Hans Hartz (* 22. Oktober 1943 in Husum, † 30. Novem… Read Full Bio ↴Wikipedia.de says:
Hans Hartz (* 22. Oktober 1943 in Husum, † 30. November 2002 in Frankfurt am Main) war ein deutscher Sänger und Liedermacher.
Hartz wuchs in Husum auf, womit seine lebenslange Liebe zum Meer und die Thematik des Großteils seiner Liedtexte zu erklären ist. Nach dem Schulbesuch studierte er Sozialpädagogik und unterhielt zeitweise einen privaten Kindergarten in Husum, arbeitete aber auch auf dem Bau und fuhr zur See. Unverwechselbar war seine markante rauhe Stimme, die stark an Joe Cocker erinnert.
Zu Beginn seiner musikalischen Karriere trat er in Hamburg als Frontmann der Gruppe Lake auf. 1982 kam für ihn der Durchbruch mit dem Titel "Die weißen Tauben sind müde". Sein Album "Sturm" erreichte Platinstatus. 1983 folgte dann "Nur Steine leben lang" und 1985 "Musik aus der Ferne".
Im Jahre 1991 landete er mit "Sail away" noch einmal einen Riesenhit (auch international), der es in Deutschland auf über 1,6 Millionen verkaufter Tonträger brachte. Dies war der Tatsache zu verdanken, dass dieser Song in der TV-Werbung für Beck’s gespielt wurde. Dies hielt die Verantwortlichen aber nicht davon ab, den Song mit Joe Cocker noch einmal neu aufzunehmen und diesen dann in den nachfolgenden Werbefilmen von Beck's abzuspielen.
2000 versuchte Andreas Galk, mit Hans Hartz eine große Hallen-Comebacktournee auf die Beine zu stellen, jedoch ließ sich das Projekt gegenüber der deutschen Tourneebranche nicht weiter rechtfertigen, als der Kartenvorverkauf für ein Testkonzert im Oktober 2000 im "Brückenforum" von Bonn nur höchst schleppend verlief.
Seine letzten Auftritte fanden vor kleinerem Publikum bei einigen so genannten "Club-Auftritten" statt. Letzter Höhepunkt seiner Karriere waren seine Auftritte als Balladensänger bei den Störtebeker-Festspielen in Ralswiek auf Rügen im Jahr 2002.
2002 erschien auch "Echt HARTZig", sein letztes Album bei seiner letzten Plattenfirma ALLMUSICA Production, Hamburg. Im gleichen Jahr verstarb Hans Hartz, der starker Raucher war, nach kurzem, schweren Krebsleiden.
Zu seinem ersten Todestag 2003 veröffentlichte seine letzte Plattenfirma www.allmusica.de zur Erinnerung das CD Album "In Memory" mit sogar noch unveröffentlichten Songs wie "Wilde Rosen" oder "Eiszeit". Auch seine großen Hits wie "Sail away" sind auf der CD vertreten.
Girl From The North Country
Hans Hartz Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Where the winds hit heavy on the borderline
Remember me to one who lives there
She once was a true love of mine
Well, if you go when the snowflakes storm
When the rivers freeze and summer ends
Please see if she has a coat so warm
Please see if her hair hangs long,
If it rolls and flows all down her breast.
Please see for me if her hair's hanging long,
That's the way I remember her best.
I'm a-wonderin' if she remembers me at all
Many times I've often prayed
In the darkness of my night
In the brightness of my day
So if you're travelin' in the north country fair
Where the winds hit heavy on the borderline
Remember me to one who lives there
She once was a true love of mine
The song "Girl From the North Country" by Hans Hartz is a nostalgic and melancholic ode to a lost love. The singer is addressing someone who is traveling in the north country and asks them to remember him to a woman who once was his true love. He specifically asks if she still has a warm coat to withstand the harsh weather and if her hair still hangs long, as that's how he remembers her best. He wonders if she remembers him at all and admits to praying for her often, both in the darkness of night and the brightness of day.
The song captures the sense of longing and regret for a love that has been lost. The north country is portrayed as a harsh and unforgiving place, where the winds hit heavy on the borderline and the snowflakes storm. Yet, it's also a place that holds memories of a past love that the singer cannot forget. The focus on the woman's coat and hair highlights the emotional connection between the two, and suggests a deeper understanding of her as a person beyond just a lover.
Overall, "Girl From the North Country" is a poignant and wistful song that reflects on love, memory, and the passage of time.
Line by Line Meaning
Well, if you're travelin' in the north country fair
If you happen to be journeying through the cold and rugged North, where the weather is unforgiving and unpredictable...
Where the winds hit heavy on the borderline
...where the winds blow incredibly strong and fiercely at the border between regions...
Remember me to one who lives there
...then please remember me to someone who resides in that area...
She once was a true love of mine
...who used to be a beloved companion of mine.
Well, if you go when the snowflakes storm
If you decide to visit during a time when snowfall is intense...
When the rivers freeze and summer ends
...when the rivers solidify and summer comes to an end...
Please see if she has a coat so warm
...kindly verify if she owns a sufficiently warm coat...
To keep her from the howlin' winds
...for the purpose of protecting her from the deafening sound of the wind howling.
Please see if her hair hangs long,
Additionally, if possible, could you determine whether her hair cascades down her back...
If it rolls and flows all down her breast.
...as I remember it doing so, spilling down her chest in a beautiful, flowing manner.
Please see for me if her hair's hanging long,
I respectfully request that you determine if her hair has maintained that long, ethereal look...
That's the way I remember her best.
...since that is my favorite and fondest memory of her.
I'm a-wonderin' if she remembers me at all
I ponder and question myself whether she recollects me at all...
Many times I've often prayed
...as I frequently and sincerely yearn and pray...
In the darkness of my night
...whether alone and in the darkness of night, when my thoughts run rampant and I am seemingly powerless...
In the brightness of my day
...or in the brightness of daytime, when the sun shines, yet my mind persists in recalling her.
So if you're travelin' in the north country fair
Therefore, if your travels take you to that awe-inspiring and sometimes perilous land of the North...
Where the winds hit heavy on the borderline
...where the winds are at their strongest at the borderline between regions...
Remember me to one who lives there
...I humbly ask that you convey my regards to the one who still resides there...
She once was a true love of mine
...and who once occupied a position of true, irreplaceable love in my life.
Contributed by Camilla C. Suggest a correction in the comments below.