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.
New York
Udo Lindenberg Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
manchmal lieb ich dich
manchmal hass ich dich
Irrenhaus, Lustmaschine, Brandruine
du reckst deinen Schizokopf in die Wolken rein
doch unterm weißen Smoking
bist du dreckig wie ein Schwein
überm Hudson seh
Leben aus den Vollen
wenn ich am Broadway steh
du bist Sehnsucht und Utopia
Paradies und Untergang
schön wie 'n Brillant von Tiffany
und unheilbar krank
und ich kauf mir 'n Paar Flügel
und fliege die Skyline entlang
New York, ich streun so gerne
durch deine tiefen Straßenschluchten
ich seh Superstars, die löffeln Kaviar
und saufen Champagner im Waldorf Astoria
doch ein paar Blocks um die Ecke
und schon siehst du die Endstation
ein Negerkind verhungert in Harlem ...
The lyrics to Udo Lindenberg's "New York" describe the singer's complicated relationship with the city of New York. Lindenberg's love for the city is expressed through his awe of its skyscrapers and bustling energy, which he compares to a "Lustmaschine"--or pleasure machine. He also relishes the feeling of living life to the fullest when standing on Broadway, where he can bask in the glow of the city's vibrant culture. However, the lyrics also touch on New York's darker side, as Lindenberg describes the city as an "Irrenhaus" or madhouse, and a "Brandruine" or burnt-out ruin. Lindenberg recognizes that beneath the city's glitz and glamour, it is plagued by poverty and inequality, as symbolized by the image of a starving child in Harlem.
Throughout the song, there is a juxtaposition between the idea of New York as a utopia and a place of paradise, and the reality of its corruption and decay. This contrast is heightened by Lindenberg's use of metaphor, such as describing the city as "schön wie 'n Brillant von Tiffany" (beautiful like a Tiffany diamond) and "unheilbar krank" (incurably sick). Overall, "New York" is a passionate and complex commentary on the experience of living in this iconic city.
Line by Line Meaning
New York, du bist Wahnsinn
New York, you are madness.
manchmal lieb ich dich
sometimes I love you.
manchmal hass ich dich
sometimes I hate you.
Irrenhaus, Lustmaschine, Brandruine
madhouse, pleasure machine, fire ruin.
du reckst deinen Schizokopf in die Wolken rein
you stretch your schizophrenic head into the clouds.
doch unterm weißen Smoking
bist du dreckig wie ein Schwein
But under the white tuxedo, you are dirty like a pig.
Ist 'n geiles Gefühl, wenn ich deine rote Sonne
überm Hudson seh
It's a great feeling when I see your red sun over the Hudson.
Leben aus den Vollen
wenn ich am Broadway steh
Living life to the fullest when I stand on Broadway.
du bist Sehnsucht und Utopia
Paradies und Untergang
You are longing and utopia, paradise, and downfall.
schön wie 'n Brillant von Tiffany
und unheilbar krank
Beautiful like a Tiffany diamond and incurably sick.
und ich kauf mir 'n Paar Flügel
und fliege die Skyline entlang
And I buy a pair of wings and fly along the skyline.
New York, ich streun so gerne
durch deine tiefen Straßenschluchten
New York, I love to wander through your deep street canyons.
ich seh Superstars, die löffeln Kaviar
und saufen Champagner im Waldorf Astoria
I see superstars spooning caviar and drinking champagne at the Waldorf Astoria.
doch ein paar Blocks um die Ecke
und schon siehst du die Endstation
Ein Negerkind verhungert in Harlem ...
But a few blocks around the corner, and you already see the end station. A black child starves in Harlem ...
Contributed by Jacob G. Suggest a correction in the comments below.