Starting as a trumpet player and studying music theory, Kalkbrenner later switched to electronic music. In 1999 he released his first tracks under the name of Paul dB+. As a live act, he performs using Ableton Live in combination with midi controllers and hardware synthesizers.
In 2008 he composed the sountrack for the German movie Berlin Calling in which he also is the leading actor. The theme song Sky and Sand, featuring his brother Fritz Kalkbrenner ended up in various European charts.
More information and music on Paul’s MySpace:
http://www.myspace.com/paulkalkbrenner
A short chronology:
1985-90
* lessons in trumpet and music theory
1992/93
* first performances at an east berlin youth club
1994/95
* dj at walfisch, exit/kitchen, vereinsheim, praxis dr. mc coy, halle weissensee
1996
* buys his first production equipment
1997/98
* editor, operator and producer at the german tv stations ard, zdf, rtl, premiere
2000
* plays all over the world
2008
* filmproject "BERLIN CALLING"
Feed Your Head
Paul Kalkbrenner Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And one pill makes you small
And the ones that mother gives you
Don't do anything at all
Go ask Alice
When she's ten feet tall
Go ask Alice
Remember what the dormouse said
Feed your head
Feed your head
And if you go chasing rabbits
And you know you're going to fall
Tell 'em a hookah-smoking caterpillar
Has given you the call
Call Alice
When she was just small
Go ask Alice
I think she'll know
Remember what the dormouse said
Feed your head
Feed your head
The lyrics of "Feed Your Head" by Paul Kalkbrenner are rich with allegories and references to Lewis Carroll's iconic books Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking-Glass. The song opens with the popular line "One pill makes you larger and one pill makes you small”, which alludes to Alice's experience of alternately growing tall and small after eating or drinking different Wonderland items.
The subsequent lines "And the ones that mother gives you, Don't do anything at all, Go ask Alice, When she's ten feet tall, Go ask Alice, I think she'll know" can be interpreted as a critique of the false comfort that the society provides us, which ultimately leads to disillusionment. Alice, who is ten feet tall in the story, is seen as an authority figure who has already experienced the struggles of growth and knowledge.
The second verse is filled with imagery from the books, as the mention of the hookah-smoking caterpillar, who tells Alice to "keep her head", transports the listener to the fantastical world of Wonderland. The phrase "Feed your head" is borrowed from the scene where the Dormouse tells Alice to "Feed your head" with a soup that makes her grow, which implies the importance of constantly seeking knowledge and inner growth.
Line by Line Meaning
One pill makes you larger
Taking one pill can make you feel like you have grown in terms of newfound knowledge or overall maturity.
And one pill makes you small
Taking one pill can also make you feel insignificant or powerless.
And the ones that mother gives you
Medicine given to you by your parents may not necessarily have any effect on your psyche.
Don't do anything at all
This medicine may not work, regardless of its intended purpose.
Go ask Alice
Seek guidance from someone who has experienced a similar situation.
When she's ten feet tall
When Alice has gained enough knowledge and power to truly understand the situation.
I think she'll know
Alice is likely to have experienced a similar situation and will therefore have insight into how to handle it.
Remember what the dormouse said
Don't forget the wise advice that you've been given.
Feed your head
Use your experiences and knowledge to explore new possibilities and further your understanding of the world.
And if you go chasing rabbits
If you're not careful, you may find yourself down a rabbit hole of confusion and uncertainty.
And you know you're going to fall
You know that you're about to experience some type of negative outcome, such as failure or rejection.
Tell 'em a hookah-smoking caterpillar
Explain that an unconventional or seemingly unhelpful source has given you guidance.
Has given you the call
This unorthodox source has reached out to offer their assistance.
When she was just small
When Alice was less experienced and naive, she could not have foreseen this turn of events.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Grace Wing Slick, Paul Kalkbrenner
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@BaskingInObscurity
The Florian story still kills me every time I watch or here these tracks/videos. He simply wanted to share his wonder and amazement, spread joy. They trashed him because he didn't understand their fears, or jadedness, or social norms of interaction. They destroyed his innocence. When they beat him, he self medicated, destroyed his body. But his dreams remain pure. He may have to dream it to experience it, but inside he knows that if all those people understood his purpose and innocence, the dream would be real, their better sides manifest.
Read the other comments and see how everyone has a different take. This is art. It's subject, far greater than the pieces themselves. We bring ourselves, elevating the gestalt.
I'm glad you can't tell if he's asleep or dead at the end. It leaves hope he'll wake and heal and continue, that maybe—just maybe—the dream actually not a dream but something that happens later, that Florian exposed them all for the caring, loving, living people they really are. The simple and innocent can be the greatest teachers of all.
I'm autistic, an aspie. I'm bipolar (type 2). I suffer CPTSD from a narcissist mother, a bipolar (type 1) father's violent manic episodes and suicide, a lifetime of never being able to hold a nonseasonal job more than two years, and falling for a malignant narcissist that all but ruined me. And I'm queer. We add our own myriad experiences to Florian's story, and I have no doubt that no two of us have quite the same response to it. I cannot hear this particular cut ("Feed Your Head) without getting choked up with all the feelings it evokes, hold back tears of both joy and exhaustion. It is a microcosm of the MIxed Episodes that I sometimes experience instead of hypomania. My introduction to Paul Kalkbrenner's music was Tomorrowland videos; so fortunately for me, all the emotions Florian's story evokes also rest in the comfort, love, sense of community, nostalgia (come on, it's Grace Slick), and hope that humanity progresses in wisdom and humaneness… that some EDM festivals fuel. I came of age when raves began to morph into full moon festivals, still word-of-mouth; and then circuit parties; and blurred sexual identities; and global citizenship, a place to live momentarily in the future. I'm a sap, too, I guess.
I'm Californian GenX, but not typical GenX. Although I'm not a believer per se in astrology, it's fascinating that I was born during a window of about a year and a half when astrology of the Greek tradition predicted that the planets would be aligned just so, that those of my age would be different from the rest of our generation, much less earlier generations, very much OF our generation but filled with an emotional sense of connection to the global mind and the oneness of humanity, a spark of hope, a harbinger of the Age of Aquarius not yet begun. My experience is that the prediction is true, whether astrology is or not. It's corny, but cool. Maybe it's utter nonesense. Maybe it's fact. I suspect only those of us 53-54 years old quite get what I would express if I could put it into more comprehensible words. Or maybe the global children of the World Wide Web do.
Now, how the hell is this song already 7 years old!? Life's too short, gawdangit!
@sixlifeofficial4820
Dear YouTube community,
Today, I want to share a heartfelt story that intertwines with the captivating song 'Paul Kalkbrenner - Feed Your Head.' It speaks to the power of music in our lives and the resilience it can inspire.
In a small town shadowed by poverty, I clung to music as my refuge. Amidst struggles and limited opportunities, I dreamed of sharing my voice with the world. But fate had different plans.
Through the mesmerizing beats of 'Feed Your Head,' I found solace. The lyrics echoed my journey of shattered dreams and relentless struggle. The song became my anthem, reminding me to nourish my soul despite the challenges.
A devastating diagnosis silenced my singing voice, but it couldn't silence my spirit. I refused to let circumstances define me. Instead, I discovered new ways to express my love for music, finding solace in different instruments and the art of songwriting.
Although my path didn't lead me to the success I envisioned, I've learned that dreams can transform and take unexpected turns. I encourage you all to embrace your own dreams, knowing that even amidst the darkest times, music can heal, inspire, and ignite the fires within our souls.
So, as you listen to 'Feed Your Head,' let it be a reminder to nurture your dreams, no matter how arduous the journey may seem. Let the melodies guide you towards a place of resilience and renewed hope.
With love and gratitude,
sixlife.
@yanagijanepsychogirl4lifep134
One pill makes you larger
And one pill makes you small
And the ones that mother gives you
Don't do anything at all
Go ask Alice
When she's ten feet tall
Go ask Alice
I think she'll know
Remember what the dormouse said
Feed your head
Feed your head
And if you go chasing rabbits
And you know you're going to fall
Tell 'em a hookah-smoking caterpillar
Has given you the call
Call Alice
When she was just small
Go ask Alice
I think she'll know
Remember what the Dormouse said
Feed your head
Feed your head
@lazy_fur
Es gibt defakto gefühlt eine handvoĺl lieder, die man eventuell als bahnbrechend im hinblick auf ihre historie bezeichnen würde.
Dieses lied aber, schließt voriges mitein und macht ein wahres meisterwerk daraus! - egal, wie oft man in den Genuss kommt, es zu höhren .
Paul - Meine Hochachtung- und meine tiefste Dankbarkeit!
P.S.: ich würde gerne wissen, was dir im Augenblick, der Erschaffung dieses Meisterwerks durch den Kopf gegangen ist.?
Danke- und weiter so!
-Lazyfur
Paul - Hut ab!
@fw4436
Still here… who else?
@tirzartmdegeling9636
I’M here with my mom and brother
@FritsWalter1303
Never leaving. The live version from Tland is also heavy
@melihdemircan7921
Here !
@stev3snaps
idk why but this music and this video makes me emotional and relaxed
@ricardobizarro5828
Here!!!
@michalg1810
My brother has played this song to me some time ago, it was his favourite. We knew he was seriously ill. Than after six months he passed away, had brain cancer. I didn't ask him what it meant to him, but now I know that. Lukasz - we miss you so much, keep listening this song wherever you are.
@thebokalas3777
sad
@bartoszbaran3887
Przykro mi stary
@gorvik20
2018 yes!!