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.
Tief im Süden
Udo Lindenberg Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Drei Liter Enzian (oh), ich lag auf der Alm und dann
Bin ich nicht mehr wach geworden
Tief im Süden, wo über den Bergen die Sonne scheint
Haben sie an meinem Todestag, ganz schön viel geweint
Denn ich war nicht nur der nette Junge
Der Jodelfreund von nebenan
Bei der weiß-blauen National-Seilbahn
Ohne mich lief die nicht, die armen Leute litten sehr
Denn da konnten sie ja nun erst mal nicht mehr auf ihre
Geliebten Berge rauffahren
Und sie sagten: „Schade, schade“
Und sie waren sehr deprimiert
Ja, mit bayrischer Limonade
Wär' das alles nicht passiert, oh
Tief im Süden hinter den Alpen bin ich gestorben
Drei Liter Enzian (oh), ich lag auf der Alm und dann
Bin ich nicht mehr wach geworden
Und sie sagten: Schade, schade, schade
Und sie waren sehr deprimiert
Ja, mit bayrischer Limonade
Wär' das alles nicht passiert
The lyrics of Udo Lindenberg's song "Tief im Süden" tell a story of the singer's death in the southern region of Germany. The first verse mentions his death behind the Alps, where he drank three liters of Enzian (a strong alcoholic beverage) and then laid on the mountain pasture, never waking up again. The song portrays a humorous and exaggerated narrative of his demise.
In the second verse, it is emphasized that on the day of his death, the sun was shining over the mountains, but there were many tears shed by the people. The singer reveals that he was not just a regular guy living in the area but also held the important role of managing the snow machines at the National Cable Car. Without him, the cable car couldn't run, causing distress to the locals who were unable to access their beloved mountains. The chorus repeats the expressions of regret and sadness, while humorously suggesting that if everyone had stuck to drinking Bavarian lemonade instead of Enzian, the whole situation could have been avoided.
Line by Line Meaning
Tief im Süden hinter den Alpen bin ich gestorben
Deep in the south, beyond the Alps, I died
Drei Liter Enzian (oh), ich lag auf der Alm und dann
Three liters of Enzian, I lay on the pasture and then
Bin ich nicht mehr wach geworden
I didn't wake up anymore
Tief im Süden, wo über den Bergen die Sonne scheint
Deep in the south, where the sun shines over the mountains
Haben sie an meinem Todestag, ganz schön viel geweint
They cried quite a lot on my day of death
Denn ich war nicht nur der nette Junge
Because I wasn't just the nice boy
Der Jodelfreund von nebenan
The yodeling friend next door
Nein, ich war ja auch noch der Meisteröler
No, I was also the master oiler
Bei der weiß-blauen National-Seilbahn
At the white-blue national cable car
Ohne mich lief die nicht, die armen Leute litten sehr
Without me, it didn't run, the poor people suffered a lot
Denn da konnten sie ja nun erst mal nicht mehr auf ihre
Because for now, they couldn't go up to their beloved mountains
Geliebten Berge rauffahren
Beloved mountains anymore
Und sie sagten: „Schade, schade“
And they said: 'What a pity, what a pity'
Und sie waren sehr deprimiert
And they were very depressed
Ja, mit bayrischer Limonade
Yes, with Bavarian lemonade
Wär' das alles nicht passiert, oh
None of this would have happened, oh
Und sie sagten: Schade, schade, schade
And they said: 'What a pity, what a pity, what a pity'
Und sie waren sehr deprimiert
And they were very depressed
Ja, mit bayrischer Limonade
Yes, with Bavarian lemonade
Wär' das alles nicht passiert
None of this would have happened
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Udo Lindenberg
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind