Tocotronic is a German rock band formed in 1993. Similar to Blumfeld or Die… Read Full Bio ↴Tocotronic is a German rock band formed in 1993. Similar to Blumfeld or Die Sterne, Tocotronic not only innovated German language rock music, but also inspired a number of later bands, such as Wir sind Helden. Their influence on pop culture is widespread, from fashion (Tocotronic made the combination of 1970s style track suit tops with cheap second-hand ad-shirts famous in Germany) to the playful and weird look of their early records.

Tocotronic are from Hamburg and are released on L'Age D'Or, together with Die Sterne - forming the so-called Hamburger Schule ("Hamburg school"). However, they dislike this classification; they rather like to see their music as "discursive-rock", which emphasizes their rather intellectual approach to pop music.
Despite having never been overly commercially successful - only "Schall & Wahn" made it to the top of the German charts, most other albums merely in the top 5-, Tocotronic have a steady fanbase in Germany and their records have been reviewed in mainstream newspapers and music magazines alike.
The band members are bassist Jan Müller, drummer Arne Zank, and guitarist and singer Dirk von Lowtzow. Starting with the album "Pure Vernunft darf niemals siegen" a second guitarist and keyboard player, Rick McPhail, has joined the band. He used to play with Tocotronic at live shows before.

Discography:

Studio Albums:
* Digital ist besser (1995) (Digital is better)
* Nach der verlorenen Zeit (1995) (After the lost time)
* Wir kommen um uns zu beschweren (1996) (We're Coming To Complain)
* Es ist egal, aber (1997) (It Doesn't Matter, But)
* K.O.O.K. (1999)
* Tocotronic (2002)
* Pure Vernunft darf niemals siegen (2005) (Pure Reason Must Never Prevail)
* Kapitulation (2007)
* Schall & Wahn (2010)
* Wie wir leben wollen (2013)
* Tocotronic (Das rote Album) (2015)
* Die Unendlichkeit (2018)

1993
Tocotronic Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴

1993
1993

1993 war das Jahr
In dem ich nach Hamburg kam
In dem ich Kontakt aufnahm

1993 war das Jahr

In dem ich dich zurückgelassen hab'
In der Diaspora

1993
1993

1993 war das Jahr
In dem ich mich blutig schlug
Weil ich vom Tresen flog

1993 war das Jahr
Ich lief halb tot, die Haare im Gesicht
Der Wind von Altona

1993
1993
1993
Es war 1993

Austritt aus der Stille
Ausbruch aus der Falle
Ausfahrt aus der Hölle
Aus der Schwarzwaldhölle

1993
1993

1993
Es war 1993

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Tocotronic's song "1993" reflect a profound sense of nostalgia and reflection on the events that transpired in the year 1993. The repeated refrain of "1993" serves as a marker in time, emphasizing the significance of that specific year in the singer's life. The opening lines mention the year 1993 as the time when the singer arrived in Hamburg and made significant connections, highlighting a sense of new beginnings and opportunities.

As the lyrics progress, there is a contrasting theme of leaving someone behind ("In dem ich dich zurückgelassen hab'"), possibly referring to a relationship that ended or a person who was important but had to be left behind for personal growth. The mention of "Diaspora" hints at feelings of displacement and longing, indicating a sense of loss and separation that defined that period of time for the singer.

The subsequent verses delve into more turbulent experiences, such as getting into fights and facing physical harm ("In dem ich mich blutig schlug / Weil ich vom Tresen flog"). The imagery of running half-dead with hair in the face, while being in Altona and feeling the wind, conveys a vivid sense of chaos and struggle that characterized the year 1993 for the singer. It reflects a time of reckoning and perhaps a turning point in their life.

The final lines of the song shift towards a more abstract and introspective tone, referencing an "Ausritt aus der Stille" (exit from silence), an "Ausbruch aus der Falle" (breakout from the trap), an "Ausfahrt aus der Hölle" (exit from hell), and an "Aus der Schwarzwaldhölle" (out of the Black Forest hell). These phrases symbolize a sense of liberation, escape, and transformation that took place in 1993. The repeated insistence on the year serves as a focal point for processing and coming to terms with the past, indicating that 1993 was a pivotal moment that shaped the singer's identity and experiences in profound ways.

Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Dirk von Lowtzow, Jan Klaas Mueller, Arne Zank

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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