They played their first concerts in 1991 and released their first album "Soubrette werd' ich nie" one year later. Their first taste of chart success came in 1997 when their 6th album "Die Schlampen sind müde" (English: 'the trollops are tired') hit the German album-Top 40.
1998 they participated in the German national final of the Eurovision Song Contest, finishing second behind Guildo Horn with their song "Herzensschöner".
Two years later their album "Kassengift" hit No.1 in the German album charts. The later albums "Herz", "Das grosse Leben" (2006) and "Das grosse Leben live" (2006) also reached the top position.
In 2008, they released a new album "Die Suche geht weiter" (english: The search goes on), and the first single to be released was "Gib mir Sonne" (English: Give me sun). The first single made it to number 1 on the German charts. The next single to be released from the same album will be on the 3.11.2008, called "Wie weit ist vorbei" (English: How far is over).
They split up on December 20, 2012.
Es Lebe Der König
Rosenstolz Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
schrieb' ich jetzt ein Buch
könnt' ich Seemann sein
ging' ich jetzt an Deck
die Nacht ist kalt
und du weit weg
die Wellen hoch
das Schiff ist leck
Es lebe der König
doch wo bleibe ich
der König ist längst fort
doch kein Platz für mich
Wenn ich ein Adler wär'
wär' ich längst bei dir
wenn ich die Sonne wär'
könntest du mich seh'n
die Zeit lief' schnell
und du mit ihr
doch wenn ich träum' bist du bei mir
Es lebe...
Die Nacht ist kalt
und du weit weg
die Wellen hoch
das Schiff ist leck
The lyrics to Rosenstolz's song Es Lebe Der König speak to the feeling of isolation and loneliness when someone you love is not with you. In the first verse, the singer contemplates writing a book if they were a thinker or being a seaman and going to the deck if they had the opportunity. However, the night is cold, and the person they love is far away, and the ship they are on is starting to take on water. These lines capture the sense of being lost and helpless when the world around us starts to crumble.
The chorus centers around the phrase "Es lebe der König" which translates to "long live the king." However, while the king may live on, the singer is left to wonder where they fit in. The king is long gone, and there is no place for the singer in the world they find themselves in. The second verse imagines being an eagle, being able to fly to the person they love, or being the sun, so that the person they love can see them no matter where they are. Despite time moving quickly and the person they love being far away, the singer finds solace in their dreams, where the person they love is with them.
Overall, the lyrics to Rosenstolz's Es Lebe Der König are a poignant depiction of the feeling of loneliness and isolation when someone you love is not with you. The imagery of being lost at sea and contemplating being a thinker or a seaman speak the feeling of being unmoored, while the chorus emphasizes the sense of displacement that can come from feeling like you don't have a place in the world.
Line by Line Meaning
Wenn ich ein Denker wär',
schrieb' ich jetzt ein Buch
If I were a philosopher, I would write a book right now
könnt' ich Seemann sein,
ging' ich jetzt an Deck
If I could be a sailor, I would go up on deck right now
die Nacht ist kalt
und du weit weg
die Wellen hoch
das Schiff ist leck
The night is cold, you are far away, the waves are high, the ship is leaking
Es lebe der König,
doch wo bleibe ich
der König ist längst fort
doch kein Platz für mich
Long live the king, but where do I fit in? The king is long gone but there's no place for me
Wenn ich ein Adler wär',
wär' ich längst bei dir
wenn ich die Sonne wär',
könntest du mich seh'n
If I were an eagle, I would have flown to you already. If I were the sun, you could see me
die Zeit lief' schnell
und du mit ihr
doch wenn ich träum' bist du bei mir
Time went by quickly and so did you, but when I dream, you are with me
Es lebe...
Long live...
Contributed by Taylor V. Suggest a correction in the comments below.