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.

Nichts
OOMPH! Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

komm - denn es ist schon so spät
schau noch mal unters bett
knie dich hin zum gebet

kommt - zieh die decke ans kinn
und wenn du endlich träumst
komm ich dir in den sinn

dein herz schlägt schnell
denn du bist auf der flucht vor etwas
dein puls rast, denn der tod steht hinter dir

dreh dich nicht um
lauf weg und bleib stumm
wer sich umdreht heut nacht
kriegt den garaus gemacht

komm - bald schon wirst du mich sehn
denn nur wer sich mir stellt
kann die träume verstehn

gott - hat mich in dir versteckt
morgen früh, wenn gott will
wirst du wieder geweckt

dein herz schlägt schnell
denn du bist auf der flucht vor etwas
dein puls rast, denn der tod steht hinter dir

dreh dich nicht um
lauf weg und bleib stumm
wer sich umdreht heut nacht
kriegt den garaus gemacht

bedenke, dass du sterblich bist
und dass dein fleisch aus asche ist
dass jede nacht die letzte ist

dreh dich nicht um
lauf weg und bleib stumm

wer sich umdreht heut nacht
kriegt den garaus gemacht

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Oomph!'s song "Nichts" describe a feeling of fear and paranoia that comes with knowing that death could be looming around the corner at any given moment. The song begins with an urgent plea to both the listener and the singer of the song to come to terms with their mortality, and to pray before they go to bed at night. The line "komm - denn es ist schon so spät" can be interpreted as a direct call to action, begging the listener to take the message of the song seriously.

The second verse of the song goes on to describe a feeling of being pursued by death, with the lyrics "dein herz schlägt schnell, denn du bist auf der flucht vor etwas / dein puls rast, denn der tod steht hinter dir". This imagery is continued throughout the song, with the singer being urged to run away and stay silent, lest they be caught and meet their demise.

In the final verse of the song, the lyrics "bedenke, dass du sterblich bist / und dass dein fleisch aus asche ist / dass jede nacht die letzte ist" hammer home the theme of mortality that runs throughout the song, reminding us all that death is an inevitable part of life, and that we must come to terms with our own mortality in order to truly appreciate the time we have.

Overall, "Nichts" is a powerful song that deals with some heavy themes, but does so in a way that is both honest and empathetic.

Line by Line Meaning

komm - denn es ist schon so spät
Come - because it's already late

schau noch mal unters bett
Check under the bed

knie dich hin zum gebet
Kneel down to pray

kommt - zieh die decke ans kinn
Come - pull the blanket up to your chin

und wenn du endlich träumst
And when you finally dream

komm ich dir in den sinn
I come into your mind

dein herz schlägt schnell
Your heart is beating fast

denn du bist auf der flucht vor etwas
Because you're running away from something

dein puls rast, denn der tod steht hinter dir
Your pulse is racing because death is behind you

dreh dich nicht um
Don't turn around