Some critics say that Rio Reiser created a new image of a German folk singer; he was even called a "Schlager" artist (a genre of German folk music), and a "Volksmusik" musician (sometimes translated as "folk music", but in a literary sense it means music of the people). To other critics, Rio Reiser was simply a singer in a rock band. However, Reiser sometimes approved of being referred to a Volksmusik musician, because he thought that this would simply mean he sang music for the people.
His father was an engineer for Siemens AG, and the family moved several times because of his father's work; they lived in Berlin, Oberbayern, Nürnberg, Mannheim, and Stuttgart. Reiser was never really able to feel at home in any of these places. Many of his friends said, when they were asked in an interview which was broadcast on the TV-channel arte in 1998, that he started playing music to create a place where he felt at home.
Reiser was known by his friends as someone who had a very special mind of his own. For example he managed to persuade his mother Erika Möbius that he was allowed to stop attending school and start an apprenticeship in a studio for photography. She believed that he was an autodidact; he never learned things when he was taught by someone else. Thus he taught himself how to play cello, guitar, the piano and other instruments.
He decided to change his name from Ralph Möbius to Rio Reiser because of the autobiographical novel Anton Reiser by Karl Philipp Moritz. During his teenage years Rio Reiser was a big fan of The Beatles and later of The Rolling Stones.
After he left school, Reiser started as a singer for the rock band The Beat Kings where he met his good friend R.P.S. Lanrue. Later he ended his apprenticeship at the photographic studio and left The Beat Kings, to be able to go to Berlin. In Berlin he composed the first Beat-Opera, which wasn't successful at all.
In 1970 Reiser recorded his first single with the band Ton Steine Scherben. Their original name was actually "Was ich fand, waren Ton, Steine, Scherben". In that same year the group performed their first public concert and recorded their first full length record. Ton Steine Scherben were musically successful, though not commercially.
In 1985 Reiser and the band finally split because of financial reasons. Reiser had a large debt with the group, but his solo career went so well that he was free from debt in a short time. His first solo record-album was called König Von Deutschland ("King of Germany") which was produced by his manager Georges Glueck. Many of his friends from the Ton Steine Scherben-days didn't like the fact that Reiser was suddenly a commercially successful musician.
Rio Reiser was also politically active. He was member of the Die Grünen and later after the German reunification he joined the PDS.
Reiser's sixth and last solo record was Himmel und Hölle (Heaven and Hell). Reiser wrote and performed most of his songs entirely by himself, although he was sometimes accompanied by his long time friend R.P.S. Lanrue.
Rio Reiser died on August 20, 1996 from a circulatory collapse after internal bleedings, probably as a result of a hepatitis C infection, at his home in Fresenhagen.
Herbst
Rio Reiser Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
In der Stadt
Die Nacht war lang
Und ich bin immer noch wach
Und ich sitze hier und schreib was
Mal ein Bild von dir
Mach die Augen zu
Und seh dich vor mir
Wünschte, du wärst hier
Seh dich vor mir
Wünschte, du wärst hier
Bei mir
Und ich sitze hier am Fenster
Schau den Autos zu
Streichle die Katzen
Und denke, das wärst du
Ich sitze hier am Ofen
Und schaue in das Buch
Versuch die Worte zu entziffern
Doch es bleibt bei dem Versuch
Leg mich auf mein Bett
Und bin weit von hier
Mach die Augen auf
Und seh dich vor mir
Wünschte, du wärst hier
Seh dich vor mir
Wünschte, du wärst hier
Bei mir
The lyrics to Rio Reiser's song "Herbst" describe the feeling of longing for someone who is not present. The song is set on a clear and blue autumn morning in the city. The singer, who has been awake all night, reminisces about the person they miss and tries to conjure up an image of them in their mind's eye. There is a sense of wistful loneliness and a desire for the person to be there. Despite being surrounded by mundane things like cars and cats, the singer feels the absence of the person keenly.
The second half of the song sees the singer in a different setting. They are now sitting by an oven, trying to decipher words from a book, but without much success. They later lie down on a bed, perhaps in an attempt to get some sleep, but instead, they find themselves visualising the person they miss. The lyrics convey a sense of melancholy and the desire to be with someone else. Overall, the song feels like a heartfelt expression of longing and the pain that comes with missing someone.
Line by Line Meaning
Ein himmelblauer Spätherbstmorgen
The beginning of a beautiful day, with a clear blue sky, in late autumn.
In der Stadt
In the city.
Die Nacht war lang
The night was long.
Und ich bin immer noch wach
The artist is still awake after the long night.
Und ich sitze hier und schreib was
The artist is sitting and writing something.
Mal ein Bild von dir
The singer takes a moment to visualize an image of someone.
Mach die Augen zu
The singer closes their eyes.
Und seh dich vor mir
The artist sees an image of someone in their mind.
Wünschte, du wärst hier
The artist wishes the person they are thinking of was here.
Bei mir
With me.
Und ich sitze hier am Fenster
The singer is now sitting by the window.
Schau den Autos zu
The artist is watching the cars outside.
Streichle die Katzen
The singer is petting cats.
Und denke, das wärst du
The singer is picturing the person they miss in their mind.
Ich sitze hier am Ofen
The singer is now sitting by the fireplace.
Und schaue in das Buch
The artist is looking at a book.
Versuch die Worte zu entziffern
The artist is trying to decipher the words in the book.
Doch es bleibt bei dem Versuch
However, they are unsuccessful.
Leg mich auf mein Bett
The singer lies down on their bed.
Und bin weit von hier
Despite being physically present, the artist is feeling distant.
Mach die Augen auf
The artist opens their eyes.
Und seh dich vor mir
They see an image of the person they desire in their mind again.
Wünschte, du wärst hier
The singer reiterates their wish for the person to be with them.
Bei mir
By their side.
Contributed by Elliot H. Suggest a correction in the comments below.