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.
Father
Udo Lindenberg Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
He was a violinist in Berlin's most popular cabaret
"You watched the tide turn dirty brown
weren't you afraid you were gonna drown
in your orchestrapit
while sailorgirls sang through the night
those silly lovesongs in the limelight
how could you stand it?"
Bert Brecht already left the land
from cabarets so many had been banned
the first had been killed by the crowd
you couldn't hear the music was too loud
you should have sold your violin
or traded it in for a gun
rather than fiddling the refrain
doing cocaine and charming ev'ryone
You should have killed Hitler
you know you would have been right
why didn't you fight?
You should have killed Hitler
you didn't see behind the curtain
you didn't try to stop that show
was it so nice your Third-Reich-paradise
where the sailorgirls sang: Deutschland, Deutschland über alles
tralala, wunderbar
no panic on the Titanic
you should have sold your violin
or traded it in for a gun
rather than fiddling the refrain
doing cocaine and charming ev'ryone
You should have killed Hitler
you know you would have been right
why didn't you fight?
You should have killed Hitler
hey dad, you didn't see behind the curtain
you didn't try to stop that show
was it so nice your Third-Reich-paradise
where the sailorgirls sang:
Deutschland, Deutschland über alles
tralala, wunderbar
no panic on the Titanic
feel alright - what a night
no panic on the Titanic
more champagne - more cocaine
no panic on the Titanic
what a night - out of sight
no panic on the Titanic
tralala, wunderbar
no panic...
The song "Father" by Udo Lindenberg is a poignant tribute to the artist's father, who used to be a violinist in the Berlin cabarets just before the Second World War. In the first verse, Lindenberg sings about the rising tide of Nazi sentiment in Germany during the 1930s, with sailorgirls singing "silly lovesongs" in the limelight. He wonders how his father "could stand it" and not be afraid of drowning in what was becoming an increasingly dangerous and repressive environment for artists, free thinkers, and minorities. Lindenberg describes how his father should have sold his violin or traded it in for a gun and taken a more active role in opposing the Third Reich.
The chorus of the song is the most powerful part, where Lindenberg directly confronts his father about his choices. He laments that his father didn't see behind the curtain of propaganda and lies that were driving the Nazi party, and didn't try to stop the show. He condemns his father's inaction and laments that he didn't take the opportunity to kill Hitler when he had a chance, when he "knows [his father] would have been right". The song is a powerful reminder that we can all do more to oppose authoritarianism and defend our democracy, even if that means making difficult choices and sacrifices.
Line by Line Meaning
My father lived in Germany before the war in 1933
The singer is establishing the time period in which their father lived in Germany.
He was a violinist in Berlin's most popular cabaret
The singer's father worked as a violinist in a popular cabaret in Berlin.
"You watched the tide turn dirty brown
weren't you afraid you were gonna drown
in your orchestrapit
while sailorgirls sang through the night
those silly lovesongs in the limelight
how could you stand it?"
The singer is questioning their father's decision to continue playing his violin in the cabaret despite the increasingly toxic and dangerous atmosphere around him.
Bert Brecht already left the land
from cabarets so many had been banned
the first had been killed by the crowd
you couldn't hear the music was too loud
The artist is referencing the exodus of many artists, including Bertolt Brecht, from Germany due to the rise of the Nazi party and the dangerous environment for those who spoke out against them.
you should have sold your violin
or traded it in for a gun
rather than fiddling the refrain
doing cocaine and charming ev'ryone
The artist is criticizing their father's decision to continue playing music in the cabaret while not taking a stronger stance against the Nazi regime.
You should have killed Hitler
you know you would have been right
why didn't you fight?
The singer is expressing frustration with their father's inaction in the face of the atrocities committed by Hitler and the Nazi party.
You should have killed Hitler
you didn't see behind the curtain
you didn't try to stop that show
was it so nice your Third-Reich-paradise
where the sailorgirls sang: Deutschland, Deutschland über alles
tralala, wunderbar
no panic on the Titanic
The singer is accusing their father of not looking deeper into the situation in Germany and not doing enough to try and stop the fascist regime from taking over the country.
you should have sold your violin
or traded it in for a gun
rather than fiddling the refrain
doing cocaine and charming ev'ryone
The artist reiterates their criticism of their father's decision to continue playing music in the cabaret and not taking a more active stance against the Nazis.
You should have killed Hitler
you know you would have been right
why didn't you fight?
The artist repeats their frustration with their father's inaction and lack of resistance against Hitler and the Third Reich.
hey dad, you didn't see behind the curtain
you didn't try to stop that show
was it so nice your Third-Reich-paradise
where the sailorgirls sang:
Deutschland, Deutschland über alles
tralala, wunderbar
no panic on the Titanic
The artist is addressing their father directly, accusing him of being complicit in the rise of the Nazi party by not doing more to resist their takeover and blind to the realities of the Third Reich.
more champagne - more cocaine
no panic on the Titanic
what a night - out of sight
no panic on the Titanic
tralala, wunderbar
no panic...
The singer uses ironic and sarcastic language to convey that while their father and others in the cabaret may have been enjoying themselves and not panicking during Hitler's rise to power, the situation was much more dire than they realized and their inaction was contributing to the success of the fascist regime.
Contributed by Tristan A. Suggest a correction in the comments below.