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.
Rockin' And Rollin'
Udo Lindenberg Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
war ich 'n Frischling, war gerade erst zehn
ich hatte keine Ahnung
und kapierte auch den Text nicht
trotzdem konnte ich Bill gut versteh'n
und zu Hause knallte dieser Sound aus dem Radio
ich trommelte mit
uh, das gefiel mir so
im Lautsprecher gefragt:
warum macht mich das so an?
und dann hat er mir gesagt:
Erlauben Sie, daß ich mich vorstell'
mein Name ist Rock and Roll
Rockin' and Rollin'
Rockin' and Rollin'
Rockin' and Rollin'
Meine Väter waren die Jazzer
in den Kaschemmen von New Orleans
und meine Mütter malochten sich fast tot
in den Baumwollfeldern vom Mississippi
meine Tanten hatten in Chicago
einen Honky-Tonky-Puff
und mein Onkel starb in Memphis
am Southern-Comfort-Suff
und meine Söhne trugen Pomade
in den Haaren
sie machten Putz und machten Schluss
mit den lahmen Jahren
Rockin' and Rollin'
nichts macht mich kaputt
weil ich zu lebendig bin!
In "Rockin' and Rollin'", Udo Lindenberg, a German rock musician, reflects on his early experiences with rock and roll music. He reminisces about the first time he heard Bill Haley's music and how it immediately resonated with him despite not fully understanding the lyrics. He describes the energy and excitement that the sound of rock and roll brought into his home and how he couldn't help but drum along with the music. He then imagines a conversation with the spirit of rock and roll, introducing itself as his inspiration and source of motivation.
Through the lyrics, Lindenberg connects the origins of rock and roll to jazz and blues in New Orleans and the cultural influences of African Americans in the southern United States. He highlights the hard work and struggles of those who came before and those who will follow in creating and carrying on the legacy of rock and roll. The energetic repetition of "Rockin' and Rollin'" throughout the song serves as an anthem for the rebellious spirit of the genre and a call to embrace its vitality.
Overall, the song embodies the spirit and essence of rock and roll as a force that brings people together, transcends boundaries, and celebrates individuality and creative expression.
Line by Line Meaning
Als Bill Haley sich in meine Ohren bohrte
When Bill Haley's music first reached my ears
war ich 'n Frischling, war gerade erst zehn
I was still just a young, inexperienced kid at the age of ten
ich hatte keine Ahnung
I had no idea what was going on
und kapierte auch den Text nicht
I couldn't even understand the lyrics
trotzdem konnte ich Bill gut versteh'n
Despite that, I could still feel Bill's music deeply
und zu Hause knallte dieser Sound aus dem Radio
At home, that sound from the radio was blasting out
ich trommelte mit
I couldn't help but drum along
uh, das gefiel mir so
It just felt so good to me
und dann hab ich den kleinen Mann im Lautsprecher gefragt:
I asked the little man in the artist:
warum macht mich das so an?
Why does this music move me so much?
und dann hat er mir gesagt:
And then he told me:
Erlauben Sie, daß ich mich vorstell'
Allow me to introduce myself
mein Name ist Rock and Roll
My name is Rock and Roll
Meine Väter waren die Jazzer
My fathers were jazz musicians
in den Kaschemmen von New Orleans
Playing in the dives of New Orleans
und meine Mütter malochten sich fast tot
And my mothers worked themselves to the bone
in den Baumwollfeldern vom Mississippi
In the cotton fields of the Mississippi
meine Tanten hatten in Chicago
My aunts had a honky-tonk joint in Chicago
einen Honky-Tonky-Puff
A place where people went to drink and dance
und mein Onkel starb in Memphis
And my uncle died in Memphis
am Southern-Comfort-Suff
From drinking too much Southern Comfort
und meine Söhne trugen Pomade in den Haaren
My sons had pomade in their hair
sie machten Putz und machten Schluss
They cleaned up and put an end to those dull times
mit den lahmen Jahren
With those lame and boring years
Rockin' and Rollin'
Rockin' and Rollin'
nichts macht mich kaputt
Nothing can bring me down
weil ich zu lebendig bin!
Because I'm too alive to be broken
Contributed by Daniel B. Suggest a correction in the comments below.