Rammstein (lit. "ramming stone") is a German Neue Deutsche Härte band forme… Read Full Bio ↴Rammstein (lit. "ramming stone") is a German Neue Deutsche Härte band formed in Berlin in 1994. The band's lineup—consisting of lead vocalist Till Lindemann, lead guitarist Richard Kruspe, rhythm guitarist Paul Landers, bassist Oliver Riedel, drummer Christoph Schneider, and keyboardist Christian "Flake" Lorenz—has remained unchanged throughout their history, along with their approach to songwriting, which consists of Lindemann writing and singing the lyrics over instrumental pieces the rest of the band has completed beforehand. Prior to their formation, some members were associated with the punk rock acts Feeling B and First Arsch.
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)
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.
f
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)
Kokain
Rammstein Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Sind die freunde mir gewogen
Die weiße Fee spannt ihren bogen
Schießt meiner sorge ins Gesicht
Und aus den beiden hälften bricht
Der Vater aller spiegel
Er winkt mir und ich beug mich vor
Er flüstert leise in mein Ohr
Du bist das schönste Kind von allen
Ich halt dich wie mein eigen Blut
Du bist das schönste Kind
In mir ist auch das böse gut
Die neugier meinen Traum verlängert
Die weiße Fee sie singt und lacht
Hat gewaltsam mich geschwängert
Und trächtig quält mich durch die Nacht
Der Vater aller spiegel
Er winkt mir und ich beug mich vor
Er flüstert leise in mein Ohr
Du bist das schönste Kind von allen
Ich halt dich wie mein eigen Blut
Du bist das schönste Kind
In mir ist auch das böse gut
Und wie ich mich der wehen wehre
Auf dem Kinderbett noch gehurt
Seh dabei wie ich gebehre
Und fress die eigene Nachgeburt
Du bist das schönste Kind von allen
Ich halt dich wie mein eigen Blut
Du bist das schönste Kind von allen
In mir ist auch das böse gut
Du bist das schönste Kind von allen
Ich halt dich wie mein eigen Blut
Du bist das schönste Kind von allen
In mir ist auch das böse gut
Die weiße Fee spannt ihren bogen
Schießt meiner sorge ins Gesicht
Und aus den beiden hälften bricht
Der Vater aller spiegel
Er winkt mir und ich beug mich vor
Er flüstert leise in mein Ohr
Du bist das schönste Kind von allen
Ich halt dich wie mein eigen Blut
Du bist das schönste Kind
In mir ist auch das böse gut
Die neugier meinen Traum verlängert
Die weiße Fee sie singt und lacht
Hat gewaltsam mich geschwängert
Und trächtig quält mich durch die Nacht
Der Vater aller spiegel
Er winkt mir und ich beug mich vor
Er flüstert leise in mein Ohr
Du bist das schönste Kind von allen
Ich halt dich wie mein eigen Blut
Du bist das schönste Kind
In mir ist auch das böse gut
Und wie ich mich der wehen wehre
Auf dem Kinderbett noch gehurt
Seh dabei wie ich gebehre
Und fress die eigene Nachgeburt
Du bist das schönste Kind von allen
Du bist das schönste Kind von allen
In mir ist auch das böse gut
Du bist das schönste Kind von allen
Ich halt dich wie mein eigen Blut
Du bist das schönste Kind von allen
In mir ist auch das böse gut
These lyrics describe the singer's experiences with cocaine, which they refer to as the "white fairy." The drug, the singer believes, has given them incredible insight and heightened senses, allowing them to see the "father of all mirrors." The singer believes that their connection to the drug makes them the most beautiful child of all, and they feel a sense of pride and ownership over this identity. However, as the song progresses, the darker and more disturbing aspects of their cocaine use become apparent. The singer describes feeling physically and emotionally tortured by their addiction, with the "white fairy" having "violently impregnated" them and causing them to give birth to their own afterbirth. The song ends with the singer reaffirming their belief that they are the most beautiful child, but also acknowledging the darkness that comes with their cocaine use.
Overall, the lyrics present a complex and disturbing picture of drug addiction and its effects on the psyche. The singer's sense of superiority and beauty is contrasted with their physical and emotional pain, suggesting that the supposed benefits of cocaine use are ultimately illusory and warped.
Line by Line Meaning
Sind die freunde mir gewogen
Are my friends favorable to me?
Die weiße Fee spannt ihren bogen
The white fairy draws her bow.
Schießt meiner sorge ins Gesicht
She shoots my worries in the face.
Und aus den beiden hälften bricht
And from the two halves breaks out
Der Vater aller spiegel
The father of all mirrors.
Er winkt mir und ich beug mich vor
He beckons to me and I bend down.
Er flüstert leise in mein Ohr
He whispers softly in my ear.
Du bist das schönste Kind von allen
You are the most beautiful child of all.
Ich halt dich wie mein eigen Blut
I hold you like my own blood.
Du bist das schönste Kind
You are the most beautiful child.
In mir ist auch das böse gut
In me, the evil is also good.
Die neugier meinen Traum verlängert
Curiosity extends my dream.
Die weiße Fee sie singt und lacht
The white fairy sings and laughs.
Hat gewaltsam mich geschwängert
She forcefully impregnated me.
Und trächtig quält mich durch die Nacht
And pregnant, torments me through the night.
Und wie ich mich der wehen wehre
And as I resist the contractions
Auf dem Kinderbett noch gehurt
Still a child myself and lying in the birthing bed
Seh dabei wie ich gebehre
I witness how I give birth
Und fress die eigene Nachgeburt
And eat my own afterbirth.
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
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@leeduke3393
Man im glad its back on YouTube honestly my favorite rammstein song of all time
@tallicafan85
Been adding this song back on my list for years. Keeps getting removed. Song is so great
@jennycalabrano
Good taste it's one of my favorites of Rammstein too 🤘
@leeduke3393
@@jennycalabrano Hy 🤟🏻🤟🏻
@mvldcsw
1:36 amogus
@20katana06
I am glad this song is back on the tube. It has the exact sound that you associate with the "industrial" metal genre. This song is actually what got me into this type of music.
@ethanrom22
Totally and Das Modell which Kokain was featured on that single
@999peaches
Really like that Freud’s the thumbnail
@backtothechickens
I love the fact that the metaphor at the video is that " only way to take Freud seriosly is being under the influence of cocain. Otherwise he is basically toilet" :D
@derekwall200
hell ill take it. i love this song