The Bates were a Eschwege, Germany based Punk Rock band that was primarily … Read Full Bio ↴The Bates were a Eschwege, Germany based Punk Rock band that was primarily known for their numerous cover versions. The group's name refers to the person Norman Bates from Hitchcock's movie Psycho.

They existed from 1987 until 2001 and "founded at a time in which it was said that punk rock is dead, remaining always faithful to their style" (Trini Trimpop, Power Vision Festival in October 1995.) The band's Punk rock attitude is often pure, although the lyrics are about love, pain and longing.

The Bates published alongside original compositions on each of their albums at least two cover versions. Due to the fact that the cover versions arrived very well, the band released in 2000, an album that only included foreign compositions from different styles, which were presented in a completely new, Bates typical style - by the Beatles (Helter Skelter) and the Rolling Stones (Out of Time) on Sailor (Glass of Champagne) and Aneka (Japanese Boy) to Eiffel 65 (Blue). The highest chart placement of a single was number 10 in Switzerland for the Michael Jackson cover version of "Billie Jean".

In 2001, the band broke up, allegedly over disputes over the consumption of alcohol by singer / bassist and frontman Markus "Zimbl" Zimmer . Zimbl continued to record two solo albums and a side project until his death, and were released unprofessionally in small quantities and as a consequence are long out of print.

Zimbl died in his apartment on 18 June 2006, caused by a circulatory collapse, as a result of long-standing alcohol and drug addiction. In December 2006, the 3-CD compilation "A Tribute to Zimbl - Rocking on heaven's door appeared as an obituary. The proceeds of the tribute CD went to foundations in the fight against drugs.

The band, as well as family and friends Zimmer, organized a honour to him on 28 December 2006, the so-called Zimbl tribute "Rocking on heaven's door". This is also where the filming of the documentary "Zimbl - a real cool time" by Sascha Nölke occurred. Again, the entrance fees were used by the organization "Global care" to make a donation.

Not Like You
The Bates Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

I am happy you are sad
I am good and you are bad
I don't wanna be like you oh no

I am thin and you are fat
I am straight and you are mad
I don't wanna be like you oh no

I don't wanna be you brother
It's not hard for me to know
and I don't wanna fuck your mother oh no
OH NO

You are short and I am long
You are weak and I am strong
I don't wanna be like you oh no
I am night and you are day
Boy get out of my way
and I don't wanna be like you oh no

I don't wanna be you brother
It's not hard for me to know
and I don't wanna fuck your mother oh no
OH NO
(Instrumental)

I don't wanna be you brother
It's not hard for me to know
and I don't wanna fuck your mother oh no
OH NO

I DON`T WANNA BE LIKE YOU
(I DON`T WANNA BE LIKE YOU)
I DON`T WANNA BE LIKE YOU
(NOT LIKE YOU! NOT LIKE YOU!)
I DON`T WANNA BE LIKE YOU
(I DON`T WANNA BE LIKE YOU)

I DON`T WANNA BE LIKE YOU
OH NO

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of The Bates's song Not Like You appear to be about someone who wants to distance themselves from another person whom they view as inferior. It's as if the singer is saying, "I don't want to be associated with you because you don't meet my standards." They list a series of qualities and characteristics that the other person possesses, like being sad, bad, fat, or mad, and they contrast them with their own qualities, like being happy, good, thin, or straight. The chorus emphasizes this feeling by repeating, "I don't wanna be like you oh no."

The line that goes, "I don't wanna be you brother," could be interpreted as the singer saying that they don't want to be related to the other person, possibly implying that they want to distance themselves from their own family or tribe. The line that goes, "and I don't wanna f*** your mother oh no" is a vulgar insult and implies that the other person's family members are not desirable to the singer.

The overall feeling one gets from the lyrics is that the singer is trying to establish a sense of superiority by distancing themselves from others. The lyrics can be interpreted as a comment on people's desire to create an identity that is separate from others, often through negative differentiation. In short, the song is about a person who has a strong sense of identity and is willing to separate themselves from others to maintain it.

Line by Line Meaning

I am happy you are sad
I feel joyous that you are feeling unhappy

I am good and you are bad
I consider myself inherently better than you

I don't wanna be like you oh no
I have no interest in emulating you

I am thin and you are fat
I am physically slender while you are overweight

I am straight and you are mad
I am emotionally stable while you are angry

I don't wanna be like you oh no
I have no inclination to copy your behaviors

I don't wanna be you brother
I have no desire to be your sibling

It's not hard for me to know
It's easy for me to understand this

and I don't wanna fuck your mother oh no
I have no sexual interest in your mother

You are short and I am long
You are physically small while I am tall

You are weak and I am strong
You are lacking in strength while I possess it