After winning a local contest, Rammstein was able to record demos and send them to different record labels, eventually signing with Motor Music. Working with producer Jacob Hellner, they released their debut album Herzeleid in 1995. Though the album initially sold poorly, the band gained popularity through their live performances and the album eventually reached No. 6 in Germany. Their second album, Sehnsucht, was released in 1997 and debuted at No. 1 in Germany, resulting in a worldwide tour lasting nearly four years and spawning the successful singles "Engel" and "Du hast" and the live album Live aus Berlin (1999). Following the tour, Rammstein signed with major label Universal Music and released Mutter in 2001. Six singles were released from the album, all charting in countries throughout Europe. The lead single, "Sonne", reached No. 2 in Germany. Rammstein released Reise, Reise in 2004 and had two more singles reach No. 2 in Germany: "Mein Teil" and "Amerika"; the former song reached No. 1 in Spain, becoming their first No. 1 single.
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Their fifth album, Rosenrot, was released in 2005, and the lead single, "Benzin", reached No. 6 in Germany. Their second live album, Völkerball, was released in 2006. The band released their sixth album, Liebe ist für alle da, in 2009, with its lead single, "Pussy", becoming their first No. 1 hit in Germany despite having a controversial music video that featured hardcore pornography. The band then entered a recording hiatus and toured for several years, releasing the Made in Germany greatest hits album as well as the Rammstein in Amerika and Paris live albums. After a decade without new music, Rammstein returned in 2019 with the song "Deutschland", which became their second No. 1 hit in Germany. Their untitled seventh studio album was released in May 2019 and reached No. 1 in 14 countries. While sheltering during COVID-19 lockdowns, the band spontaneously wrote and recorded their eighth studio album, Zeit, which was released in April 2022.
Rammstein was one of the first bands to emerge within the Neue Deutsche Härte genre, with their debut album leading the music press to coin the term, and their style of music has generally had a positive reception from music critics. Commercially, the band has been very successful, earning many No. 1 albums as well as gold and platinum certifications in countries around the world. Their grand live performances, which often feature pyrotechnics, have contributed to the growth in their popularity. Despite success, the band has been subject to some controversies, with their overall image having been criticized; for instance, the song "Ich tu dir weh" forced its parent album Liebe ist für alle da to be re-released in Germany with the song removed due to its sexually explicit lyrics.
Musical style and lyrics
Rammstein is considered a Neue Deutsche Härte band, and is also often described as industrial metal. Other descriptions include hard rock and gothic metal, as well as nu metal, alternative metal, symphonic metal, progressive metal, and "techno metal". Rammstein was traditionally inspired by bands such as the Slovenian group Laibach, known for its provocative songs, often citing political symbols of the far-right and whose music style also combines different genres, or the German rock band Oomph! However, the band members don't see a real connection to Laibach – apart from the similarity in vocal style which Flake Lorenz admitted in a Viva interview from 1997. In the same interview Richard Kruspe said: "For me, Laibach is a very, very intellectual story. Rammstein is much more emotional for me – in the beginning. And I can't do anything with that intellect that Laibach uses."
Live performances
Since their early years, Rammstein are particularly known for their over-the-top live performances, making such extensive use of pyrotechnics that fans eventually coined the motto, "Other bands play, Rammstein burns!". Following an accident in Berlin on 27 September 1996, in which some burning decorative parts of the stage collapsed, the band started using professionals to handle the pyrotechnics. Lindemann subsequently qualified as a licensed pyrotechnician, and often spends entire songs engulfed in flames. He has suffered multiple burns on his ears, head, and arms.
The band's stage costumes are also known for being outlandish. During the Reise, Reise Tour, they wore lederhosen, corsets, and military-inspired uniforms with German steel helmets; during the Mutter Tour, the group kept to the themes of the album artwork and descended onto the stage from a giant uterus while wearing diapers. During the Völkerball concert, among others, Lindemann changed costumes between songs and dressed accordingly for each. For example, for the song "Mein Teil", he was dressed as a blood-soaked chef; in "Reise, Reise", he dressed as a sailor. The rest of the band each wore their own preferred costume, but none quite as bizarre as Till's. The band's flair for costumes is evident in their music videos as well as their live shows. In the "Keine Lust" video, all members except Lorenz are dressed in fat suits. In the "Amerika" video, all members of the band wear astronaut costumes.
Since the Mutter Tour in 2001, Rammstein have worked with stage designer Roy Bennett, who helped the band in developing the look of the stages. With the Ahoi Tour in 2004/2005, the band began using a two-level stage, with half the band playing the lower level and the other half on the upper level. At this tour, the upper level rose over 2 meters above the stage floor and had an oval entrance just beneath the drums. At both sides of the upper level, a special lift made it possible for the band members to access both stage levels.
On the Liebe ist für alle da Tour in 2009, the new stage still had a two-level design. This time, however, the upper level only had about half the height as on the previous tour. Stage entrance was possible by a hydraulic ramp in the middle of the stage floor. At each end of the upper level, stairs were placed in order to gain access to both levels. This tour included not only the extensive use of pyrotechnics, but also a massive lighting show, such as the band's logo lit up as big lamps on four enormous collapsible towers, forming the industrial backdrop of the set and being capable of different lighting effects.
During the arena shows of the Made in Germany 1995-2011 Tour, the stage was slightly altered with new set pieces such as a large industrial fan as well as new backdrops. The most noticeable addition was a long catwalk, connecting the main stage to a smaller stage in the middle of the audience. During the 2013 festival leg of the tour, the bridge and smaller stage were omitted. For the 2016 Festival Tour, the band kept the stage itself mostly unchanged, though had the entire lighting rig changed completely. According to Kruspe, the onstage antics are meant to get people's attention and have fun at the same time; Rammstein's motto, according to Schneider, is "do your own thing and overdo it"
Members
Since forming in 1994, Rammstein have retained a constant line-up. Richard Kruspe had said in a Revolver Magazine interview that it is because of the band respecting each other's wishes to take a break, either for personal reasons or to focus on a side project. Members of the band have had side projects that they take part in during Rammstein's inactivity. Kruspe currently fronts the group Emigrate while Till Lindemann began his project Lindemann in 2015.
Till Lindemann – lead vocals, harmonica
Richard Kruspe – lead guitar, backing vocals
Paul Landers – rhythm guitar, backing vocals
Oliver Riedel – bass guitar
Christoph Schneider – drums, percussion
Christian "Flake" Lorenz – keyboards, samples, synthesizers, trumpet, programming
Studio albums
Herzeleid (1995)
Sehnsucht (1997)
Mutter (2001)
Reise, Reise (2004)
Rosenrot (2005)
Liebe ist für alle da (2009)
Rammstein (2019)
Zeit (2022)
Alter Mann
Rammstein Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Die Welle kommt und legt sich matt
Mit einem Fächer jeden Tag
Der Alte macht das Wasser glatt
Ich werf den Stein zu meinem Spaß
Das Wasser sich im Kreis bewegt
Der Alte sieht mich traurig anUnd hat es wieder glatt gefegt
Im weißen Sand der alte Mann
Zitternd seine Pfeife raucht
Nur das Wasser und ich wissen
Wozu er diesen Fächer braucht
Die Ahnung schläft wie ein Vulkan
Zögernd hab ich dann gefragt
Den Kopf geneigt es schien er schläft
Hat er bevor er starb gesagt
Das Wasser soll dein Spiegel sein
Erst wenn es glatt ist, wirst du sehen
Wie viel Märchen dir noch bleibt
Und um Erlösung wirst du flehen
Den fächer an den Leib gepresst
Im Todeskrampf erstarrt die Hand
Die finger mussten sie ihm brechen
Der Fächer bleibt zurück im Sand
Den Alten ruf ich jeden Tag
Er möchte mich doch hier erlösen
Ich bleib zurück im Mittagswind
Und in dem Fächer kann ich lesen
Das Wasser soll dein Spiegel sein
Erst wenn es glatt ist, wirst du sehen
Wie viel Märchen dir noch bleibt
Und um Erlösung wirst du flehen
Das Wasser soll dein Spiegel sein
Erst wenn es glatt ist, wirst du sehen
Wie viel Märchen dir noch bleibt
Und um Erlösung wirst du flehen
The song "Alter Mann" by Rammstein tells a story of an old man who spends his days smoothing out the waves in the water with his fan. The singer of the song, a younger man, finds amusement in throwing stones and disrupting the smooth surface of the water, much to the sorrowful disapproval of the old man. As the song progresses, the singer becomes increasingly curious about the old man's strange behavior and his constant smoothing of the water. Eventually, the old man reveals the purpose behind his actions: the water is a mirror that reflects the truth of the world, and only by smoothing it out can one see the reality behind the myths and fairytales that surround us. The song ends with the singer calling out to the old man, seeking his enlightenment and hoping to find redemption.
The song is a meditation on the meaning of life and the quest for understanding. The old man represents a wise sage figure who has gained insight through his long years of experience, and his constant smoothing of the water symbolizes the tireless effort required to gain true understanding. The singer, meanwhile, represents the restless youth seeking answers to life's mysteries, but struggling to find meaning in a world of myths and half-truths. The song suggests that only through hard work and dedication can we hope to find the truth that lies beneath the surface of things.
Line by Line Meaning
Er wartet auf den Mittagswind
The old man is waiting patiently for the wind to change direction during midday.
Die Welle kommt und legt sich matt
The wave arrives and weakly crashes onto the shore.
Mit einem Fächer jeden Tag
Everyday the old man uses a fan to smooth out the water.
Der Alte macht das Wasser glatt
The old man smooths out the water until it becomes like a mirror.
Ich werf den Stein zu meinem Spaß
The artist throws a stone into the water just for fun.
Das Wasser sich im Kreis bewegt
The water moves in circles caused by the stone.
Der Alte sieht mich traurig an
The old man looks at the singer with sadness in his eyes.
Und hat es wieder glatt gefegt
He then proceeds to smooth out the water with his fan once again.
Im weißen Sand der alte Mann
The old man is seated on white sand.
Zitternd seine Pfeife raucht
The old man smokes a pipe while trembling.
Nur das Wasser und ich wissen
Only the singer and the water know why the old man uses his fan.
Wozu er diesen Fächer braucht
They wonder what purpose the old man has for his fan.
Die Ahnung schläft wie ein Vulkan
A premonition or intuition lies dormant like a volcano.
Zögernd hab ich dann gefragt
The singer hesitantly asked the old man a question.
Den Kopf geneigt es schien er schläft
The old man had his head down and appeared to be asleep.
Hat er bevor er starb gesagt
He said something before he died.
Das Wasser soll dein Spiegel sein
The water should be used as a mirror.
Erst wenn es glatt ist, wirst du sehen
Only when it's calm will you be able to see your reflection.
Wie viel Märchen dir noch bleibt
You will realize how much wonder and fantasy is still left in the world.
Und um Erlösung wirst du flehen
You will plead for salvation.
Den Fächer bleibt zurück im Sand
The fan is the old man's only belonging, and stays behind in the sand after his death.
Den Alten ruf ich jeden Tag
The artist calls out to the old man every day.
Er möchte mich doch hier erlösen
He wants to be saved by the old man.
Ich bleib zurück im Mittagswind
The artist stays behind in the midday breeze.
Und in dem Fächer kann ich lesen
The singer tries to find messages or meaning in the old man's fan.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: RICHARD Z. KRUSPE, PAUL LANDERS, TILL LINDEMANN, DOKTOR CHRISTIAN LORENZ, OLIVER RIEDEL, CHRISTOPH DOOM SCHNEIDER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@AngelFlores-bq4fd
Rammstein has tons and tons of great tracks. If you're only familiar with the big hits, you're missing out. This has been one of my favorite tracks for almost two decades.
@retroonur
same
@rebeccamcdermott9259
Have always absolutely adored this song. Think it's really overlooked and underrated. It's one of my favourites from the Sehnsucht album.
@joseperez-qb6oq
man i feel old, i just buy this album 20 years ago i cant belive it ....
@GEORGIOSMGEORGIADIS4
Great song!
Too bad it's often overlooked and not properly recognized!
@anthonyreid666
I agree with u some of their songs get over looked don't no why cause just like SLIPKNOT they write some really cool songs and albums 🤘🤘🤘🤘🤘🤘🤘
@petermessenger501
this song is about a monk, the old man, who looks after people who are in the dual places, the places where knowledge is more misunderstood, where living beings have chosen to pit sex against love and become ignorant of the truth. He looks after these living beings, at midday when the day is dual, and the sun is most hot (the sun - symbolic of a type of positive sex pleasure - like being good to get sex pleasure), the water of the eyes he cools with a fan. Because he is a monk, he has died to his physical body and though his hand is in rigor mortis he will not let go under any condition, any pain, he just must tend to his brothers and sisters from his love, it says the words "every day". They have entered themself to deeply and they dont know about other beings anymore. They have gone into their souls, the water of the eyes, and it reflects themself back to themself. They dont see other beings through that water the same as they have at other times. There's a Tatu song "stars" where the lyrics are "water thats not yours or mine". They have soul contracts that these goddesses, women of' faith and grace it explains in the bible... And though they dont know", the goddesses know and care for them while they need/choose to take this path.
@esumitkumar
Awesome ..Didn't know Filipinos also love Rammstein 😊👍
@kozmonauta0515
Manche sagen dass Wiener Blut oder andere Lieder die am gruseligsten in Rammstein Diskographie sind. Für mich es ist der einzige der mir angst macht.
@mjjaworski
My favourite