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.
Okay
Rio Reiser Lyrics
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Schau mich nicht mehr um
Schau nicht mehr zurück
Frag nicht mehr warum
Und die Stadt war grau
Und die Welt war stumm
Alles wieder laut
Alles wieder bunt
Jetzt ist alles okay
Jetzt ist alles okay
Jetzt ist alles okay
Ich bin dir zu teuer
War auf einmal klar
Und wenn du's zurück willst
Zahl ich's dir in bar
Wer jetzt noch was von mir will
Ist mir ganz egal
Alles schon vergessen
Alles abbezahlt
Jetzt ist alles okay
Jetzt ist alles okay
Jetzt ist alles okay
Alles verloren
Doch neu geboren und frei
Warten und hoffen
Alles wieder offen und neu
Jetzt ist alles okay
Jetzt ist alles okay
Jetzt ist alles okay
Jetzt ist alles okay
Jetzt ist alles okay
Jetzt ist alles okay
An der nächsten Ecke
Hab ich vielleicht Glück
Schaut mir jemand nach
Und ich schau zurück
Jetzt ist alles okay
Jetzt ist alles okay
Jetzt ist alles okay
Jetzt ist alles okay
Jetzt ist alles okay
Jetzt ist alles okay
The song "Okay" by Rio Reiser is a powerful and reflective piece about moving on from a painful experience and finding a sense of liberation and hope. The first verse describes an individual walking through the streets, determined to leave the past behind and not look back. The world is depicted as gray and silent, emphasizing the emotional weight of the situation. However, as the chorus repeatedly affirms, "now everything is okay", and the world becomes colorful and lively once more.
The second verse shifts to a more specific narrative, suggesting the song may be autobiographical. The singer realizes that someone they once cared for no longer values them and decides to cut ties. They are willing to pay back what they owe and move on, unburdened by the past. The bridge acknowledges the pain of loss and the uncertainty of the future, but maintains a positive outlook. The final verse suggests the possibility of a fresh start and the potential for new connections.
Overall, "Okay" deals with themes of letting go, personal growth, and the power of resilience. The repetition of the chorus emphasizes the message of the song and reinforces the idea that no matter how difficult things may seem, there is always a chance to find peace and move forward.
Line by Line Meaning
Geh die Straßen lang
Walk along the streets
Schau mich nicht mehr um
Don't look back at me anymore
Schau nicht mehr zurück
Don't look back anymore
Frag nicht mehr warum
Don't ask why anymore
Und die Stadt war grau
And the city was gray
Und die Welt war stumm
And the world was silent
Alles wieder laut
Everything is loud again
Alles wieder bunt
Everything is colorful again
Jetzt ist alles okay
Now everything is okay
Ich bin dir zu teuer
I am too expensive for you
War auf einmal klar
It was suddenly clear
Und wenn du's zurück willst
And if you want it back
Zahl ich's dir in bar
I'll pay you in cash
Wer jetzt noch was von mir will
Whoever wants something from me now
Ist mir ganz egal
I don't care
Alles schon vergessen
Everything is already forgotten
Alles abbezahlt
Everything is paid off
Alles verloren
Everything is lost
Doch neu geboren und frei
But born anew and free
Warten und hoffen
Wait and hope
Alles wieder offen und neu
Everything is open and new again
An der nächsten Ecke
Around the next corner
Hab ich vielleicht Glück
I might be lucky
Schaut mir jemand nach
Someone looks back at me
Und ich schau zurück
And I look back
Contributed by Parker Y. Suggest a correction in the comments below.