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.
Nichts haut einen Seeman um
Udo Lindenberg Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
die Kneipe ist noch leer
außer mir nur der alte Käpt'n
der ist immer hier
der fährt nicht mehr
der sitzt hier jeden Nachmittag und prüft den Rum
doch nach dem dritten Glas schon singt er leise:
Nichts haut einen Seemann um!
und er träumt von seinen guten Tagen
da konnt' er zehnmal mehr vertragen
Über'm Tresen hängen Ansichtskarten
die hat er mal geschickt
und er denkt an die Japanerin
die war so schön verückt
ja, damals war er noch ein schneller Junge
das Leben war lebenswert
doch was bleibt einem Seemann, der nicht mehr fährt?
Die Boote sind im Hafen
die Männer kommen gleich
der Käpt'n wankt nach Hause
er schleppt sich übern Deich
er will nicht, daß die anderen sagen:
Der kann ja wirklich nicht mehr viel vertragen
und nun singt er sein Lied
in den stürmischen Wind
The lyrics of "Nichts haut einen Seemann um" by Udo Lindenberg & Das Panikorchester tell the somber story of a retired seaman who spends his days in a bar. The boats are still out at sea, and the bar is empty except for the seaman and the bartender, who is a former captain. The seaman is reminiscing about his past and drinking rum - something that he probably did quite often during his sailing days. Despite his seemingly tough exterior and apparent resilience, the seaman starts to sing a quietly sad song about how "nothing knocks a sailor down" - except for the memories of better days gone by.
The lyrics reveal that the old seaman is a man who is struggling to come to terms with the end of his career and the passage of time. He is haunted by the memories of a past that he can never relive - the wild nights, the exotic women, and the freedom that came with living life on the open sea. The fact that he can no longer sail is an indication of how much his life has changed, and he can only find solace in the bottle and the recollection of his glory days.
Line by Line Meaning
Die Boote sind noch draußen
The boats are still out at sea
die Kneipe ist noch leer
The pub is still empty
außer mir nur der alte Käpt'n
Except for me, only the old captain is here
der ist immer hier
He's always here
der fährt nicht mehr
He doesn't sail anymore
der sitzt hier jeden Nachmittag und prüft den Rum
He sits here every afternoon, checking the rum
doch nach dem dritten Glas schon singt er leise:
But after the third glass, he starts singing softly:
Nichts haut einen Seemann um!
Nothing can bring a sailor down!
...ihn doch
...except for himself
und er träumt von seinen guten Tagen
And he dreams of his good old days
da konnt' er zehnmal mehr vertragen
When he could handle ten times more
Über'm Tresen hängen Ansichtskarten
The walls are covered in postcards
die hat er mal geschickt
Sent by him in the past
und er denkt an die Japanerin
And he thinks of the Japanese girl
die war so schön verückt
Who was so beautifully crazy
ja, damals war er noch ein schneller Junge
Back then, he was still a fast boy
das Leben war lebenswert
Life was worth living
doch was bleibt einem Seemann, der nicht mehr fährt?
But what's left for a sailor who doesn't sail anymore?
Die Boote sind im Hafen
The boats are in the harbor
die Männer kommen gleich
The men will arrive soon
der Käpt'n wankt nach Hause
The captain staggers home
er schleppt sich übern Deich
Dragging himself across the dyke
er will nicht, daß die anderen sagen:
He doesn't want the others to say:
Der kann ja wirklich nicht mehr viel vertragen
He really can't handle much anymore
und nun singt er sein Lied
And now he sings his song
in den stürmischen Wind
Into the stormy wind
Contributed by Thomas M. Suggest a correction in the comments below.