Airwaves
Kraftwe rk Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Ferne Stimmen singen
When airwaves swing
Distant voices sing
The first two lines of Kraftwerk's song "Airwaves" is the German version of the lyrics, while the latter two lines are the English translation. The lyrics evoke images of radio communication, capturing the idea that radio waves produce distant but audible sounds from faraway places. These sounds can often include the voices of people we will never meet and places we will never see, and yet they seem to bring those places and people closer to us.
The song's lyrics also imply a sense of isolation and loneliness, reflecting the idea that we can all feel disconnected from one another despite our ability to communicate with each other through technology. We might hear the voices of strange people and far-off places, but we remain physically alone in our own worlds. Despite this, the music of "Airwaves" suggests that there is something hypnotic and beautiful about radio waves and the sounds they carry. It is a celebration of the power of communication and the magical ability of radio waves to connect us across distances.
Line by Line Meaning
Wenn Wellen schwingen
When the frequencies fluctuate
Ferne Stimmen singen
Distant voices transmit
When airwaves swing
When electromagnetic waves oscillate
Distant voices sing
Remote sounds are broadcasted
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: EMIL SCHULT, FLORIAN SCHNEIDER-ESLEBEN, RALF HUETTER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@wvlekker
When airwaves swing, distant voices sing... this has always a real meaning for me, who grew up listening to short wave radios from around the world inthe mid seventies, roughly the same time I had my first contact with Kraftwerk - my brother brought home the album Radioactivity. All of the Kraftwerk's songs of that time seem to carry a meaning to me.
@SFT1968
Best bilingual track ever... German "Wenn Wellen schwingen, ferne Stimmen singen" English: "When Airwaves swing distance voices sing"
@LakeErieOH1
almost 40 yrs later, still the best of synthesizers, and love those German/native tongue lyrics
@timovanderwiel3496
That baseline and percussion is awesome.
@FelipeHermod
I am happy for having Radio-Activity album in stereo. And in Brazil.
@stellalunasilverbat
Now I know where the intro for Depeche Mode's New Life comes from! It seems as though all the synth bands of the eighties and beyond have tried to copy Kraftwerk in some form or another. These lads really were playing the "sound of the future"!
@markewings7525
Spot on mate
@Timo-15
Totally agree with you!
@bjwwilcera
Oh my god, this is the most human-like song they've probably ever made.
@Syfoll
nah, they had much more human stuff in their pre Autobahn albums. Florian played flutes and violins and such and they even had the future members of Neu on guitar and drums