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.
The Angels Sing In New York City
Modern Talking Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And the old nightingale is flying tonight
To my dreams
Here all the birds are quiet tonight
And Titanic is calling an echo of love
To your heart
And it hurts so much
But I have to go
'Cause you have to know
And the angels sing in New York city
Do what I want to do
And the angels sing, so, so pretty
Baby, I'm missing you
Do you fever?
Hey, I see the albatros
Do you fever?
Hey, man, in the stars above
Do you need love?
Titanic - a call of love
I'm half a million miles from home
And the fire of mountains are calling tonight
To my dreams
Don't let the stars get in your eyes
And the lonely dreamer is crying tonight
In your dreams
And it hurts so much
But I have to go
Oh, it hurts so much
'Cause you have to know
The lyrics to Modern Talking's song, The Angels Sing in New York City, depict a longing for someone close to the singer while he is far away from home. The opening lines of the verse describe the night sky, wherein stars and old nightingales could be seen with the Titanic flying above the clouds. The song suggests that the angels are singing in New York City, and the lyrics are a reflection of what the singer would like to do. The chorus of the song is an indication of the remote singer's longing for a loved one. He talks about missing his beloved and asks if they feel the same way too.
The second verse regards the singer being a half a million miles away from home, and the mountains are calling out to him. He tells his beloved to take care of themselves and not let the stars get in their eyes while he is away. The verse closes with a lonely dreamer crying in his dreams. The singer acknowledges that it hurts to leave his beloved one behind, but he needs to go away, and she needs to know how much he loves her. The lyrics convey the melancholic feelings of someone who misses someone they love, and there is a desire to connect with that person wherever they are.
Fact 1: The song was released under the album, "In the Garden of Venus."
Fact 2: Dieter Bohlen of Modern Talking wrote and produced the song.
Fact 3: The song became one of the most popular hits of Modern Talking in Germany and other European countries.
Fact 4: The song was supposed to be the lead single of the album, but their record label chose another song, "In 100 Years," instead.
Fact 5: The song enjoys a massive following in Russia, with fans of Modern Talking even arranging a tribute concert for the band.
Fact 6: The music video for the song was directed by Peter Christopherson and produced in New York.
Fact 7: The song was covered by DJ Bobo and released as a single in 1993.
Fact 8: The song was re-released in 1998 as part of Modern Talking's 20th-anniversary album.
Fact 9: It is the only song on the album where Thomas Anders provides backing vocals instead of being the main singer.
Fact 10: The song's lyrics were translated into Russian and topped the charts in that language, further cementing their popularity in Russia.
Chords: Unfortunately, the chords for this song are not readily available.
Line by Line Meaning
See all stars, so fine tonight
The stars are especially beautiful tonight.
And the old nightingale is flying tonight
Even the bird that is usually silent is singing and flying tonight.
To my dreams
It's as if the bird is flying towards his dream.
Here all the birds are quiet tonight
The silence of other birds emphasizes the sound of the nightingale.
And Titanic is calling an echo of love
A reference to the famous movie that symbolizes a call for love.
To your heart
The call for love is directed towards someone's heart.
And it hurts so much but I have to go
The pain of leaving is overwhelming, but it's necessary.
Oh, it hurts so much 'cause you have to know
The pain of leaving is related to the need for the other person to know something.
And the angels sing in New York City
The beauty of the city is accentuated by the sound of the angels singing.
Do what I want to do
The artist is free to do whatever they want.
And the angels sing, so, so pretty
The angels' singing is beautiful and captivating.
Baby, I'm missing you
The artist is expressing their longing for someone.
Do you fever?
A grammatically incorrect question, likely meaning 'are you feeling the heat (of passion)?'
Hey, I see the albatros
The singer sees a bird associated with freedom and long-distance travel.
Hey, man, in the stars above
A rhetorical address to someone in the sky.
Do you need love?
A question directed towards the stars, asking if they also desire love.
Titanic - a call of love
The Titanic represents a call for love and romance.
I'm half a million miles from home
The singer is far away from their home.
And the fire of mountains are calling tonight
The beauty of nature is calling to the singer tonight.
Don't let the stars get in your eyes
A warning not to be blinded by the beauty of the night sky.
And the lonely dreamer is crying tonight
Someone who dreams alone may feel sadness or longing.
In your dreams
The lonely dreamer is crying while in someone else's dream.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Edu Tere Barbosa
on Just Like An Angel
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