Witt was the guitarist/singer in Seventies Krautrock band Duesenberg. He released three albums with them, "Duesenberg" (1977), "Duesenberg 2" (1978) and "Strangers" (1979), before embarking on a solo career as a singer and actor.
He made a big comeback at the end of the 1990s, when he scored a major hit with "Die Flut", a duet with Peter Heppner, the singer of popular German synth pop group Wolfsheim. Witts album Bayreuth Eins (1997) scored platinum in Germany and Austria. Bayreuth zwei and Bayreuth 3 followed two resp. eight years later. His music in those days resembled the hard hitting sounds of Rammstein, albeit with a gothic touch, that owed a lot of inspiration to legendary German composer Richard Wagner.
Vandemar
Joachim Witt Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Frisst Gras unter den Grasern
Siehst Staub auf klaren Glasern
Schleuderst das Kreuz ins Universum
Sehnst Dich nach der Menschenfaule
Unter der Last der Schicksalssaule
Ziehst jeden Strang um der Bedeutung willen
Verbeugst dich vor der luge
Auf das sich Einer Dir nur fuge
Vergiftest jedes Wasserloch
Auch wenns schon vorher ubel roch
Es wird langsam Nacht um Dich
Wer Dich nicht kennt, der furchtet sich
Laufst unruhig den Kanal englang
An dem noch nie ein Vogel sang
An dem noch nie ein Baum Erbluht
In dem man keinen Fisch mehr sieht
An dem Du keine Trane weinst
Wenn sich der Fluss mit Dir vereint
Fest umschlungen
Mit den jungen
Aphroditen strurzt Du in den Berg
In den Sumpfen
Spricht man leise
Dass man Dir hat schlecht getan
The lyrics of the song Vandemar by Joachim Witt are quite cryptic and open to interpretation, but they seem to depict a person who is tormented by their own thoughts and desires. The first verse describes a person who is consumed by their own neuroses and obsession with meaning, even going so far as to throw a cross into the universe in an attempt to find answers. The second verse paints a picture of someone who is driven by a lust for pain and suffering, even going as far as to poison the water sources around them. The third verse seems to describe a person who is lost and alone, wandering down a canal that is devoid of life and beauty.
Line by Line Meaning
Du Nerv, Du Nervenfraser
You're a nuisance, a nerve-wracking person
Frisst Gras unter den Grasern
You're a hypocrite who pretends to be one of the meek and humble when in reality you're a wolf in sheep's clothing
Siehst Staub auf klaren Glasern
You see imperfections even in things that are seemingly perfect
Schleuderst das Kreuz ins Universum
You reject religion and the concept of a divine being
Sehnst Dich nach der Menschenfaule
You long for the decay and destruction of humanity
Unter der Last der Schicksalssaule
You feel burdened and oppressed by fate and destiny
Ziehst jeden Strang um der Bedeutung willen
You manipulate situations and people to feel important and significant
Kannst Deinen Durst nach Schmerz nie stillen
You crave pain and suffering, both for yourself and for others
Verbeugst dich vor der luge
You worship deceit and falsehood
Auf das sich Einer Dir nur fuge
You want others to follow your lead blindly
Vergiftest jedes Wasserloch
You corrupt and pollute every good thing you come across
Auch wenns schon vorher ubel roch
Even if it was bad to begin with, you make it worse
Es wird langsam Nacht um Dich
Your dark and twisted thoughts are consuming you
Wer Dich nicht kennt, der furchtet sich
People are afraid of you because they don't know what you're capable of
Laufst unruhig den Kanal englang
You wander aimlessly, searching for something you can't quite name
An dem noch nie ein Vogel sang
You exist in a desolate and lonely world
An dem noch nie ein Baum Erbluht
There is no growth or life in your surroundings
In dem man keinen Fisch mehr sieht
Even the water is devoid of life and vitality
An dem Du keine Trane weinst
You're numb to pain and have lost the ability to cry
Wenn sich der Fluss mit Dir vereint
When you merge with the water, you become part of the darkness
Fest umschlungen
Holding tightly
Mit den jungen
With the young
Aphroditen strurzt Du in den Berg
You throw yourself recklessly into love and passion, but they lead you towards destruction
In den Sumpfen
In the swamps
Spricht man leise
Whispers can be heard
Dass man Dir hat schlecht getan
People talk about how much you've been wronged
Contributed by Levi O. Suggest a correction in the comments below.