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.
In 100 Years
Modern Talking Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I close my eyes to seven oh, this world is not my home
A broken heart in danger and a pillow filled with tears
Oh, can you see the strangers in the pain and in the fears?
Can you feel my heart? Baby don't give up
Can you feel my love tonight?
In 100 years love is illegal in this lonely, heartbreak town
In 100 years love is illegal all your dreams will die
In 100 years love is illegal and your hope will not survive
L.O.V.E
Love is illegal in my heart, can you hear my heart is beating
L.O.V.E
Love is illegal in my heart, can you hear my heart is beating
You're looking through a fire computers everywhere
Oh, you're a shotgun rider controllers here and there
And you read old love letters drowning in the sea
Oh baby it doesn't matter, oh you've lost all what you feel
Can you feel my heart? Baby don't give up
Can you feel my love tonight
In 100 years love is illegal in 100 years from now
In 100 years love is illegal in this lonely, heartbreak town
In 100 years love is illegal all your dreams will die
In 100 years love is illegal and your hope will not survive
L.O.V.E
Love is illegal in my heart, can you hear my heart is beating
L.O.V.E
Love is illegal in my heart, can you hear my heart is beating
L.O.V.E
Love is illegal in my heart, hear my heart is beating
L.O.V.E
Love is illegal in my heart, hear my heart is beating
The lyrics of Modern Talking's "In 100 Years" relate to the idea of a dystopian future where love is forbidden and illegal. The opening lyrics evoke a spiritual feeling with their reference to Heaven and a unicorn outside its gates. The singer then expresses the feeling that the world is not his home and his heart is broken and in danger. He asks if we can see the strangers suffering from pain and fears.
The use of the phrase "in 100 years" suggests that the dystopian future is not too far away. Here, love is illegal, and the singer repeats this phrase multiple times, emphasizing its importance. The lyrics also reveal a sense of despair and hopelessness; dreams will die, and hope will not survive. The use of the acronym L.O.V.E creates a sense of irony, with the word that symbolizes love repeated throughout the song, but the singer cannot feel it in his heart because it is illegal.
The stanza "You're looking through a fire computers everywhere, oh you're a shotgun rider, controllers here and there" paints a picture of a mechanized and digital future that is all-encompassing, but ultimately leads to emotional detachment.
Overall, the lyrics of "In 100 Years" depict a future devoid of love, leaving people feeling isolated and disconnected, with only the memory of love to hold onto.
Line by Line Meaning
Outside the gates of Heaven, oh, there lives a unicorn
There is something rare and magical that exists outside the realm of reality.
I close my eyes to seven oh, this world is not my home
Amidst the chaos of the world, there's an underlying feeling of detachment and the desire to escape reality.
A broken heart in danger and a pillow filled with tears
The sadness and pain caused by a broken heart is overwhelming and can lead to danger and excessive crying.
Oh, can you see the strangers in the pain and in the fears?
The world is full of strangers who share the pain and fears of others.
Can you feel my heart? Baby don't give up
Asking someone to feel the emotional pain and struggle that is being experienced and not to give up.
Can you feel my love tonight?
Despite the pain and suffering, there's still love that exists and is worth feeling and experiencing.
In 100 years love is illegal in 100 years from now
The future holds a grim reality where love is prohibited and considered illegal.
In 100 years love is illegal in this lonely, heartbreak town
The town, once filled with love and happiness, is now empty and desolate due to the illegalization of love.
In 100 years love is illegal all your dreams will die
The outlawing of love will lead to the death of people's dreams and hopes for the future.
In 100 years love is illegal and your hope will not survive
Hope for the future will fade away along with the illegalization of love in a hundred years.
L.O.V.E
Love - a feeling that is all-encompassing and all-consuming.
Love is illegal in my heart, can you hear my heart is beating
The illegalization of love is causing distress, but the heart still beats with love.
You're looking through a fire computers everywhere
With technology everywhere, it's easy to become distracted and lose sight of reality.
Oh, you're a shotgun rider controllers here and there
Feeling like a passenger in life, and that someone else has control over everything.
And you read old love letters drowning in the sea
Memories of love that once existed are now like a message in a bottle, lost at sea and out of reach.
Oh baby it doesn't matter, oh you've lost all what you feel
Despite the pain and loss, it doesn't matter anymore because the person has lost the ability to feel all emotions.
Love is illegal in my heart, hear my heart is beating
The heart may be filled with love, but the current laws make it illegal and impossible to express that love.
Lyrics © Hansa Musik Verlag, 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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