He is married and has a daughter (born 2003) and a son. The family lives with other musicians in M.A.R.S ("Moderne Anstalt Rigoroser Spakker"), a rural commune near Daun in the Eifel region, where they aim to live "a peaceful, spiritually oriented, artistically spontaneous, and vegetarian healthy lifestyle." The M.A.R.S. residents also operate their own music label, Haus Erika Productions.
Career
Thomas D is a member of the successful German hip-hop and rap group Die Fantastischen Vier. In addition, he has achieved success as a solo artist under the stage name Thomas D with his albums Solo (1997) and Lektionen in Demut (2001). Some of his best-known tracks include "Rückenwind," "Frisör," "Liebesbrief," and "Solo" (with Nina Hagen), as well as the song "Wish" sung with Franka Potente from the film "Run Lola Run." His solo releases are known for their profound lyrics with philosophical content. He also attempted a rap incorporating several poems by Schiller and Goethe. In addition to Die Fantastischen Vier, Thomas D was also the singer and lyricist of the band , which achieved chart success in 2002 with the song "Alle für Jeden" from the album "Crashkurs."
In spring 2005, Thomas D became a mentor for the rap project "Junge Dichter und Denker." On September 12, 2008, he released his third solo album "Kennzeichen D." The first single from the new album, "Get On Board," was released in August. The second single, "Vergiftet im Schlaf," which was featured in the credits of the film "The Day the Earth Stood Still," was released on December 5, 2008. Around Christmas 2004, Thomas D and his family were in the Thai holiday region of Khao Lak when the devastating Indian Ocean tsunami occurred. "We were swept four and a half kilometers inland and survived; it's a miracle," Thomas D said four years after the disaster. He and his family survived the wave practically unscathed. He only made public his near-victim status of the tsunami in 2008, in connection with the album "Kennzeichen D," on which the song "An alle Hinterbliebenen" is found.
In December 2008, Thomas D appeared alongside Smudo as a spokesperson for World of Warcraft. In the summer of 2010, he, on behalf of Deutsche Telekom, searched for singers for his new song. This was released in mid-November under the title "7 Seconds." In 2011, Thomas D was the jury president of the show "Unser Star für Baku," a casting show to select the German participant for the Eurovision Song Contest 2012.
Social and Environmental Engagement
Thomas D is a vegetarian and has been largely vegan since 2013. He supports the animal rights organization PETA but received criticism when he endorsed their controversial "Holocaust comparison" in 2003. Together with animal rights artist and illustrator Roland Straller, he developed the concept for an "Avenging Animals Collection" named "Ich bin da – the VIP-Collection" in 2008. Thomas D is also involved in climate and environmental protection. At the Protestant Church Congress 2009 in Bremen, he gave a concert for Bread for the World on the theme "For Justice and Against Climate Change." His song "Gebet an den Planet" (Prayer to the Planet) also addresses this issue. Since July 2013, Thomas D has been hosting the information program "Wissen vor acht – Natur" (Knowledge before eight – Nature) on ARD.
On September 17, 2015, Thomas D, along with Til Schweiger, Sigmar Gabriel, Jogi Löw, and other celebrities, announced the founding of the Til Schweiger Foundation, in which he, along with others, intends to advocate for the needs of refugee children and other socially disadvantaged children and adolescents. According to his own statement, Dürr has already contributed €100,000. The first project is planned to support a reception center in Osnabrück.
Discography
Solo (1965)
Lektionen in Demut (2001)
Kennzeichen D (2008)
Lektionen in Demut 11.0 (2011)
Aufstieg und Fall des Tommy Blank (2013)
M.A.R.S Sessions (2021)
Ride On
Thomas D Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Ihr kamt von Hinten, wollt nach Vorn
Sich selbst zu finden hilft enorm
Ride On
Ward himmelhoch und ziemlich unten
Habt immer noch kein Ziel gefunden
Kein Schimmer noch wie viele Runden
Über'n Berg in jedem Tal
Mal drüber weg nicht jedes Mal
Denn Sinn und Zweck bleibt abgefahr'n
Ride On
Aus der Bahn, wir entgleisen
Abgefahr'n, wie wir reisen
Ganz normal, wir sind gut drin
Achterbahn, ab in 'n Looping
Wenn ihr widersteht geht der Weg hin und wieder verlor'n
Und wenn gar nichts geht, ja dann dreht und geht wieder nach vorn!
Ich rühr mir meine Mischung an
Bin zwischen Yin mit 'n bischen Yang
Bringt frischen Wind wir zischen dann
Ride On
Die Straßen war'n sich selbst genug
Auf Gras zu fahr'n ein Selbstversuch
Vollgas Alarm tat selten gut
Ride On
Ich anker hier auf Partyspur
Ich danke Tier und der Natur
ich kann nicht tanken, fahrt ihr nur
Ride On
Aus der Bahn, wir entgleisen
Abgefahr'n, wie wir reisen
Ganz normal, wir sind gut drin
Achterbahn, ab in 'n Looping
Aus der Bahn, wir entgleisen
Abgefahr'n, wie wir reisen
Mach's nochmal, du bist gut drin
Achterbahn, ab in 'n Looping
Wenn ihr widersteht geht der Weg hin und wieder verlor'n
Und wenn gar nichts geht, ja dann dreht und geht wieder nach vorn!
Ride on and on TD GMBG like ying and yang
From east to west and coast to coast freeweelin' that's our thing
Have no regrets it ain't no use cause what you did is done
You don't look back just up ahead
Ride On
Aus der Bahn, wir entgleisen
Abgefahr'n, wie wir reisen
Ganz normal, wir sind gut drin
Achterbahn, ab in 'n Looping
Aus der Bahn, wir entgleisen
Abgefahr'n, wie wir reisen
Ganz normal, wir sind gut drin
Achterbahn, ab in 'n Looping
Aus der Bahn, wir entgleisen
Abgefahr'n, wie wir reisen
Mach's nochmal, du bist gut drin
Achterbahn, ab in 'n Looping
Aus der Bahn, wir entgleisen
Abgefahr'n, wie wir reisen
Ganz normal, wir sind gut drin
Achterbahn, ab in 'n Looping
...
The song Ride On by Thomas D is about the journey of life and the struggles one faces while trying to find oneself. The chorus, "Ride On," is a call to keep going and not give up in the face of struggle or hardship. The first verse alludes to the fact that people often start out in one direction with one plan in mind, but their journey takes them in a completely different direction. The second verse speaks to feeling lost and not knowing where one is going, but still pushing forward. The lines, "Ward himmelhoch und ziemlich unten / Habt immer noch kein Ziel gefunden" (Reached high, been low / Still haven't found a goal), communicate this idea.
Throughout the song, there is a sense of not knowing what the future holds, but embracing the journey anyway. The line, "Wenn ihr widersteht geht der Weg hin und wieder verlor'n / Und wenn gar nichts geht, ja dann dreht und geht wieder nach vorn!" (If you resist, the path will sometimes become lost / And when nothing else works, turn around and go forward again!) speaks to the idea that sometimes one has to change course and try again.
In conclusion, the song Ride On is a motivational call to keep going, even when the road ahead seems uncertain. It encourages listeners to embrace the journey and persevere through any obstacles they may face.
Line by Line Meaning
Ihr ward im Süden, wollt nach Norden
You were in the south and wanted to go north
Ihr kamt von Hinten, wollt nach Vorn
You came from behind and wanted to go forward
Sich selbst zu finden hilft enorm
Finding oneself helps tremendously
Ward himmelhoch und ziemlich unten
Went sky high and then way down low
Habt immer noch kein Ziel gefunden
Still haven't found a goal
Kein Schimmer noch wie viele Runden
No idea how many rounds
Über'n Berg in jedem Tal
Over every mountain and in every valley
Mal drüber weg nicht jedes Mal
Sometimes getting over it and sometimes not
Denn Sinn und Zweck bleibt abgefahr'n
Because the sense and purpose remains elusive
Aus der Bahn, wir entgleisen
Off the rails, we derail
Abgefahr'n, wie wir reisen
Crazy, how we travel
Ganz normal, wir sind gut drin
Completely normal, we're good at it
Achterbahn, ab in 'n Looping
Roller coaster, off into a loop
Wenn ihr widersteht geht der Weg hin und wieder verlor'n
If you resist, the path is lost from time to time
Und wenn gar nichts geht, ja dann dreht und geht wieder nach vorn!
And if nothing works, then turn around and go forward again!
Ich rühr mir meine Mischung an
I mix my own concoction
Bin zwischen Yin mit 'n bischen Yang
I'm between yin with a little yang
Bringt frischen Wind wir zischen dann
Brings fresh wind, we then whoosh
Die Straßen war'n sich selbst genug
The streets were enough in themselves
Auf Gras zu fahr'n ein Selbstversuch
Driving on grass is an experiment in itself
Vollgas Alarm tat selten gut
Full throttle rarely did good
Ich anker hier auf Partyspur
I anchor here on the party track
Ich danke Tier und der Natur
I thank animals and nature
ich kann nicht tanken, fahrt ihr nur
I can't fill up, you just drive
Ride on and on TD GMBG like ying and yang
Ride on and on TD GMBG like ying and yang
From east to west and coast to coast freeweelin' that's our thing
From east to west and coast to coast freeweeling is our thing
Have no regrets it ain't no use cause what you did is done
Have no regrets, it's no use because what you did is done
You don't look back just up ahead
You don't look back, just ahead
Aus der Bahn, wir entgleisen
Off the rails, we derail
Abgefahr'n, wie wir reisen
Crazy, how we travel
Mach's nochmal, du bist gut drin
Do it again, you're good at it
Achterbahn, ab in 'n Looping
Roller coaster, off into a loop
Contributed by Jacob W. Suggest a correction in the comments below.