Jan Phillip Eißfeldt (born 25 August 1976), known professionally as Jan Del… Read Full Bio ↴Jan Phillip Eißfeldt (born 25 August 1976), known professionally as Jan Delay, is a German rapper and singer whose stylistic range includes mainly hip hop, reggae, dub and funk. An accomplished solo artist, he became known to the public as a member of the German bands Absolute Beginner and La Boom. He performed with his group 'Disko No. 1' at the grand final of the Eurovision Song Contest 2011 in Düsseldorf.

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)

Raveheart
Jan Delay Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Wir sind nicht die, die nach den Tagesthemen
Zähneputzen und dann schlafen gehen
Wir sind die mit den Augenringen
Die nicht vor Sonnenaufgang zu Hause sind

Pflegen den ungesunden Lebensstil
Wenn wir die Nächte durch die Läden ziehen
Da wir nun mal gerne feiern gehen

Da wir schließlich auch nur einmal leben

Und auf allen Tanzflächen
Da feiern sie wie besessen
Angetrieben vond en Bässen
Die Sorgen, die sind vergessen

Und sie schütteln was sie haben
Und sie schütteln es jeden Abend
Alles Muttis und Typen hier im Laden, die sagen

Au
(Au)
Ja, ja, ja
(Ja, ja, ja)

Ich hab mein Stress an der Garderobe abgegeben
Bin rein in den Lden, ab an den Tresen
Denn ich mags erstmal an der Seite rumzustehen
Den Dj checken und mich umzusehen

Bis so ungefähr zum fünften Drink
Denn wenn ein aktueller Hi erklingt
Und alle mitgrölen, und die Getränke schwingen
In den Händen die voller Stempel sind

Und auf allen Tanzflächen
Da feiern sie wie besessen
Angetrieben vond en Bässen
Die Sorgen, die sind vergessen

Und sie schütteln was sie haben
Und sie schütteln es jeden Abend
Alles Muttis und Typen hier im Laden, die sagen

Au
(Au)
Ja, ja, ja
(Ja, ja, ja)

Und auf allen Tanzflächen
Da feiern sie wie besessen
Angetrieben vond en Bässen
Die Sorgen, die sind vergessen

Und sie schütteln was sie haben
Und sie schütteln es jeden Abend
Alles Muttis und Typen hier im Laden, die sagen

Dance

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Jan Delay's "Raveheart" describe a nocturnal lifestyle embraced by the singer and their peers. They are not the type to watch the evening news, brush their teeth, and go to bed. Instead, they have under-eye circles from staying out until dawn. They live an unhealthy lifestyle, roaming the nightclubs and raving because they want to live life to the fullest. The driving beat of the music helps them forget their worries and lose themselves in the moment. The dancefloor becomes a place of liberation, a place where everyone can let loose and shake off the stress of everyday life.

The singer also gives us a glimpse into their own experience at a club. They leave their stress at the coat check and head straight for the bar. They survey the scene and check out the DJ before losing themselves to the music and the rhythm of the crowd. By the time they have had their fifth drink, they are fully immersed in the party, joining in on the chorus of the latest hit song and waving their hands in the air. They feel a sense of community with their fellow party-goers, who range from "muttis" (German for "moms") to "typen" (German for "guys").

Overall, "Raveheart" celebrates the freedom and abandon of the nightclub scene. It suggests that there is something special about these nocturnal gatherings where people from all walks of life can come together to dance and forget their cares for a few hours.

Line by Line Meaning

Wir sind nicht die, die nach den Tagesthemen
We are not the ones who go to bed after watching the daily news

Zähneputzen und dann schlafen gehen
Brushing our teeth and going to sleep right after

Wir sind die mit den Augenringen
We are the ones with tired eyes

Die nicht vor Sonnenaufgang zu Hause sind
The ones who don't come home before sunrise

Pflegen den ungesunden Lebensstil
Maintaining an unhealthy lifestyle

Wenn wir die Nächte durch die Läden ziehen
When we spend our nights bar-hopping

Da wir nun mal gerne feiern gehen
Since we simply love to party

Da wir schließlich auch nur einmal leben
Since we only live once

Und auf allen Tanzflächen
And on every dance floor

Da feiern sie wie besessen
They party like there's no tomorrow

Angetrieben vond en Bässen
Driven by the bass