"Dieter Meyers Inst." was written by Janove Ottesen, and is the sixth track… Read Full Bio ↴"Dieter Meyers Inst." was written by Janove Ottesen, and is the sixth track on Kaizers Orchestra's third studio album, Maestro. A multi-segmented composition, beginning with an instrumental accordion introduction and culminating in a cacophonous oil barrel section, it is considered by many to be the band's masterpiece. The band have admitted to having difficulty in performing the song in concert.

"Dieter Meyers Inst." was the first song to be written specifically with the third album in mind. After a lengthy songwriting period during which Ottesen could come up with nothing he deemed adequate, he retreated into the cellar of Mono, a cafe and live venue in Oslo that members of the band have frequented, and remained there for a considerable length of time until he had composed "Dieter Meyers Inst.". The subject matter of the song's lyrics would be the focal point of songwriting contributions to the upcoming third album.

The lyrics tell of a largely corrupt mental institution owned by Dieter Meyer, a man who may himself be subject to psychological delusions. The unnamed subject of the song is a person who has "lost everything" and not being able to return to the way things used to be for them, willingly commits themselves to the institution.

Dieter Meyers Inst.
Kaizers Orchestra Lyrics

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Legg meg inn på din avdeling
Legg meg inn på klinikken
Eg er sikker eg er gal
De tok i frå meg alt eg var
Legg meg inn, legg meg inn på klinikken

For eg får aldri tilbake alt det som var
Det blei som du fortalte

Alt blei som du sa
Nå ser du meg aldri igjen
og du var aldri min
men eg er for alltid din

Legg meg inn

Fortell verden eg er sjuk doktor
Du er min patron
La meg får stempel på Dieter Meyers Inst. og
legg meg inn

Eg har ingen kontroll på
om eg er våken eller sover
Reglement på reglement
å forholde seg til i håve
Der ser du sånn går det

Sjå kva det har blitt av meg
Ingen lenger kjenner meg
Få tilbake litt av meg
Alltid trø forsiktige steg
Eg er halv mann, og det bærer preg
Nå vil eg ha litt av deg

Du er min redning
Takk for din donasjon
Eg må bli lagt inn på Dieter Meyers Inst.

Legg meg inn på Dieter Meyer, baby

Overall Meaning

The song "Dieter Meyers Inst." by Kaizers Orchestra is a poignant commentary on mental illness and societal conformity. The lyrics describe the singer's desire to be admitted to a mental institution, as they feel they have lost control of their life and their sense of self. The repetition of the phrase "legg meg inn" (which translates to "take me in") emphasizes this desperation and the need for help.

The singer acknowledges that they will never fully recover what they have lost, as everything has become just as someone else predicted it would. They also express a longing for someone who may have never truly been theirs, but who they will be forever tied to. Throughout the song, there is a sense that the singer is struggling to fit into the strict norms and regulations of society, and that this struggle has led to their current state.

The final verse of the song sees the singer thanking someone for their "donation" and expressing their gratitude for being "rescued" by being admitted to Dieter Meyers Inst. This can be interpreted as a criticism of the way that mental illness is treated in society, with those who suffer often being ostracized and marginalized.

Overall, "Dieter Meyers Inst." is a powerful and emotive song that delves into the complexities of mental illness and the need for a more compassionate and understanding approach to those who suffer.

Line by Line Meaning

Legg meg inn på din avdeling
Place me in your ward

Legg meg inn på klinikken
Check me into the clinic

Eg er sikker eg er gal
I'm certain I'm insane

De tok i frå meg alt eg var
They took everything I was

Legg meg inn, legg meg inn på klinikken
Check me in, check me into the clinic

For eg får aldri tilbake alt det som var
Because I'll never get back everything that was

Det blei som du fortalte
It became as you told

Alt blei som du sa
Everything became as you said

Nå ser du meg aldri igjen
Now you'll never see me again

og du var aldri min
and you were never mine

men eg er for alltid din
but I'll always be yours