OOMPH! is an industrial rock band from the neue deutsche härte scene.
Read Full Bio ↴OOMPH! is an industrial rock band from the neue deutsche härte scene.

OOMPH! consists of:
Robert Flux (guitar, mixing)
Andreas Crap (lead guitar, keyboards)
Leo (live drums)
Hagen (live bass)
Der Schulz (lead vocalist)

The band was formed in 1989 in Wolfsburg, Germany. They are one of the founders of the fusion of hard metal music and industrial sounds known as Neue Deutsche Härte.

OOMPH! owed a lot to Nitzer Ebb in their self-titled debut (1992). OOMPH!'s change of style for the successor "Sperm" (1994), with a more guitar-driven metal sound mixed with their electronic roots, inspired numerous musicians, most famously Rammstein, to follow their lead. (Rammstein have cited OOMPH! in several interviews as their main inspiration.)

OOMPH! released their first album on Jor's Machinery label, then releasing their consecutive albums on its sister-label Dynamica. They stayed with Jor, until his labels disappeared during the acquisition by Sanctuary Records at around 1996/1997.

Following Dynamica OOMPH! finally signed with Virgin Schallplatten. With the benefits of major-label status OOMPH! gained a larger following, and toured with labelmates Skunk Anansie in 1999. Between 1998 and 2001 they released three albums on the Virgin label, fulfilling their contract, but did not continue, feeling that the record company never fully explored their potential.

In 2004 OOMPH! released their first single "Augen auf!" on a new label, this time on Supersonic Records, part of the Sony BMG group of music companies. It marks their first Number One hit ever in Germany, thus eventually bringing forth their major commercial breakthrough. It became part of the FIFA 2005 soundtrack.

The band's ninth record, GlaubeLiebeTod was released in March 2006, including the controversial single "Gott ist ein Popstar" and its follow-up "Das letzte Streichholz", the third single was Die Schlinge.

In 2007, they won the third Bundesvision Song Contest (a contest between the sixteen states of Germany) for Lower Saxony (Niedersachsen) with "Träumst du?", which featured Marta Jandová from Die Happy.

While OOMPH! are not widely known within the United States, the band did perform at a New York festival in 1993. In Europe they have performed at M'era Luna, Ozzfest, Dynamo Open Air and Wacken Open Air.

Eisbär
OOMPH! Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Ich möchte ein Eisbär sein, am kalten Polar
Dann müßte ich nicht mehr schrein
Alles wär so klar

Eisbären müssen nie weinen

Overall Meaning

The song "Eisbär" by Oomph! is a melancholic reflection on human existence and the desire to escape the burdens and complexities of everyday life by emulating the simplicity of an animal's existence. The song's narrator expresses his longing to be an ice bear living in the frigid north, where everything is clear and uncomplicated. He suggests that by becoming an animal, he would be freed from the burdens of language, emotion, and society's demands, and could live a life of pure instinct and survival.

The line "Eisbären müssen nie weinen" ("Polar bears never have to cry") underscores the idea that animals are untouched by human emotions and the complexities of consciousness. The singer suggests that if he were a polar bear, he would never have to feel sorrow or pain, and his life would be defined solely by the struggle to survive in a harsh and unforgiving environment.

Overall, "Eisbär" is a song that speaks to the universal desire to escape the complexities of modern life and rediscover the simplicity and clarity of existence. It invites listeners to imagine the life of an animal in the wild, and to consider the appeal of a life free from the demands of language, culture, and emotion.

Line by Line Meaning

Ich möchte ein Eisbär sein, am kalten Polar
Ich wünsche mir, dass ich ein Eisbär am eisigen Polarkreis wäre

Dann müßte ich nicht mehr schrein
Dann müsste ich nicht mehr weinen

Alles wär so klar
Alles würde so einfach und klar sein

Contributed by Nathaniel O. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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