First formed at the end of 1984 (Anders was 21), they unexpectedly became immensely popular with their standalone disco hit "You're My Heart, You're My Soul", which was then followed by "You Can Win If You Want" and "Cheri, Cheri Lady". They released two albums a year from 1985 to 1987 while also promoting their singles on television all over Europe. After splitting up in 1987, the duo reunited in 1998, at first only testing the waters with new versions of hit singles and again reaching the top of the charts unexpectedly. Bohlen and Anders split again in 2003 due to irreconcilable disagreements (they had never been friends in the first place). Thomas Anders started another solo career immediately, while Bohlen had by now begun devoting most of his time to new talents, especially those he discovered on the German edition of the TV show Pop Idol/American Idol.
Global sales of Modern Talking records were 120 million units, according to BMG in June 2003, and they have become the biggest-selling German music act in history, so far outselling even Frank Farian's projects Boney M and Milli Vanilli, Michael Cretu's Enigma, Sandra, the Scorpions, Snap! and Rammstein.
Modern Talking were successful in Europe, Asia, South America and some African countries. In the United Kingdom they reached the top ten only once with the song "Brother Louie" (in 1986, #4 UK). They did not feel very good about promoting their singles there due to being marketed in England as a gay group like Erasure and Culture Club. Indeed, in the UK "Brother Louie" is regarded by those who remember it as nothing more than a novelty record by a one-hit wonder.
They were almost unknown in North America by mainstream standards, never appearing in the charts there, and due to lack of backing from a record company and lack of time did not go there to promote their music. Composer Dieter Bohlen employed mood-evoking lyrics and intellectually-designed, synthesizer-based music which was out of vogue in the U.S. before Modern Talking even formed.
In 2006 Bohlen included a secret message in his song "Bizarre Bizarre" which was played backwards: "There will never be an end to Modern Talking". However, Bohlen said "he meant to say that the music of Modern Talking will live forever" [4]. Anders has kept the Modern Talking songs in his repertoire and produced songs in a similar vein for his solo records ("Independent Girl"). In 2006 he produced an album of Swing and Jazz versions of popular songs (including Modern Talking's first hit). Bohlen has written two autobiographical books, one of which also detailed Modern Talking's history from his perspective, and sold a million copies in Germany. The sequel was heavily criticised for his unfairness towards the people he worked with. As a result of that, he withdrew from the public for a year until 2006, when he said he regretted putting out the second book. Anders had not been the only one pressing charges against Bohlen and demanding that sections of the book be modified.
I'm No Rockefeller
Modern Talking Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
A Paris-night-Champs-Elysee
A flickering night-an old cafe
Oh should I run away?
A one night stand,a small hotel
She broke my heart,heaven and hell
I was so wrong,she knew it all
Now I`m waiting for her call
I`m no fortune teller
I don`t promise you my heart
Baby,I`m no Rockefeller
Baby but I tell ya
We can try a brand new start
Oh I swear to you(I swear to you)
I`ll never make you blue(I make you blue)
You are always in my heart,for sure
I took the plane to JFK
An endless flight,I have to say
I miss that girl,more than my life
Will this love survive?
Back to the plane,to Charles De Gaulle
She was my heart,she was my soul
I know for sure,she`s good to me
The rest is history
The lyrics to Modern Talking's song "I'm No Rockefeller" tell a story of a fleeting romantic encounter that ends with heartbreak but the hope for a new beginning. The first stanza describes a chance meeting with a woman in Paris, where the singer compares her eyes to the rain in May and the atmosphere of the night to a flickering cafe. Although he knows it might not be wise, he considers running away with her. The second stanza reveals that their relationship was a one night stand in a small hotel, which ended with the woman breaking his heart. The singer admits his mistake and now waits for a call from her. He assures her that he is not wealthy like Rockefeller or a fortune teller, but they can still try to make a fresh start.
The chorus repeats the assertion that the singer is not Rockefeller or a fortune teller, revealing his humble background, but asks for a chance to make things right with the woman he loves. He promises to never hurt her again and declares that she will always be in his heart. The bridge of the song describes the singer flying from JFK to Charles De Gaulle, thinking of the woman he left behind and wondering if their love will endure. He concludes by saying that he knows she was good to him and that the rest is history.
Line by Line Meaning
I saw her eyes-like rain in May
The singer met a girl whose eyes were as beautiful and refreshing as rain in the month of May.
A Paris-night-Champs-Elysee
The singer met the girl on a night in Paris, on Champs-Elysee, a famous avenue known for its theaters, cafes, and luxury shops.
A flickering night-an old cafe
The night they met was dimly lit and they were at an old cafe.
Oh should I run away?
The singer is considering whether he should run away or stay with the girl he just met.
A one night stand,a small hotel
They had a one night stand at a small hotel.
She broke my heart,heaven and hell
The girl broke the singer's heart, causing him to feel intense emotions from both good and bad experiences.
I was so wrong,she knew it all
The singer admits he was wrong and the girl knew better.
Now I'm waiting for her call
After the girl left him with a broken heart, the singer is waiting for her to call him back.
Baby, I'm no Rockefeller
The singer is acknowledging that he's not rich or wealthy like Rockefeller, an American entrepreneur and philanthropist.
I'm no fortune teller
The singer doesn't have the ability to predict the future.
I don't promise you my heart
The singer can't make any promises with his heart since it's been broken before.
Baby, I'm no Rockefeller
The singer repeats that he's not rich like Rockefeller.
Baby, but I tell ya
Despite not being rich, the singer assures the girl that he still has something to offer.
We can try a brand new start
The singer wants to try and start fresh with the girl, despite the fact that his heart has been broken before.
Oh I swear to you(I swear to you)
The singer swears to the girl that he's telling the truth.
I'll never make you blue(I make you blue)
The singer promises that he won't cause her any sadness or disappointment, like he might have done with his previous heartbreak.
You are always in my heart, for sure
The girl is always on the singer's mind and in his heart.
I took the plane to JFK
After leaving the girl in Paris, the singer took a plane to JFK airport in New York.
An endless flight, I have to say
The flight to New York felt like an eternity for the singer.
I miss that girl, more than my life
The singer misses the girl he had a one night stand with more than anything else.
Will this love survive?
The singer is unsure if their love will survive after being physically apart.
Back to the plane, to Charles De Gaulle
After arriving in New York, the singer took a flight back to Charles De Gaulle airport in Paris.
She was my heart, she was my soul
The girl was everything to the singer, she was his heart and soul.
I know for sure, she's good to me
The singer is confident that the girl treated him well.
The rest is history
The story of their love and heartbreak is now considered history.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: DIETER BOHLEN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Edu Tere Barbosa
on Just Like An Angel
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