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.

Lazarus
Oomph! Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Ich habe dir ein Grab geschaufelt
Ich habe dir den Tod gewünscht
Ich habe dir den Strick gebunden
Dann hab ich dich im Traum gelyncht

Sag mir wo all die Sterne sind
Halt mich und lausch dem Wind

Totgesagte leben länger
Denn sie kämpfen bis zum Schluss
Totgeglaubte kommen wieder
Aus dem Grab wie Lazarus
Zeig mir noch den letzten Mal
Den Weg ins dunkle Paradies
Fütter meine unstillbare Gier
Das Tier in mir

Ich habe dich zum Fluss getragen
Hab dich ins kalte Nass gelegt
Hab dich bedeckt mit Rosenblüten
Gewartet bis die Glocke schlägt

Sag mir wo all die Sterne sind
Halt mich und lausch dem Wind

Totgesagte leben länger
Denn sie kämpfen bis zum Schluss
Totgeglaubte kommen wieder
Aus dem Grab wie Lazarus
Zeig mir noch den letzten Mal
Den Weg ins dunkle Paradies
Fütter meine unstillbare Gier

Ich habe deinen Sarg gezimmert
Ich habe deinen Tod beweint
Hab mich an unseren Schwur erinnert
Wir zwei sind erst im Tod vereint

Totgesagte leben länger
Denn sie kämpfen bis zum Schluss
Totgeglaubte kommen wieder
Aus dem Grab wie Lazarus
Zeig mir noch den letzten Mal
Den Weg ins dunkle Paradies
Fütter meine unstillbare Gier
Das Tier in mir

Das Tier in mir!
Das Tier in mir!

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Oomph!'s song "Lazarus" tell a story of a person who has killed someone they love and buried them, but cannot let go of them. The first verse shows the singer's guilt and regret over their actions, wishing they had not killed the person they loved. The second verse is more ambiguous, with the singer addressing their victim directly, asking them to come back from the dead like Lazarus in the Bible. The bridge of the song repeats the line "dead men last longer," highlighting the sense of longing and regret for the dead lover.

The chorus of the song reinforces the desire for the lover to come back from the dead, telling them to show the singer "the way to the dark paradise" and to "feed my insatiable desire, the beast in me." The final two verses show the singer building a coffin for their victim and dwelling on memories of their love and commitment to each other even in death. The repetition of the line "dead men last longer" underscores the sense of desperation and desire to hold on to their love, even in death.

Line by Line Meaning

Ich habe dir ein Grab geschaufelt
I dug a grave for you

Ich habe dir den Tod gewünscht
I wished death upon you

Ich habe dir den Strick gebunden
I tied the noose around your neck

Dann hab ich dich im Traum gelyncht
Then I lynched you in my dreams

Sag mir wo all die Sterne sind
Tell me where all the stars are

Halt mich und lausch dem Wind
Hold me and listen to the wind

Totgesagte leben länger
The counted-out live longer

Denn sie kämpfen bis zum Schluss
Because they fight until the end

Totgeglaubte kommen wieder
Thought-to-be-dead come back

Aus dem Grab wie Lazarus
From the grave like Lazarus

Zeig mir noch den letzten Mal
Show me the last time