years ago
It has been over a decade since the last revolution in China
People in China are sick of their red books
The Chinese people are tired of the propaganda they are being fed
Show them how things will go better with COKE ...
The Americans are trying to convince the Chinese that their lives will be better if they consume Coke
America is well experienced in dropping goods down in Far East
The Americans have a long history of dumping their products in the Far East
America became the foremost in every hoax, to say the least
The Americans became experts in deception and dishonesty, to put it mildly
TO SAY THE LEAST!
This is an understatement of how crafty the Americans can be
Contributed by Charlotte H. Suggest a correction in the comments below.