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.
Immer noch verrückt nach all den Jahren
Udo Lindenberg Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
letzte Nacht - wir haben uns sehr gefreut
zehn Jahre hatten wir uns nicht gesehn
und ich goß ihr Drinks ins Dekolleté
und wühlte wild in ihren Haaren
und sie sagte:
Du bist ja immer noch so verrückt -
immer noch crazy nach all den Jahren
An nächsten Nachmittag
hab ich sie besucht auf 'n Tee
ihr Mann ist der Kaffeekönig
von der Elbchaussee
doch dann bin ich mit ihren Teenie-Töchtern
so richtig abgefahren
und sie schmiss mich raus
ich wäre zu verrückt
immer noch crazy nach all den Jahren
Und wenn ich sechzig bin
bin ich zwar
ein graumelierter Rock-Opa
wenn's geht ohne Kalkwerk im Kopf
und dann spring' ich auf die Bühne
und zeig' den Jungs
wie wild die Siebziger waren
und sie sagen: Ganz schön verrückt -
immer noch crazy nach all den Jahren
In Udo Lindenberg's song Immer noch verrückt nach all den Jahren, the singer shares his encounter with a woman he had not seen in ten years. The singer meets her again and they are both happy to see each other. He pours drinks down her cleavage and playfully tugs at her hair. She then remarks that he is still crazy after all these years. The next day, the singer visits the woman for tea, and discovers that she is now married to the coffee king of Elbchaussee. However, the singer becomes smitten with her teenage daughters and the woman kicks him out, feeling as though he is still too crazy after all these years. In the final verse, the singer imagines himself as a retired rockstar who can still jump onstage and show the young folks how wild things were in the 70s.
Line by Line Meaning
Ich traf sie wieder letzte Nacht - wir haben uns sehr gefreut
After being apart for ten years, I met her again last night and we were very happy to see each other
Zehn Jahre hatten wir uns nicht gesehn und ich goß ihr Drinks ins Dekolleté
We had not seen each other for ten years and I poured drinks down her cleavage
Und wühlte wild in ihren Haaren und sie sagte:
I played with her hair and she remarked,
Du bist ja immer noch so verrückt - immer noch crazy nach all den Jahren
You are still so crazy after all these years
Am nächsten Nachmittag hab ich sie besucht auf 'n Tee
The next afternoon, I visited her for a cup of tea
Ihr Mann ist der Kaffeekönig von der Elbchaussee
Her husband is the king of coffee on the Elbe river
Doch dann bin ich mit ihren Teenie-Töchtern so richtig abgefahren
But then I got along really well with her teenage daughters
Und sie schmiss mich raus ich wäre zu verrückt
And she kicked me out, saying I was too crazy
Immer noch crazy nach all den Jahren
Still crazy after all these years
Und wenn ich sechzig bin bin ich zwar ein graumelierter Rock-Opa
When I'm sixty, I'll be a graying rock grandpa
Wenn's geht ohne Kalkwerk im Kopf
If possible, without any mental decline
Und dann spring' ich auf die Bühne und zeig' den Jungs
And then I'll jump on stage and show the boys
Wie wild die Siebziger waren
How wild the seventies were
Und sie sagen: Ganz schön verrückt - immer noch crazy nach all den Jahren
And they'll say, 'Pretty crazy - still crazy after all these years'
Contributed by Isaac J. Suggest a correction in the comments below.