Rainhard Jürgen Fendrich (born 27 February 1955 in Vienna) is an Austrian s… Read Full Bio ↴Rainhard Jürgen Fendrich (born 27 February 1955 in Vienna) is an Austrian singer, composer, entertainer, and actor. He is one of the most successful Austropop musicians. His lyrics are written in Viennese German, and he is very popular in Austria, but less in other German-speaking countries, and by far less known in non-German speaking ones. His song from 1990, I am from Austria (its lyrics are, except for this one line, in Viennese German) is still popular in Austria.

Angst
Rainhard Fendrich Lyrics

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Krank und übersät mit Angstgeschwüren
Seh'n wir sie erneut das Feuer schüren.
Aufgebracht in kalter Wut, entschlossen,
Sich mit Wollust sattzuhassen.
Völlig machtlos mit gebrannten Häuten
Dämmem uns von fern Vergangenheiten,
Die wir ständig suchten zu vergessen,
Doch vergeblich, sie sind machtbesessen.

Söhne, die von Vätern sterben lernten,
Hoffen auf Gewalt Vernunft zu ernten.
Kinder, die sich unbesiegbar fühlen,
Träumen lüstern davon, Krieg zu spielen.

Hände, die zu Fäusten schwellen,
Alles in den Schatten steilen,
Was wir über Liebe hörten,
Achtlos ihr den Krieg erklärten.
Ausgepeitscht durch Kampfparolen
Droh'n Gehirne zu verkohlen

Noch bevor sie denken konnten,
Weil sie sich in Trägheit sonnten.

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Rainhard Fendrich's song "Angst" paint a picture of a world consumed by fear, anger, and violence. The opening lines describe the singer and their surroundings as being "sick and covered with sores of fear," while also observing others "stoking the fire" of this fear with cold anger and lustful malintent. The following lines describe a sense of powerlessness, as they are "blinded by burnt skin" and unable to forget the painful past that continues to haunt them.

This sense of helplessness is further conveyed in the description of the children who "dream lustfully of playing war," and the sons who hope to learn from their fathers' deaths in order to reap the rewards of violence. The song suggests that these violent tendencies are born out of a desire to escape from the overwhelming sense of fear and anxiety that permeate the world, but only serve to perpetuate the cycle of violence and suffering.

Ultimately, the lyrics of "Angst" offer a grim depiction of humanity's tendency towards violence and destruction when consumed by fear and anger. The repetition of phrases like "burnt skin," "lustful dreaming," and "powerlessness" serve to drive home the message that these negative emotions can lead to dark and destructive outcomes if left unchecked.

Line by Line Meaning

Krank und übersät mit Angstgeschwüren
Suffering from diseases and fears

Seh'n wir sie erneut das Feuer schüren.
We see them igniting the fire again.

Aufgebracht in kalter Wut, entschlossen,
Agitated in cold anger, determined,

Sich mit Wollust sattzuhassen.
Feeding on hatred with pleasure.

Völlig machtlos mit gebrannten Häuten
Totally powerless, burnt by the past

Dämmem uns von fern Vergangenheiten,
Dimming us from distant past,

Die wir ständig suchten zu vergessen,
The ones we constantly tried to forget,

Doch vergeblich, sie sind machtbesessen.
But in vain, they are obsessed with power.

Söhne, die von Vätern sterben lernten,
Sons who learned to die from their fathers,

Hoffen auf Gewalt Vernunft zu ernten.
Hoping to reap reason with violence.

Kinder, die sich unbesiegbar fühlen,
Children who feel invincible,