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)
Plastik
Jan Delay Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Aber du bist aus Plastik
Und ich versuchs zu übersehen
Doch tut mir Leid:Ich schaffs nicht
Äh äh, da geht nichts
Ich bin kein Freund von Polyester
Das ist doch eklig
Ja, die Menschen ohne Seele
Kaufen Dinge ohne Seele
Kaufen Plastik und sie denken sie lösen
Damit all ihre Probleme
Mit dem Plastik
Ja, auf dem Planeten Playmobil, lieben sie das Sterile
Und jedes Gefühl, gilt es zu desinfizieren
Die Hirne aus Acryl und die Herzen sind aus PVC
Ja, ich beneide sie, denn neimals tuts ihnen in der Seele weh
Denn die Menschen ohne Seele
Mögen Dinge ohne Seele
Mögen Plastik, und sie Mögen es so gerne
Weil es ihnen so ähnelt
Dieses Plastik
Ja, die Menschen ohne Seele
Kaufen Dinge ohne Seele
Kaufen Plastik, und sie denken sie lösen
Damit all ihre Probleme
Mit dem Plastik
The lyrics of Jan Delay's song Plastik criticize modern consumer culture, which focuses on superficial appearances and material possessions rather than genuine human connections and emotions. The singer of the song expresses frustration with the prevalence of plastic in our society, both as a material substance and as a metaphor for artificiality and shallowness. The opening lines describe someone who may be physically attractive but is ultimately insincere and fake, like a plastic object. The singer admits that they try to overlook this flaw but cannot ignore it entirely.
Throughout the song, the singer emphasizes how people who lack genuine emotions and values are drawn to plastic in all its forms. They rely on plastic objects to solve their problems and satisfy their desires, but these material possessions ultimately provide only temporary comfort and conceal deeper emotional dissatisfaction. The singer suggests that this focus on plastic and surface-level appearances leads to a lack of authenticity and connection in our relationships and in ourselves.
The song also critiques the broader societal trends that create a culture of plastic, such as the emphasis on cleanliness and sterility at the expense of emotional expression and vulnerability. The final lines suggest that those who embrace plastic and reject authentic emotions may be able to avoid the pain and complications of real human relationships, but they miss out on the deeper connections and experiences that make life meaningful.
Overall, Jan Delay's Plastik is a powerful critique of consumer culture and its emphasis on superficial appearances at the expense of genuine human connection and emotion.
Line by Line Meaning
Du bist vielleicht ganz schön
You may be quite pretty
Aber du bist aus Plastik
But you are made of plastic
Und ich versuchs zu übersehen
And I try to overlook it
Doch tut mir Leid:Ich schaffs nicht
But I am sorry, I can't
Äh äh, da geht nichts
Uh uh, nothing works
Ich bin kein Freund von Polyester
I am not a friend of polyester
Das ist doch eklig
That is just gross
Denn das ist vom Dixieklo die Schwester
Because it is the sister of a portable toilet
Ja, die Menschen ohne Seele
Yes, people without a soul
Kaufen Dinge ohne Seele
Buy things without a soul
Kaufen Plastik und sie denken sie lösen
Buy plastic and think they solve
Damit all ihre Probleme
With all their problems
Mit dem Plastik
With the plastic
Ja, auf dem Planeten Playmobil, lieben sie das Sterile
Yes, on the planet Playmobil, they love the sterile
Und jedes Gefühl, gilt es zu desinfizieren
And they disinfect every feeling
Die Hirne aus Acryl und die Herzen sind aus PVC
Their brains are made of acrylic and their hearts are made of PVC
Ja, ich beneide sie, denn neimals tuts ihnen in der Seele weh
Yes, I envy them because it never hurts their souls
Denn die Menschen ohne Seele
Because people without a soul
Mögen Dinge ohne Seele
Like things without a soul
Mögen Plastik, und sie Mögen es so gerne
They like plastic, and they like it so much
Weil es ihnen so ähnelt
Because it is so similar to them
Dieses Plastik
This plastic
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: JAN PHILLIP EISSFELDT, KASPAR WIENS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind