Marius Müller-Westernhagen (often just referred to as "Westernhagen" by fan… Read Full Bio ↴Marius Müller-Westernhagen (often just referred to as "Westernhagen" by fans as well as on record covers) is a German singer and actor. He was born 1948 in Düsseldorf.
His breakthrough in music came with the album "Mit Pfefferminz bin ich dein Prinz" ("With peppermint, I'm your prince") in 1978.
Müller-Westernhagen's music is shaped through his concise voice and shouting passages. His texts are very direct and provoking, e.g. "Dicke" ("Fat people"), but also social critical texts like "Freiheit" (freedom) are included in his emotional repertoire.

Illusion
Marius Müller-Westernhagen Lyrics

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Ich konnt' nicht schlafen, musste raus
Es war bitter kalt und goss wie Sau
Ich sah dich stehen im Ampellicht
Du warst sehr schön du sahst mich nicht

Ich hab' geliebt
Ich hab' geweint
Ich hab' geliebt

Ich hab' geweint

Im Kopf, die Liebe kam zurück
Sahst aus wie sie, vergangenes Glück

Ich hab' geliebt
Ich hab' geweint
Ich hab' geliebt
Ich hab' geweint

Die Illusion lässt dich im Grabe herumdrehen
Die Illusion lässt dich Unmögliches verstehen
Die Illusion packt dich in gläsernes Papier
Die Illusion lässt dich das Paradies berühren
Die Illusion
Die Illusion
Die Illusion
Die Illusion

Dein Zimmer, Zigarettenrauch
Ich wusste, dass du mich nicht brauchst
Genommen dich, gedacht an sie
Ich habe ihr niemals verziehen

Ich hab' geliebt
Ich hab' geweint
Ich hab' geliebt
Ich hab' geweint

Die Illusion lässt dich im Grabe herumdrehen
Die Illusion lässt dich Unmögliches verstehen
Die Illusion packt dich in gläsernes Papier
Die Illusion lässt dich das Paradies berühren
Die Illusion
Die Illusion
Die Illusion
Die Illusion (oh)

Die Illusion lässt dich im Grabe herumdrehen
Die Illusion lässt dich Unmögliches verstehen
Die Illusion packt dich in gläsernes Papier
Die Illusion lässt dich das Paradies berühren
Die Illusion
Die Illusion
Die Illusion
Die Illusion

Die Illusion lässt dich im Grabe herumdrehen
Die Illusion lässt dich Unmögliches verstehen
Die Illusion packt dich in gläsernes Papier
Die Illusion lässt dich das Paradies berühren
Die Illusion
Die Illusion
Die Illusion
Die Illusion

Illusion

Overall Meaning

The song "Illusion" by Marius Müller-Westernhagen is a soulful expression of the emotional turmoil experienced by the singer, who is deeply in love with someone who doesn’t reciprocate his feelings. The lyrics convey a sense of yearning and desperation with the singer unable to sleep, wandering in the cold rain, seeing his beloved standing under the streetlight but being unable to get her attention. Throughout the song, the singer refers to having loved and wept and his obsession with his lost love is evident from his memory of her as he walks through the city.

The chorus of the song talks about an “illusion,” which is the idea of the singer that his lost love will come back to him. According to the lyrics, the illusion is a powerful force that can make you understand impossible things and make you feel like you are in paradise. The singer’s fixation on his illusion of being with his lost love is so strong that it consumes him and leaves him feeling helpless, like he is spinning in his grave.

The song "Illusion" speaks to the universal theme of heartbreak and how it can leave us feeling lost, alone, and desperate. The haunting and intense lyrics are powerful and resonate with listeners. The use of repetition in the lyrics of the song also emphasizes the singer's fixation on his lost love and his emotional turmoil.

Line by Line Meaning

Ich konnt' nicht schlafen, musste raus
I couldn't sleep, I had to go out

Es war bitter kalt und goss wie Sau
It was bitterly cold and pouring down heavily

Ich sah dich stehen im Ampellicht
I saw you standing in the traffic light

Du warst sehr schön du sahst mich nicht
You were very beautiful, you didn't see me

Ich hab' geliebt
I have loved

Ich hab' geweint
I have cried

Im Kopf, die Liebe kam zurück
In my mind, the love came back

Sahst aus wie sie, vergangenes Glück
You looked like her, past happiness

Die Illusion lässt dich im Grabe herumdrehen
The illusion makes you roll around in your grave

Die Illusion lässt dich Unmögliches verstehen
The illusion makes you understand the impossible

Die Illusion packt dich in gläsernes Papier
The illusion wraps you in glass paper