Udo Jürgens (born Udo Jürgen Bockelmann; 30 September 1934 – 21 December 20… Read Full Bio ↴Udo Jürgens (born Udo Jürgen Bockelmann; 30 September 1934 – 21 December 2014) was an Austrian-Swiss composer and singer of popular music whose career spanned over fifty years. He won the Eurovision Song Contest 1966 for Austria, composed close to 1,000 songs, and sold over 100 million records. In 2007 he additionally obtained Swiss citizenship.

He is credited with broadening German-language pop music beyond the traditional postwar "Schlager" (hit song) in the 1950s by infusing it with a modern pop appeal and French chanson style. His compositions and arrangements attracted fans of all ages. Until his death at age 80 he continued to fill venues in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland.

Career
In 1952 Udo Bolan, as he was called then, formed the Udo Bolan Quartet In Klagenfurt, Austria appearing regularly at the Café Obelisk in Klagenfurt with Englishman Johnny Richards on drums, Klaus Behmel on guitar and Bruno Geiger on Bass. The quartet played regularly at various dance and jazz venues and also broadcast on Radio Alpenland and the British Forces Radio network produced by Mike Fior.

In 1950, he won a composer contest organized by Austria's public broadcasting channel ORF with the song "Je t'aime". He wrote the 1961 worldwide hit "Reach for the Stars", sung by Shirley Bassey.

In 1964, he represented Austria for the first time at the Eurovision Song Contest 1964 with the song "Warum nur, warum[/trackUdo Jürgens]?", finishing sixth. The UK participant, Matt Monro, was impressed with the melody and covered the song (with English lyrics by his manager Don Black) as "Walk Away," which reached number four in the UK Singles Chart and number 23 in the US Billboard Hot 100 chart.

Jürgens' song "Sag ihr, ich lass sie grüßen" came fourth in 1965's contest, and on his third try he won the Eurovision Song Contest 1966 in Luxembourg with "Merci, Chérie", which became an English-language hit for Vince Hill, another cover by Monro, and one of Jürgens' most recognized compositions. Jürgens' version alone sold over one million copies, and he was awarded a gold disc by Deutsche Vogue in 1966.

In the following years, he wrote the songs, like "Griechischer Wein", "Aber bitte mit Sahne", "Mit 66 Jahren", and — one of his biggest successes — "Buenos Días, Argentina", which he performed together with the Germany national football team in 1978.

In 1977, he invited The Supremes to appear as guests on his televised and recorded gala concert. The Supremes (Mary Wilson, Scherrie Payne, and Susaye Green), who were on a brief farewell tour of Europe at the time, performed two of their own hits, "You Are the Heart of Me" and "You're My Driving Wheel", as well as a duet with Jürgens' "Walk Away" in English.

In 1979, he released a disco album entitled Udo '80. It produced a hit song "Ich weiß was ich will". This song was also released as a 12 inch disco single in an extended remix for discothèques.

On 2 December 2007, the jukebox musical "Ich war noch niemals in New York" ("I've never been to New York") opened in Hamburg's Operettenhaus. It weaves songs by Jürgens into a familial storyline, similar to the treatment of ABBA songs in "Mamma Mia!", the musical it succeeded at the venue.

Since 2015, Udo Jürgens holds the worldwide-record as the artist with the longest presence in the charts ever - more than 57 years from his first entry 1958 till 2015.

Death
On 21 December 2014, Jürgens died of acute heart failure in Münsterlingen, Switzerland at the age of 80. With Austria's success at the 2014 Eurovision Song Contest, the first since Jürgens' success in 1966, Jürgens expressed his interest in performing in the interval of the next contest. With his death, the organisers of the 2015 contest in Vienna paid tribute to him with a tribute day on 20 May and a tribute act at the beginning of the Grand Final.

Studio albums
1965 Portrait in Musik
1966 Françoise und Udo
1967 Was ich dir sagen will
1967 Portrait in Musik II
1967 International
1967 Chansons
1968 Udo Jürgens
1968 Mein Lied für dich
1968 Udo
1969 Portrait International
1969 Udo '70
1970 Udo '71
1971 So weit die Züge geh'n
1971 Jonny & Jenny
1972 Ich bin wieder da
1973 Es ist Zeit für die Liebe
1973 International 2
1973 Jonny & Jenny - Alle Kinder dieser Welt
1973 New World of Udo Jürgens
1974 Udo heute
1974 Meine Lieder
1975 Griechischer Wein - Seine neuen Lieder
1975 Griechischer Wein
1975 Udo '75 - Ein neuer Morgen
1976 Meine Lieder 2
1977 Meine Lieder '77
1977 Lieder, die auf Reisen gehen
1978 Buenos dias, Argentina
1978 Nur ein Lächeln
1979 Die Blumen blüh'n überall gleich
1979 Udo '80
1981 Willkommen in meinem Leben
1981 Leave a Little Love
1982 Silberstreifen
1983 Traumtänzer
1984 Hautnah
1985 Treibjagd
1986 Deinetwegen
1988 Das blaue Album
1989 Ohne Maske
1990 Sempre Roma
1991 Geradeaus!
1993 Café Größenwahn
1995 Zärtlicher Chaot
1999 Ich werde da sein
2002 Es lebe das Laster
2005 Jetzt oder nie
2008 Einfach ich
2011 Der ganz normale Wahnsinn
2014 Mitten im Leben

Stille Nacht
Udo Jürgens Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Mit dir zu leben ist nicht möglich.
Mich von dir trennen kann ich nicht.
Das Warten ist oft kaum erträglich.
Das Glück ist ein Augenblick.

Erst hast du geweint in meinen Armen,
dann auf einmal bewachst du meinen Schlaf.
Die Nacht ein Wunder.

Wir - unendlich nah.

Stille Nacht - Stille Nacht
Im Dunkeln sind die Träume wahr.
Stille Nacht - Stille Nacht
Die Wirklichkeit
versinkt im Meer
der Stillen Nacht

Am Anfang wollten wir uns wehren.
Jetzt wollen wir uns nicht verlieren,
wenn wir uns auch niemals ganz gehören.
Das Glück ist ein Augenblick.

Ich will nicht mehr an morgen denken.
Hautnah nur deine Wärme spür'n.
Für ein paar Stunden
mehr - als dich berühr'n.

Stille Nacht - Stille Nacht...

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Udo Jürgens's song Stille Nacht convey the tumultuous emotions and bittersweet feeling of being in love with someone, but knowing that the relationship cannot last. The singer laments that living without the person is impossible, and that the waiting for their return is unbearable. Despite the pain, the moments they share together are filled with magical intimacy - from holding each other and crying, to lying together and sleeping. The chorus of "Stille Nacht" represents a moment of stillness, where dreams can be fulfilled and reality fades away. The singer acknowledges that they can never belong completely to each other, but that they don't want to lose what they have. The song ultimately captures the paradoxical and elusive nature of love.

Line by Line Meaning

Mit dir zu leben ist nicht möglich.
Living without you is impossible.

Mich von dir trennen kann ich nicht.
I cannot separate from you.

Das Warten ist oft kaum erträglich.
The waiting is often unbearable.

Das Glück ist ein Augenblick.
Happiness is just a moment.

Erst hast du geweint in meinen Armen,
At first, you cried in my arms,

dann auf einmal bewachst du meinen Schlaf.
Then suddenly, you watched over my sleep.

Die Nacht ein Wunder.
The night was a miracle.

Wir - unendlich nah.
We were infinitely close.

Stille Nacht - Stille Nacht
Silent night - Silent night

Im Dunkeln sind die Träume wahr.
In the darkness, dreams come true.

Stille Nacht - Stille Nacht
Silent night - Silent night