In April 1963, her single "I Will Follow Him" had soared to number one on U.S. charts. Recorded in early January 1963 and released January 22 of that year, it made Peggy March the youngest female singer with a number one hit at age fifteen. The record also took the number one spot in Australia, New Zealand, Japan, and Scandinavia.
Her success also came with financial trouble. March was a minor and the Coogan Law prevented her parents from managing her money. The responsibility was placed on her manager, Russell Smith. It was discovered in 1966 that he had squandered the fortune away, leaving her with $500. Peggy graduated from Lansdale Catholic High School in 1966. She soon had a new manager, Arnie Harris, who became her husband and gave her one daughter, Sande, born in 1974.
Though she is remembered by some as a one-hit wonder, her singles "I Wish I Were a Princess" and "Hello Heartache, Goodbye Love" made the Top 30 in the United States and the United Kingdom. She began making a very strong presence in the European and Asian music markets, and she moved to Germany around 1969. Her commercial success in Germany continued through much of the 1970s. In 1979 she experimented with disco on the album, Electrifying, but it failed to achieve commercial success. By 1981 record companies did not renew her contracts, and she moved back to the United States. A retro fad in Germany brought her some continuing success starting in the mid-1990s. Her song "I Will Follow Him" largely inspired the beat in the Eminem and Dr. Dre song Guilty Conscience, and was also featured in the 1992 movie Sister Act. Currently she works largely in the Las Vegas music scene.
Male nicht den Teufel an die Wand
Peggy March Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Male nicht den Teufel an die Wand.
Male Rosen in den Schnee
Oder Herzen in den Sand,
Aber male nicht den Teufel an die Wand.
Meine Mutter sprach zu mir, denk nicht immerzu daran,
Ob′s vielleicht passieren kann, denn nur dann passiert es dir:
Du verlierst den goldnen RingUnd das beste Glas zerbricht,
Wenn man immer davon spricht
Darum:
Male nicht den Teufel an die Wand.
Male nicht den Teufel an die Wand.
Male Rosen in den Schnee
Oder Herzen in den Sand,
Aber male nicht den Teufel an die Wand.
Wenn du eine Wolke siehst,
Sagst den Regenguss voraus
Und wenn du am morgen niest,
Denkst du an das Krankenhaus.
Bitte glaub an unser Glück,
Sieh nicht alles grau in grau,
Denn die Welt bleibt himmelblau.
Darum:
Male nicht den Teufel an die Wand.
Male nicht den Teufel an die Wand.
Male Rosen in den Schnee
Oder Herzen in den Sand,
Aber male nicht den Teufel an die Wand.
The lyrics of Peggy March's song "Male nicht den Teufel an die Wand" convey a message about the power of thoughts and words. The phrase "Male nicht den Teufel an die Wand" literally means "Don't paint the devil on the wall." This is a German idiom that conveys not to worry about something unnecessarily or to avoid tempting fate by speaking of negative possibilities. The first verse of the song tells us to paint roses in the snow or hearts in the sand but not to paint the devil on the wall. The second verse talks about how our thoughts and words can influence our reality; if we always think negative thoughts, bad things may happen to us. The third verse encourages the listener to believe in happiness and not to see the world in black and white, but in color. In essence, the song is advising us to be positive and to avoid inviting negative things into our lives by dwelling on them.
Line by Line Meaning
Male nicht den Teufel an die Wand.
Don't invite trouble by dwelling on negative possibilities.
Male Rosen in den Schnee
Paint roses in the snow.
Oder Herzen in den Sand,
Or hearts in the sand.
Aber male nicht den Teufel an die Wand.
But don't invite trouble by dwelling on negative possibilities.
Meine Mutter sprach zu mir, denk nicht immerzu daran,
My mother told me not to constantly think about negative possibilities.
Ob′s vielleicht passieren kann, denn nur dann passiert es dir:
Because thinking about it constantly might actually make it happen.
Du verlierst den goldnen Ring
You might lose your golden ring.
Und das beste Glas zerbricht,
Or your best glass might break.
Wenn man immer davon spricht
If you keep talking about it.
Darum:
Therefore:
Wenn du eine Wolke siehst,
If you see a cloud,
Sagst den Regenguss voraus
You predict rain.
Und wenn du am morgen niest,
And if you sneeze in the morning,
Denkst du an das Krankenhaus.
You think about the hospital.
Bitte glaub an unser Glück,
Please believe in our happiness,
Sieh nicht alles grau in grau,
And don't see everything as gray,
Denn die Welt bleibt himmelblau.
Because the world remains sky blue.
Darum:
Therefore:
Male nicht den Teufel an die Wand.
Don't invite trouble by dwelling on negative possibilities.
Male Rosen in den Schnee
Paint roses in the snow.
Oder Herzen in den Sand,
Or hearts in the sand.
Aber male nicht den Teufel an die Wand.
But don't invite trouble by dwelling on negative possibilities.
Writer(s): henry mayer
Contributed by Nora J. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@hale-ik5rh
Da ist ein Absatz bei 1:30, wo ein paar Töne fehlen.
@mightisright
"Bitte glaub an unser Glück"