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.
Paradise Now
Udo Lindenberg Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
above the moons horizon - rising earth
we are all one - one world or no world
Look around and see what's wrong
we have to start to make it better
we can't just let the things go on
look, people have to come together
look, people have to come together
World is a rainbow - colorful living forever
you can do what you want
and we do it all together
we wait no longer - mankind's a big family
we're gettin' ready for makin' a chain
around the world hand in hand
paradise now
we're gettin' ready my friend
for makin' a chain around the world hand in hand
paradise now
the world is a rainbow - colorful living forever
paradise now
you can do what you want and we do it all together
paradise now
The song "Paradise Now" by Udo Lindenberg is a call for global unity and the need for people to come together to make the world a better place. The opening lines highlight the importance of taking a closer look at the rising earth above the horizon of the moon, as a symbolic representation of the world we live in. The chorus emphasizes that "we are all one" and that the world must unite as "one world or no world".
The lyrics then call for people to take notice of what is wrong with the world and to work towards making it better. The lines "we can't just let things go on" highlight the need for action rather than complacency. The song goes further to encourage people to come together by holding hands across the world, a poignant image of a chain around the world representing global peace and unity. Finally, the song paints a picture of a world full of color, a rainbow that exists forever, a paradise that can only be achieved through collective action.
Overall, the song is a powerful call to arms for people to come together and work towards a better world, a world where we all have the freedom to live our lives as we wish and where peace and unity reign.
Line by Line Meaning
The time is now for takin' a look at the rising earth above the moons horizon - rising earth
It is time for us to observe the earth emerging from the moon's crescent and understand that we are all part of the same planet - rising earth
we are all one - one world or no world
We are interconnected beings and if we don't live together harmoniously as one in this world, there'll be no world left to live in
Look around and see what's wrong
Evaluate and speculate on why wrong things are happening around us
we have to start to make it better
It is time to put an effort in resolving the issues and make things around us better
we can't just let the things go on
We cannot afford to let things continue as they are
look, people have to come together
We need to unite and work together to overcome the challenges ahead
come together, come together
Reiterating that we need to unite and work together
World is a rainbow - colorful living forever
Our world is a vibrant, diverse entity in a state of constant evolution
you can do what you want and we do it all together
We should respect each other's freedom and work collectively to create a better world
we wait no longer - mankind's a big family
We need to act immediately together with the understanding that we are all one big family
we're gettin' ready for makin' a chain around the world hand in hand - paradise now
We are gearing up to symbolize our unity by holding hands and making a chain around the globe - paradise now
we're gettin' ready my friend for makin' a chain around the world hand in hand - paradise now
We cannot wait any longer and are preparing for a unifying gesture of holding hands around the world - paradise now
the world is a rainbow - colorful living forever - paradise now
The world is full of colors and never-ending beauty - paradise now
you can do what you want and we do it all together - paradise now
We can achieve anything by supporting each other and working together - paradise now
Contributed by Caden I. Suggest a correction in the comments below.