He was born Hans Philipp August Albers in Hamburg, the son of a butcher, and grew up in the district of St. Georg. He was seriously interested in acting by his late teens and took acting classes without the knowledge of his parents. In 1915 Albers was drafted to serve the fatherland in the Great War (World War I), but he was, in retrospect, lucky enough to be wounded early on. After the war Albers moved to Berlin, where he found work as a comedic actor in various Weimar-Era Berlin theatres. His breakthrough performance was that of a waiter in the play Verbrecher (Criminals). It was also in Weimar Berlin that Albers began a long-term relationship with half-Jewish actress Hansi Burg (d 1975). The relationship ended only when he died in 1960.
After roles in over one hundred silent films, Albers starred in the first German talkie Die Nacht gehört uns (The Night Belongs to Us) in 1929. Soon thereafter, Albers played big-mouthed strong man Mazeppa alongside Marlene Dietrich in her star-making classic Der blaue Engel (The Blue Angel). Albers himself shot to fame in 1930 with the movie Der Greifer and constantly enhanced his star status with similar daredevil roles in the 1930s. He was probably at his best when teamed-up with fellow German movie legend Heinz Rühmann, as in Bomben auf Monte Carlo (1931) and Der Mann, der Sherlock Holmes war (1937). Many of Albers' songs from his movies became huge hits and some even remain popular to this day.
When the Nazis came to power in 1933, Albers and his Jewish girlfriend Hansi Burg moved to Starnberger See in Bavaria. While Albers himself never needed to show public support for the Nazi regime, he became the most popular actor under Nazi rule. The actor nevertheless, although being a party member, avoided an overly close association in public. As the ultimate sign of his popularity, the Nazis even silently accepted his relationship with Hansi Burg for a long time. But Albers finally gave in to the pressure. Hansi Burg went to Switzerland and then to Great Britain in 1939, but they secretly remained a couple with him even managing to send her financial support. They were reunited after the war, when she returned to Germany in a British uniform.
In 1943, Albers was paid a huge sum of money to star in Ufa's big-budgeted anniversary picture Münchhausen but was careful not to give the impression that he was endorsing the National Socialist regime, which was indeed, never asked of him. Also in 1943, Albers starred in another classic German film Große Freiheit Nr. 7 with actress Ilse Werner. Some of the scenes are said to have been be shot in Prague because of bomb damage to Hamburg. The sailing ship "Padua" for the outdoor scenes of the film has survived under Soviet and Russian flag until this day as "Krusenstern".
After World War II, well-funded Albers avoided the financial plight and professional banning many actors faced on account of his association with Hansi Burg. Nevertheless, German "heroes" were considered undesirable by the occupation government that wanted to promote their own. This accounted for a major break in his career and made him hard to cast. Eventually he found an opening with respectful wisdom-with-age type character parts with some public acclaim, but with these never again enjoyed the huge stardom of the 1930s and early 1940s. By the early 1950s, his age finally showed and his powerful presence and freshness was almost gone. This was promoted by his increasing alcoholism during the 1950s. Yet he remained active in movies until the very end. Albers died in 1960 in a sanatorium near the Starnberg See of internal bleedings. The whole nation mourned his loss.
Taking a position in Germany that roughly corresponds with that of John Wayne in the USA, Albers' name will forever be closely associated with the North German port city of Hamburg, and especially the Hamburg neighbourhood of St. Pauli, where there is a square named "Hans-Albers-Platz". Today he is probably more known for his music than his films, and his music is still widely-known in modern Germany, even among young people. Outside of Northern Europe, however, Albers remains virtually unknown, although the image of an older man in a seaman's cap and raincoat playing accordion and singing may be recognised by many outside of Germany, even if they don't know that this image is based on Hans Albers. As a case in point, McDonald's used such an image in an American television ad campaign in 1986. In reality, Albers had no experience on the water, this being restricted to a one-day trip to Heligoland.
Many of Albers' songs were humorous tales of drunken, womanizing sailors on shore-leave, with double entendres such as "It hurts the first time, but with time, you get used to it" in reference to a girl falling in love for the first time. Albers' songs were often peppered with expressions in Low German, which is spoken in Northern Germany. His most famous song is by far "Auf der Reeperbahn nachts um halb eins," ("On the Reeperbahn at half past midnight") which has become the unofficial anthem of the colourful neighbourhood of St. Pauli. The Hans-Albers-Platz, one block south of the Reeperbahn, has a statue of Albers, by the German artist Jörg Immendorff.
Flieger grüß' mir die Sonne
Hans Albers Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Wir fliegen die Strecke bei jeder Witterung
Wir warten nicht, wir starten
Was immer auch geschieht
Durch Wind und Wetter klingt das Fliegerlied
Flieger, grüss mir die Sonne
Grüss mir die Sterne und grüss mir den Mond
Dein Leben, das ist ein Schweben
Durch die Ferne, die keiner bewohnt
Schneller und immer schneller
Rast der Propeller, wie dir's grad gefällt
Piloten ist nichts verboten
Drum gib Vollgas und flieg um die Welt
Such' dir die schönste Sternschnuppe aus
Und bring sie deinem Mädel mit nach Haus
Flieger, grüss mir die Sonne
Grüss mir die Sterne und grüss mir den Mond
Flieger, grüss mir die Sonne
Grüss mir die Sterne und grüss mir den Mond
Dein Leben, das ist ein Schweben
Durch die Ferne, die keiner bewohnt
Schneller und immer schneller
Rast der Propeller, wie dir's grad gefällt
Piloten ist nichts verboten
Drum gib Vollgas und flieg um die Welt
Such' dir die schönste Sternschnuppe aus
Und bring sie deinem Mädel mit nach Haus
Flieger, grüss mir die Sonne
Grüss mir die Sterne und grüss mir den Mond
The song "Flieger grüß mir die Sonne" by Hans Albers is an ode to flying and the freedom it represents. In the first verse, Albers describes how flying makes the world seem small, and how pilots are unfazed by whatever weather conditions they come across. The chorus repeats the title phrase "Flieger grüß mir die Sonne," which means "Flyer, greet the sun for me," and continues with "Greet the stars and greet the moon." This emphasizes the feeling of flying through space and looking out at the infinite expanse of the universe.
The second verse focuses more on the experience of being a pilot. Albers describes the feeling of floating through the skies and going faster and faster at the whim of the propeller. He encourages pilots to take risks and enjoy their freedom, singing "Piloten ist nichts verboten," which means "Pilots are allowed to do anything." The bridge of the song brings back the idea of flying as a way to impress a loved one; the pilot is encouraged to find the prettiest shooting star and bring it home as a gift.
Overall, "Flieger grüß mir die Sonne" is a celebratory song about the joy of flight and the thrill of adventure. It's an uplifting tune that encourages listeners to embrace their freedom and explore the world around them.
Line by Line Meaning
Vom Nordpol zum Südpol ist nur ein Katzensprung
The distance from the North Pole to the South Pole is close when you have the ability to fly anywhere, anytime.
Wir fliegen die Strecke bei jeder Witterung
We can fly any distance despite any weather conditions.
Wir warten nicht, wir starten
We don't wait for perfect conditions, we take off no matter what obstacles come our way.
Was immer auch geschieht
No matter what happens we keep going.
Durch Wind und Wetter klingt das Fliegerlied
We keep our spirits high and continue singing the pilot song despite the weather conditions.
Flieger, grüss mir die Sonne
Pilot, greet the sun for me
Grüss mir die Sterne und grüss mir den Mond
Say hello to the stars and the moon as well
Dein Leben, das ist ein Schweben
Pilot, your life is like floating in the skies
Durch die Ferne, die keiner bewohnt
You are traveling far away to places that no one has ever lived in
Schneller und immer schneller Rast der Propeller, wie dir's grad gefällt
The propeller spins faster and faster as you control it according to your liking.
Piloten ist nichts verboten
Pilots have no restrictions, they can go anywhere they want.
Drum gib Vollgas und flieg um die Welt
So give it all you have and fly across the world.
Such' dir die schönste Sternschnuppe aus
Choose the most beautiful shooting star,
Und bring sie deinem Mädel mit nach Haus
And bring it home to your girl.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: Allan Gray, Walter Reisch
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@Illuminatmatrix
die meisten glauben leider immernoch das Lied wäre ueber Flugzeug fliegen..
"..grüß mir die Sterne und grüß mir den Mond...
schneller und immer schneller wie mirs grad gefällt...
vollgas und flieg um die Welt.." ?!?!
mit einem , warscheinlich, Propeller Flieger in den 19hundert 30ern ?
Sicher nicht, nicht in die Atmosphäre , nicht zum Mond und auch nicht schnell schnell mal eben um die Welt.
Dafuer braucht es schon ein "Haunebu" oder dergleichen, damit war das kein Problem ;-)
@uwebeckmann8653
Es gibt Lieder die dürfen nie vergessen werden, das gehört dazu
@Illuminatmatrix
die meisten glauben leider immernoch das Lied wäre ueber Flugzeug fliegen..
"..grüß mir die Sterne und grüß mir den Mond...
schneller und immer schneller wie mirs grad gefällt...
vollgas und flieg um die Welt.." ?!?!
mit einem , warscheinlich, Propeller Flieger in den 19hundert 30ern ?
Sicher nicht, nicht in die Atmosphäre , nicht zum Mond und auch nicht schnell schnell mal eben um die Welt.
Dafuer braucht es schon ein "Haunebu" oder dergleichen, damit war das kein Problem ;-)
@dandare69
@@Illuminatmatrix wo steht denn in den Text was von zum Mond und den Sternen fliegen, da steht nur was von Grüßen. Die erste Erdumrundung war übrigens schon 1924, also 8 Jahre vor dieser Aufnahme, also war es gar nicht so unmöglich.
@MS1XPPSCT
@@Illuminatmatrix Es ist ein Lied über die Freiheit...wie man sie schon damals beim Fliegen empfinden konnte.
@GI_D204
@@Illuminatmatrix Und wenn schon, mir egal, das Lied ist geil, genauso wie Erika. 😅
@eiserneadler1406
Dies war das lieblings Lied von meinem Ur Opa. Ich besitze immernoch die originale Schallplatte aus den 30er jahren.
@Demente_Ente
Dann tu deinen Dienst an der Allgemeinheit und digitalisiere dieses Juwel :) Viele Leute werden dir es danken
@werkel111
Als ich den Pilotenschein gemacht habe, lief nach bestandener Prüfung und 3 Promille im Blut das Lied bei mir erstmal in Dauerschleife, ich kann den Text jetzt nicht nur auswendig sondern auch rückwärts -:))
@katharina1919
Jo cooolll
@janet-michaeljackson3907
😂😂😂🥂🍾👍