Lindenberg (born May 17, 1946 in Gronau) started his musical career as a dr… Read Full Bio ↴Lindenberg (born May 17, 1946 in Gronau) started his musical career as a drummer. In 1969 Lindenberg founded his first band Free Orbit and also appeared as a studio and guest musician (with Michael Naura, Knut Kiesewetter). In 1970 he collaborated as a drummer with jazz-saxophonist Klaus Doldinger in Munich. In 1971, a band founded by Lindenberg, Passport put out its first album, with Lindenberg on drums. He also played drums for the theme music for the German TV series Tatort. The first LP of the Jazz rock group Emergency was released in 1971 but met with little commercial success.

The LP Lindenberg (also 1971, and sung in English, already with Steffi Stephan on bass) was likewise unsuccessful. In the following year, the fist LP in German was released: Daumen im Wind (produced by Lindenberg and Thomas Kukuck, who also produced the next five albums together), from which the single "Hoch im Norden" became a radio hit in northern Germany. The year 1973 brought a breakthrough with the album Andrea Doria and its catchy "Alles klar auf der Andrea Doria" and "Cello". Over 100,000 copies sold, and Lindenberg quickly received the largest record deal of any German-language musician up to that time. Lindenberg was earning a special place in the new German-language music of the 70s: Between internationally-oriented Krautrock and pop music, he found his niche. German-language rock had previously been confined to predominantly political message bands whose music was directed at a narrow audience.

Lindenbergs brash style, everyday subject matter ("Bei Onkel Pö…") and his feel for language were an unprecedented combination in German-language music. His pioneering work helped other artists such as Stefan Waggershausen and Marius Müller-Westernhagen get record deals of their own. In 1973 Lindenberg first went on tour with his Panikorchester (Panic Orchestra).

1976 was one of Udo Lindenberg's most productive years. Besides the LP Galaxo Gang he also published under the name Das Waldemar Wunderbar Syndicat I make you feel good, a first Best of Panik Udo and the first in a series of foreign-language publications No Panic, on which Lindenberg translated his songs to English. In the same year (and on another LP: Sister King Kong) with the song "Rock ’n’ Roll Arena in Jena", Lindenberg first mentioned a Panic Orchestra tour in the GDR. In 1976, Lindenberg discovered Ulla Meinecke and produced her first two albums. She was a guest artist and co-author of the 1977 LP Panische Nächte (Panic Nights) and the 1978 Dröhnland Symphonie. On Lindenbergs Rock Revue (1978) Lindenberg and Horst Königstein "Germanized" rock classics from Little Richard to The Beatles and The Rolling Stones, and went on a big tour. The Nr.-1-Hit "We Gotta Get out of This Place" was also published with German lyrics.

The subsequent Dröhnland-Symphonie-Tour was staged by Peter Zadek as a big multimedia stage show with a plethora of costumed extras. The result was Lindenbergs first live album Livehaftig. In 1979, Der Detektiv was the second Rock Revue, in which more international hits such as "Candle in the Wind" by Elton John, "Born to Be Wild" by Steppenwolf, "My Little Town" and "As Time Goes By" (from the film Casablanca) were "Germanized". Also 1997 was published "Belcanto - Udo Lindenberg & das Deutsche Filmorchester Babelsberg" which included hits like "Horizont", "Bis ans Ende der Welt" along with a song by Bertold Brecht and Udo's own interpretation of The Windmills of Your Mind - "Under the drunkard moon" ("Unterm Säufermond").

One of his most famous songs is Sonderzug nach Pankow (Special train service to Pankow), an adaptation of Chattanooga Choo Choo, released as a single on 2 February 1983. It originated from the refusal of eastern German authorities to allow Lindenberg a concert in the German Democratic Republic (GDR).

On June 3, 2011, Lindenberg performed at Kampnagel unplugged. The recording was later released as an album within the MTV unplugged series. Lindenberg was the 8th German artist in that series. The album became the second No.1 album for Lindenberg declared Platin status for 200,000 sold units after two weeks. The second single from the album "Cello" (feat. Clueso) went No.4 giving Lindenberg the highest chart position in German singles charts ever reached.

Lindenberg has worked collaboratively with various local and international recording artists (Eric Burdon, Helen Schneider, David Bowie, Tom Robinson, Keith Forsey, Gianna Nannini, and Nena) on a number of projects. He currently lives in Hamburg in the Hotel Atlantic (for several years now). His somewhat hoarse voice is the result of too much liquor and cigarettes. In 1989, he survived a heart attack. In 2010, he designed two stamps, themed on his songs "Andrea Doria" and "Sonderzug nach Pankow", for the Deutsche Post.

Chubby Checker
Udo Lindenberg Lyrics

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Helge Schneider
Aber, große Hunde können auch gefährlich sein.
Man muss immer noch eine zweite Person da haben, die einen Vorderfuß hoch hebt von dem Hund,
dann kann er nicht nach hinten austreten (haha) Dankeschön

Udo Lindenberg
Chubby Checker stellt den Wecker,
denn er muss ja mal wieder aufstehen,

In so einem Hotel muss man immer mal schnell die Korridore abgehen

Helge Schneider
Mal gucken, ob noch alles klar ist
und ob noch alles da ist
Sind die Gäste auch alle gut zugedeckt?

Udo Lindenberg
Sitzt auch keiner auf der Heizung, wenn die Heizung leckt?
Chubby Checker stellt den Wecker, verdächtiger Gast an der Rezeption

Helge Schneider
Man weiß noch nicht genau,
man ahnt noch rein ins blaue
Vielleicht ein Koksbaron? (Kennen Sie den?)
Kombiniere. Komme schon!

Refrain
Ob der Koks hat oder Shit,
irgendwas hat der doch mit

Ob der Koks hat oder Shit,
irgendwas hat der doch mit

Rex geh an den Koffer ran
Und der Drogenhund schlägt an

Wuff, wuff, wuff,...

Helge Schneider
Riech mal hier. Komm, riech. Da, such such such

Udo Lindenberg
Chubby Checker stellt den Wecker, denn er muss mal wieder gucken gehen, (darf man hier mal schauen?)
dass auch beim Sexuellen nich so lauten Schreie gellen hier durch unser Hotel,

Helge Schneider
Kein Geröchel, kein Gehechel,
in den Suiten und den Zimmern bitte immer nur wimmern

Udo Lindenberg
Sonst greift Chubby Checkker zum Telefon und die Männer von der Sitte kommen schon

Refrain
Ob der Koks hat oder Shit,
irgendwas hat der doch mit

Ob der Koks hat oder Shit,
irgendwas hat der doch mit

Rex, Rex geh an den Koffer ran
Und der Drogenhund schlägt an

Ob der Koks hat oder Shit,
irgendwas hat der doch mit

Rex (komm her) geh an den Koffer ran
Und der Drogenhund schlägt an

Fuß habe ich gesagt. Wo ist Fuß? Hier ist Fuß...

Overall Meaning

The song "Chubby Checker" by Udo Lindenberg featuring Helge Schneider is a humorous take on hotel security and the possible illicit activities that can occur within its walls. The lyrics start with Helge Schneider warning about the potential dangers of even seemingly harmless large dogs. Then, Udo Lindenberg sings about Chubby Checker, who sets his alarm to wake up and patrol the hotel corridors. They check if everything is in order and if the guests are properly tucked in. They worry about suspicious guests at the reception and the possibility of a drug lord being present. They joke about needing a dog to help sniff out any illegal substances. They end with a warning that any loud noises during sexual encounters can alert Chubby to call the police.

The song's lyrics are a nod to the rock and roll legend Chubby Checker, who is known for popularizing the dance craze "The Twist". The song is full of sarcasm and dark humor, making light of the often-harsh realities of hotel security. The erratic and playful melody is accompanied by playful barking sounds that are enjoyed by those who understand their dog language.

Line by Line Meaning

Aber, große Hunde können auch gefährlich sein.
Although large dogs can be dangerous, there should always be a second person present who can lift the front foot of the dog, so that it cannot kick backwards. Thank you.

Chubby Checker stellt den Wecker, denn er muss ja mal wieder aufstehen,
Chubby Checker sets the alarm clock because he needs to wake up again. In a hotel, you always need to walk through the corridors quickly.

Mal gucken, ob noch alles klar ist und ob noch alles da ist
Let's see if everything is still okay and if everything is still there. Are all the guests well-covered?

Sind die Gäste auch alle gut zugedeckt?
Are all the guests well-covered?

Sitzt auch keiner auf der Heizung, wenn die Heizung leckt?
Is anyone sitting on the heater when it's leaking?

verdächtiger Gast an der Rezeption
A suspicious guest at the reception.

Man weiß noch nicht genau, man ahnt noch rein ins blaue
We don't know exactly, we're just guessing at this point. Maybe it's a drug lord? (Do you know him?) Come on, let's put two and two together!

Kombiniere. Komme schon!
Let's put two and two together! Come on!

Chubby Checker stellt den Wecker, verdächtiger Gast an der Rezeption
Chubby Checker sets the alarm clock again, as there is a suspicious guest at the reception.

Riech mal hier. Komm, riech. Da, such such such
Smell here! Come on, smell. There, search, search, search!

dass auch beim Sexuellen nich so lauten Schreie gellen hier durch unser Hotel,
Make sure that during sexual activities, the cries are not too loud throughout our hotel.

Kein Geröchel, kein Gehechel, in den Suiten und den Zimmern bitte immer nur wimmern
No gasping or panting, in the suites and rooms please only whimper.

Sonst greift Chubby Checkker zum Telefon und die Männer von der Sitte kommen schon
Otherwise, Chubby Checker will pick up the phone and the police will come.

Rex geh an den Koffer ran Und der Drogenhund schlägt an Wuff, wuff, wuff,...
Rex, go check the suitcase and the drug dog will bark. Woof woof woof...

Fuß habe ich gesagt. Wo ist Fuß? Hier ist Fuß...
I said foot. Where is the foot? Here is the foot...

Contributed by Micah W. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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