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)
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.
Under Pressure
Oomph! Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Now it's taking me
How can I face this tide
Take it right in an empty stance
A psycho-punk that learns to leap
Your last time
Did the work of thou
No one learns to pray
I just cry
When you hold me tight
Come on reach
My sweetest bitch
Under pressure
Come to me
Rescue me
Say the healing words
My aching hands
Look holding thou
Since you been gone away
Under pressure
Give me bitch
Under pressure
The healing stitch
Under pressure
I would like to meet
Under pressure
The King in heat
Under pressure
It's redemption time
Under pressure
When you crush my chance
Under pressure
It's redemption time
Under pressure
Healing stitch
The lyrics to Oomph!'s song Under Pressure suggest a sense of hopelessness and desperation that arises when one is faced with an overwhelming situation. The first lines, "See me down, Now it's taking me, How can I face this tide," depict the singer as being in a low point in his life, with the tide representing the pressure he is experiencing. He then proceeds to describe himself as a "psycho-punk that learns to leap," meaning that he must learn to find a way to cope and rise above the situation.
The lyrics then transition to a reference to a past relationship, with the singer saying "Your last time, did the work of thou, I just keep on, no one learns to pray, I just cry, when you hold me tight, come on reach, my sweetest bitch." It suggests that the relationship was difficult and tumultuous, with the partner being called a "bitch." The singer then calls out for help, saying "under pressure, come to me, rescue me, say the healing words, my aching hands, look holding thou, since you been gone away." The use of the word "thou" is interesting and somewhat archaic, perhaps indicating that the singer has a sense of desperation that makes him feel like he is living in another era.
Line by Line Meaning
See me down
I am feeling defeated and weak
Now it's taking me
I am losing control and feeling overwhelmed
How can I face this tide
I am struggling to deal with this difficult situation
Take it right in an empty stance
I am trying to endure the hardship by being emotionless
A psycho-punk that learns to leap
I am someone who has gone through tough times and has learned to be resilient
Your last time
The last time we met
Did the work of thou
You did your part
I just keep on
I continue to move forward
No one learns to pray
Nobody truly knows how to ask for help
I just cry
I am deeply emotional
When you hold me tight
I feel safe in your arms
Come on reach
Please help me
My sweetest bitch
My dearest beloved
Under pressure
Feeling stressed and overwhelmed
Come to me
Please be there for me
Rescue me
Save me from this hardship
Say the healing words
Speak words of comfort and solace
My aching hands
I am physically suffering
Look holding thou
I have been holding on to you
Since you been gone away
I have been missing you since you left
Give me bitch
Help me, my beloved
The healing stitch
A remedy to my pain
I would like to meet
I wish to encounter
The King in heat
Someone powerful and passionate
It's redemption time
I have a chance to make things right
When you crush my chance
If you ruin my opportunity
Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: DERO GOI, ROBERT FLUX, THOMAS DOEPPNER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind