Lindenberg (born May 17, 1946 in Gronau) started his musical career as a dr… Read Full Bio ↴Lindenberg (born May 17, 1946 in Gronau) started his musical career as a drummer. In 1969 Lindenberg founded his first band Free Orbit and also appeared as a studio and guest musician (with Michael Naura, Knut Kiesewetter). In 1970 he collaborated as a drummer with jazz-saxophonist Klaus Doldinger in Munich. In 1971, a band founded by Lindenberg, Passport put out its first album, with Lindenberg on drums. He also played drums for the theme music for the German TV series Tatort. The first LP of the Jazz rock group Emergency was released in 1971 but met with little commercial success.

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.

Verdammt wir müssen raus aus dem Dreck
Udo Lindenberg Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Doch diese Fabrik hat ihn klein gemacht
Er hat sein Leben wie ein Sklave verbracht
Er kannte wirklich mal bessere Zeiten
Und so wie ihm soll's mir nicht gehen
In unserem Fall muss das anders sein
Es gibt nichts zu verlieren, du wirst sehen

Verdammt, wir müssen raus aus dem Dreck
Da gibt es gar nichts, wir müssen hier weg
Wir müssen raus aus dem Dreck
Mädchen, es gibt ein besseres Leben
Für dich und mich
De da de da
De da de da
De da de da
Da de da de da

Und wenn wir jetzt auch noch nicht wissen, wohin
Unser Leben muss ganz anders laufen
Als stupide abrackern
Und sich abends vor der Glotze besaufen
Meine Mutter kannte auch mal bessere Zeiten
Doch dieser Törn hat sie kaputtgemacht
Sie hat ihr Leben wie eine Sklavin verbracht
Und deswegen sag' ich dir

„Verdammt, wir müssen raus aus dem Dreck
Da gibt es gar nichts, wie müssen hier weg
Wir müssen hier raus aus dem Dreck
Mädchen, es gibt ein besseres Leben
Für dich und mich“

Verdammt, wir müssen raus aus dem Dreck
Dort gibt es gar nichts, wie müssen hier weg
Wir müssen raus aus dem Dreck
Mädchen, es gibt 'n besseres Leben
Für dich und mich

(Mmh)Mädchen, es gibt 'n besseres Leben
Für dich und mich

(Verdammt wir müssen raus aus dem Dreck)
(Verdammt wir müssen raus aus dem Dreck)
(Verdammt wir müssen raus aus dem Dreck)
Mädchen, es gibt 'n besseres Leben für dich und mich
(Verdammt wir müssen raus aus dem Dreck)
(Verdammt wir müssen raus aus dem Dreck)
(Verdammt wir müssen raus aus dem Dreck)
(Verdammt wir müssen raus aus dem Dreck)
(Verdammt wir müssen raus aus dem Dreck)
(Verdammt wir müssen raus aus dem Dreck)
(Verdammt wir müssen raus aus dem Dreck)
(Verdammt wir müssen raus aus dem Dreck)

(Verdammt wir müssen raus aus dem Dreck)
(Verdammt wir müssen raus aus dem Dreck)

Overall Meaning

The song "Verdammt wir müssen raus aus dem Dreck" by Udo Lindenberg talks about the struggles of working-class people living in a city. The lyrics describe a life of monotony and hardship, where people work like slaves in factories just to sustain their lives. The singer urges his lover to leave this life and find a better one. He talks about how his father and mother also worked in the factories and how it ruined their lives. He refuses to fall into the same trap and wants a better future for himself and his lover.

The song highlights the importance of breaking free from the cycle of poverty and living a life with dignity. This song not only speaks about the working condition of the proletariats but also highlights their dreams and aspirations to move out of their current situation. Udo Lindenberg remains an influential musician, who presents thought-provoking lyrics that are a reflection of society at large.

Line by Line Meaning

In dieser dunklen Malocher-City Gehen die Schatten niemals weg Und jeder sagt, es hat hier keinen Zweck Aber ich, ich seh' das anders Mädchen, du bist so jung und schön Hier krepieren wir zu früh, wenn wir nicht gehen
The city we live in is full of problems, and everyone thinks there is no way out. But I think differently, and I believe that we need to leave this place before it consumes us. I can't stand to see you suffer in this terrible environment.

Mein Vater kannte auch mal bessere Zeiten Doch diese Fabrik hat ihn klein gemacht Er hat sein Leben wie ein Sklave verbracht Er kannte wirklich mal bessere Zeiten Und so wie ihm soll's mir nicht gehen In unserem Fall muss das anders sein Es gibt nichts zu verlieren, du wirst sehen
My father was once prosperous, but the factory he worked for ruined him. He was a slave to his job, and I don't want to end up like him. We have nothing to lose by leaving this place, and I believe we can make a better life for ourselves elsewhere.

Verdammt, wir müssen raus aus dem Dreck Da gibt es gar nichts, wir müssen hier weg Wir müssen raus aus dem Dreck Mädchen, es gibt ein besseres Leben Für dich und mich De da de da De da de da De da de da Da de da de da
Damn, we need to get out of this place. There is nothing here for us, and we need to make a better life for ourselves. I believe that we can find a better life, and I want to do it with you.

Und wenn wir jetzt auch noch nicht wissen, wohin Unser Leben muss ganz anders laufen Als stupide abrackern Und sich abends vor der Glotze besaufen Meine Mutter kannte auch mal bessere Zeiten Doch dieser Törn hat sie kaputtgemacht Sie hat ihr Leben wie eine Sklavin verbracht Und deswegen sag' ich dir
Even if we don't know where to go, we need to change the way we live our lives. We can't spend our days mindlessly working and our nights drinking in front of the TV. My mother was also once prosperous, but her life was destroyed by the same system that's ruining ours. That's why I know we need to leave this place and start anew.

„Verdammt, wir müssen raus aus dem Dreck Da gibt es gar nichts, wie müssen hier weg Wir müssen hier raus aus dem Dreck Mädchen, es gibt ein besseres Leben Für dich und mich“
Damn, we need to leave this place. We have nothing to lose, and we need to find a better life for ourselves. I believe that together, we can make a better life for ourselves.

(Mmh)Mädchen, es gibt 'n besseres Leben Für dich und mich
Girl, there is a better life out there for us. I believe that we can find it together.

(Verdammt wir müssen raus aus dem Dreck) (Verdammt wir müssen raus aus dem Dreck) (Verdammt wir müssen raus aus dem Dreck) Mädchen, es gibt 'n besseres Leben für dich und mich (Verdammt wir müssen raus aus dem Dreck) (Verdammt wir müssen raus aus dem Dreck) (Verdammt wir müssen raus aus dem Dreck) (Verdammt wir müssen raus aus dem Dreck) (Verdammt wir müssen raus aus dem Dreck) (Verdammt wir müssen raus aus dem Dreck) (Verdammt wir müssen raus aus dem Dreck) (Verdammt wir müssen raus aus dem Dreck) (Verdammt wir müssen raus aus dem Dreck) (Verdammt wir müssen raus aus dem Dreck)
We need to get the hell out of this place. There's nothing here for us, and we need to find a better life. I believe that we can do that if we stick together and make a plan. So let's get going and leave this place behind!

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