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.
Normal
Rio Reiser Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Weiß, was ich tun darf und was nich
Ich mach alles, was man mir sagt
Ich hab noch nie warum gefragt
Ich führe alles pünktlich aus
Ich komme nie zu spät nach Haus
Ich habe nie schlimme Gedanken
Hab viel zu tun und nichts zu sagen
Ich hab's am Herz und hab's am Magen
Ich hab zwei Kinder und 'ne Frau
Fahr nie bei rot, mach selten blau
Ich bin normal
Frag mich nicht wie
Von Kopf bis Fuß
Made in Germany
Ich bin normal wie du und ich
Ich komm' in 'n Himmel oder nicht
Ich hab nie allzu oft gelogen
Kaum einen übern Tisch gezogen
Ich nehm kein Rauschgift, geh nie fremd
Ich hab immer 'n weißes Hemd
Ich bin normal
Frag mich nicht wie
Von Kopf bis Fuß
Made in Germany
*kuckuck!*
Ich hab immer 'n weißen Kragen
Ich stelle niemals falsche Fragen
Ich bin ganz schlau, ich stell mich dumm
Mach gerne meinen Rücken krumm
Ich gehe nicht mit jeder Mode
Ich mache alles mit Methode
Ich bin normal
Frag mich nicht wie
Von Kopf bis Fuß *kuckuck!*
Made in Germany
Ich bin der einzige normale Mensch auf der Welt!
Niemand ist so normal wie ich!
Ich bin normal! Total normal!
Ihr seid ja alle verrückt!
...
The lyrics to Rio Reiser's song Normal reflect the societal pressure to conform to a particular standard of normality. The singer of the song claims that he is just like everyone else and does what he is told without questioning authority, following the same routine every day. He prides himself on not having any rebellious or deviant thoughts, taking no risks or indulging in any vice as he leads a predictable life with his wife and two children. He values order and tradition and does not subscribe to trends or fads. In his view, being normal is the only way to be accepted and validated by society.
However, the repetition of "Ich bin normal" throughout the song suggests that the singer is trying to convince himself more than anyone else of his own normality. This is further emphasized by his proclamation towards the end of the song that he is the only truly normal person in the world, indicating a lack of self-assurance and an inner conflict with the need to conform.
In summary, Rio Reiser's Normal captures the straitjacket of conformity and repression that many people in modern society face and reveals the cost of suppressing one's true self to achieve a shallow and fragile sense of normality.
Line by Line Meaning
Ich bin normal wie du und ich
I am just like you, ordinary and common
Weiß, was ich tun darf und was nich
I know what I am supposed to do and what not to do
Ich mach alles, was man mir sagt
I follow instructions obediently
Ich hab noch nie warum gefragt
I have never questioned why I have to do something
Ich führe alles pünktlich aus
I complete everything on time
Ich komme nie zu spät nach Haus
I never come home late
Ich habe nie schlimme Gedanken
I never have bad thoughts
Ich weis' mich selbst in meine Schranken
I keep myself in check
Hab viel zu tun und nichts zu sagen
I am busy but I do not talk much
Ich hab's am Herz und hab's am Magen
I have stomach and heart troubles due to stress
Ich hab zwei Kinder und 'ne Frau
I have a wife and two children
Fahr nie bei rot, mach selten blau
I never run red lights or get drunk
Ich komm' in 'n Himmel oder nicht
I may or may not go to heaven
Ich hab nie allzu oft gelogen
I hardly ever tell a lie
Kaum einen übern Tisch gezogen
I have hardly ever cheated anyone
Ich nehm kein Rauschgift, geh nie fremd
I do not do drugs or cheat on my significant other
Ich hab immer 'n weißes Hemd
I always wear a white shirt
Ich hab immer 'n weißen Kragen
I always wear a white collar
Ich stelle niemals falsche Fragen
I never ask the wrong questions
Ich bin ganz schlau, ich stell mich dumm
I act stupid even though I am smart
Mach gerne meinen Rücken krumm
I like to work hard
Ich gehe nicht mit jeder Mode
I do not follow every trend
Ich mache alles mit Methode
I do everything systematically
Ich bin der einzige normale Mensch auf der Welt!
I am the only normal person in the world!
Niemand ist so normal wie ich!
No one is as normal as I am!
Ich bin normal! Total normal!
I am normal! Completely normal!
Ihr seid ja alle verrückt!
You are all crazy!
Contributed by Arianna V. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@einfranke677
Absoluter Kult, danke @ Rio für diese geniale Spießerkritik👍! RIP
@tamaraspanehl3710
Guten Morgen, mein liebster Rio! Ich wünsche uns allen eine schöne und hoffnungsvolle Woche!
@odiemacaroni
Geht es ihnen gut? Sie schrieben hier fast eine Art Tagebuch unter das Video. Das ist etwas seltsam
@tamaraspanehl3710
@@odiemacaroni Mir geht es wunderbar! Was sonst?
@odiemacaroni
@@tamaraspanehl3710 Ich mache mir einfach nur Gedanken, warum sie das Ganze machen. Es ist wirklich ein wenig komisch.
@tamaraspanehl3710
@@odiemacaroni Das hieße ja, dass Du nichts, aber auch gar nichts verstanden hast. Den Stoff bitte WIEDERHOLEN!!
@tamaraspanehl3710
@@odiemacaroni Schau Dich doch einfach nur um - dann weißt Du es!
@tamaraspanehl3710
Gute Nacht, mein liebster Rio! Bleib so kraftvoll und frech! Bis morgen!
@tamaraspanehl3710
Guten Morgen, mein liebster Rio! Ich wünsche Dir ein wunderschönes Wochenende! Und: Denk noch einmal darüber nach, wie ein irdisches Paradies sein müsste.......
@tamaraspanehl3710
Guten Morgen, mein liebster Rio! Ich wünsche Dir eine wirklich schöne Woche!