Delay was born in Hamburg on 25 August 1976. He attended the bilingual Helene-Lange-Gymnasium from 1986 to 1995. In the 1990s, Delay became known as one third of the pioneering German hip hop group Absolute Beginner. His stage name is a reference to Young Deenay, a pop music act in the 90s: the delay/echo is an important effect in reggae and dancehall music.
Delay's most significant trademark is his somewhat nasal voice. He also frequently changes his stage name depending on his current music style, mood and collaboration partners. Bald, he often wears a hat and sunglasses.
Eimsbush label
In 1997, Delay founded his own record label Eimsbush together with partners from the Hamburg hip-hop scene. The label's main goal was to support and guide fresh underground talents and pave their way into the music business without having them "selling out" to the major labels. The label was initiated by the German hip hop scene while it was going through a boom phase in the mid and late 90s, which led to "every Horst [jerk] being allowed to rap if only he can hold up a mic" (Jan Delay, MTV Germany, 2007). As a result, real talent stepped back for fear of being seen as sellouts by the underground hip-hop scene. The label was shut down in 2003 due to financial reasons and as a result of the "naive idea of just believing in talent outside the mainstream"
Full Wikipedia article: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jan_Delay
Studio albums
Searching for the Jan Soul Rebels (2001)
Mercedes Dance (2006)
Wir Kinder vom Bahnhof Soul (2009)
Hammer & Michel (2014)
Earth, Wind & Feiern (2021)
Überdosis Fremdscham
Jan Delay Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Ich habe da ein riesiges Problem
Ja Mann es ist echt der absolute Horror
Kein Tag vergeht, wo ich mich nicht für jemand schäm'
Ja dann läuft mir'n kalter Schauer über'n Rücken
Und die Fußnägel die spalten sich in zwei,
Und ich muss mich am ganzen Körper schütteln,
Und ich will einfach nur noch woanders sein
Und darum frag ich Sie: Ham' Sie da nix im Schrank?
Irgendwelche Pillen, die daran was ändern.
Denn wenn das hier so weitergeht, bekomm ich Angst,
Dass ich bald sterben werde, an 'ner Überdosis Fremdscham!
Ich sag Yo, das sind Angstzustände vom derbsten
Man ich kann mich schon auf nix mehr konzentrieren
So viele Leute ham 'ne Würde, klein wie Erbsen,
Und ich hab Schiss, dass sie mich damit konfrontieren!
Auf der Straße, in der Disko und im Fernsehen
Ständig unangenehme Situationen
Und nix auf der Welt wünscht du dir so sehr her
Wie 'ne Fernbedienung oder ein Loch im Boden
Also wie sieht's aus, ham' Sie da nix im Schrank?
Irgendwelche Pillen, die daran was ändern.
Denn wenn das hier so weitergeht, bekomm ich Angst,
Dass ich bald sterben werde, an 'ner Überdosis Fremdscham!
Feng Shui, Yoga und der ganze Kram
Ich hab es ausprobiert und ausgecheckt
Ich badete sogar in Sagrotan
Doch die verfluchte Scheiße ging nich' weg
Also wie sieht's aus, ham' sie da nix im Schrank?
Irgendwelche Pillen, die daran was ändern.
Denn wenn das hier so weitergeht, bekomm ich Angst,
Dass ich bald sterben werde, an 'ner Überdosis Fremdscham!
In Jan Delay's song, "Überdosis Fremdscham", the singer approaches a doctor with a problem, stating that he feels ashamed on a daily basis. He describes how he feels cold shivers and his toenails splitting when he experiences shame, and how he feels the need to shake his entire body and escape any given situation. He is scared that this will eventually lead to his death from an overdose of shame, and asks the doctor if he has any pills that can help him avoid that outcome.
The lyrics depict the feeling of social anxiety and shame, which can be overwhelming for an individual to handle. The singer feels like he cannot escape the constant embarrassment he experiences in all aspects of his life, whether it is on the street or in the disco, and is at a loss when it comes to solving the problem. The repetition of the question, "Ham' Sie da nix im Schrank?" ("Do you have anything in the cupboard?"), emphasizes that the singer is desperately seeking a solution, but ultimately, there is uncertainty if it will solve his problem.
The song highlights the importance of mental health and dealing with anxiety-related issues. Jan Delay's portrayal of the emotional turmoil that the singer experiences is both relatable and poignant. Jan Delay's "Überdosis Fremdscham" is an insightful song for anyone who has ever grappled with feelings of social anxiety or shame.
Line by Line Meaning
Halli Hallo Herr Onkel Doktor (Halli Hallo)
The singer greets the doctor and seeks their help to solve a huge problem they have.
Ich habe da ein riesiges Problem
The singer emphasizes the enormity of their problem.
Ja Mann es ist echt der absolute Horror
The singer describes their situation as a real nightmare.
Kein Tag vergeht, wo ich mich nicht für jemand schäm'
The artist expresses their feeling of shame and embarrassment every day.
Ja dann läuft mir'n kalter Schauer über'n Rücken
The artist describes their physical reaction to feeling embarrassed.
Und die Fußnägel die spalten sich in zwei,
The singer exaggerates their physical discomfort caused by their shame.
Und ich muss mich am ganzen Körper schütteln,
The singer emphasizes how their shame affects their whole body.
Und ich will einfach nur noch woanders sein
The artist desires to escape from their situation.
Und darum frag ich Sie: Ham' Sie da nix im Schrank?
The artist directly asks the doctor if they have any medication that can help them.
Irgendwelche Pillen, die daran was ändern.
The artist specifically asks for pills that can change their situation.
Denn wenn das hier so weitergeht, bekomm ich Angst,
The singer expresses their fear that their condition will only get worse.
Dass ich bald sterben werde, an 'ner Überdosis Fremdscham!
The artist uses hyperbole to express how overwhelming their shame feels, comparing it to a deadly drug overdose.
Ich sag Yo, das sind Angstzustände vom derbsten
The singer uses slang to emphasize the severity of their anxiety.
Man ich kann mich schon auf nix mehr konzentrieren
The singer describes how their condition affects their ability to focus.
So viele Leute ham 'ne Würde, klein wie Erbsen,
The singer observes that many people have very fragile egos and get offended easily.
Und ich hab Schiss, dass sie mich damit konfrontieren!
The artist expresses their fear of being confronted by people who get easily offended.
Auf der Straße, in der Disko und im Fernsehen
The artist lists the various places where they encounter situations that make them feel ashamed.
Ständig unangenehme Situationen
The singer describes the situations they encounter as constantly uncomfortable.
Und nix auf der Welt wünscht du dir so sehr her
The singer expresses their strong desire for a way to escape their situation.
Wie 'ne Fernbedienung oder ein Loch im Boden
The artist uses humor to express their wish for an easy way out of their shame.
Also wie sieht's aus, ham' Sie da nix im Schrank?
The artist repeats their request for medication to help them cope with their situation.
Feng Shui, Yoga und der ganze Kram
The artist sarcastically dismisses alternative methods they tried to alleviate their shame.
Ich hab es ausprobiert und ausgecheckt
The singer emphasizes that they already tried various methods to solve their problem.
Ich badete sogar in Sagrotan
The artist uses hyperbole to describe the extreme measures they took to try to alleviate their condition.
Doch die verfluchte Scheiße ging nich' weg
The singer laments that nothing they tried was effective in curing their shame.
Contributed by Jordyn F. Suggest a correction in the comments below.