The video for the song was influenced by Reservoir Dogs.
Two versions can be found, one with the chorus and first three verses in English, and another completely in German. The lyrics to the English version are not a translation of the lyrics in German.
The song hit #20 on the Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks chart in the United States. It is the highest charting German language song in the history of that chart.
Lyrics
The whole song is a play on German wedding vows.
The refrain ("Willst du, bis der Tod euch scheidet, treu ihr sein für alle Tage?") translates to "Will you, until Death separates you, be faithful to her forever?" Instead of answering with "ja" ("yes"), the singer says "nein" ("no"), finally breaking his silence earlier in the song: "Du hast mich gefragt, und ich hab nichts gesagt", which translates to "You asked me, and I said nothing."
As stated earlier, the English version of Du Hast is not translated, but changed altogether ("Du hasst" (du haßt) means "you hate". The extra "s" differentiates it from the conjugated verb form of haben (to have).
Interpretation
The title is commonly interpreted as "You Hate", but can be considered as a play on words: "Du hast" means 'you have', while the homophonous "du hasst" means 'you hate'. The pun is illustrated by a comparison of the German version, a literal English translation, and the band's non-literal English version of the song.
The wedding vow is sung word-by-word many times, each line with subtle ironic meanings:
* Du: You
* Du hast: You have
* Du hast mich: You have me
* Du hast mich gefragt: You have asked me
* Du hast mich gefragt und ich hab nichts gesagt: You have asked me and I have said nothing.
As often with Rammstein songs, slight modifications reveal more of the intentions of the lyrics.
* Willst du, bis der Tod euch scheidet, treu ihr sein für alle Tage?: Do you want to, till Death splits you, be faithful to her for all the (remaining) days (of your life)?
* Willst du, bis zum Tod, der scheide, sie lieben auch in schlechten Tagen?: Will you, till death splits you, love her also in her bad days?
If the line is sung as "Tod der Scheide" it would be not "till death, that shed (split)," but literally "till death of the scheide," where "scheide" is a common synonym for vagina, as "scheide" will be changed from a verb to a noun.
Finally, the last three words ("für alle Tage") of the first question are skipped, to leave the meaning "Will you be faithful to her?"
Live story
The first known performance of the song dates from April 9th, 1997 in Amsterdam, The Netherlands [1]
. Over the years, several stunts have been used during the live performances of Du hast, ranging from the dildo used in Bück dich, to the bow used in Du riechst so gut. In their Reise, Reise tour, flames shoot several feet into the air and Till Lindemann shot with a different bow into the air, "starting" a chain reaction that fired rockets over the audience. Being a fan favorite, it has been played in almost every concert to date since its initial performance.
Covers
* Black Warrant, a metal band from Pakistan, covered this song on their 2006 album Recover II.
* Hannibal performed Du hast live at the 1st Scorpions Festival 2007 (18/6/2007) at Karaiskaki Stadium, Piraeus, Athens.
[Du Hast]
Rammstein Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Du hast
Du hast mich
Du
Du hast
Du hast mich
Du hast
Du hast mich
Du
Du hast
Du hast mich
Du
Du hast
Du hast mich
Du hast mich
Du hast mich gefragt
Du hast mich gefragt
Du hast mich gefragt und ich hab nichts gesagt
Willst du bis der tod euch scheidet
Treu ihr sein fьare alle tagen
Nein, nein
Willst du bis der tod euch scheidet
Treu ihr sein fьare alle tagen
Nein, nein
Du
Du hast
Du hast mich
Du
Du hast
Du hast mich
Du
Du hast
Du hast mich
Du
Du hast
Du hast mich
Du hast mich
Du hast mich gefragt
Du hast mich gefragt
Du hast mich gefragt und ich hab nichts gesagt
Willst du bis der tod euch scheidet
Treu ihr sein fьare alle tagen
Nein, nein
Willst du bis der tod euch scheidet
Sie lieben auch in schlechten tagen
Nein, nein
Willst du bis der tod euch scheide
Treu ihr sein...
Nein, nein
The lyrics of Rammstein's song Du Hast have a double meaning, which contributes to its intrigue and popularity. On the surface, it sounds like an intense love song with the repetition of the phrase "Du hast mich" (You have me). However, a deeper analysis reveals that the song is about an argument between two people, one of whom is trying to convince the other to get married. The singer creates a sense of ambiguity by answering "nein" (no) to every question posed to him, including the crucial one where he is asked if he wants to be faithful to his partner until death separates them.
Line by Line Meaning
Du
You
Du hast
You have
Du hast mich
You have me
Du hast mich gefragt
You asked me
und ich hab nichts gesagt
And I said nothing
Willst du bis der tod euch scheidet
Do you want to be with her until death do us part
Treu ihr sein fьare alle tagen
To be loyal to her every day
Nein, nein
No, no
Sie lieben auch in schlechten tagen
To love her even in bad days
Willst du bis der tod euch scheide
Do you want to be with her until death do us part
Treu ihr sein...
To be loyal to her...
Contributed by Ryan P. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
SabrinaOnlineFan96
on Sonne
This song reminds me of Gru from Despicable Me, as he is so powerful, that he paralyzed a shark and was able to outrun supersonic missiles.
Ben - Moderator
on Keine Lust
Corrected the music video fact above.
Andrew
on Keine Lust
The music video has them performing in fat suits, not at a funeral.