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.
We Could Be Friends
Udo Lindenberg Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
a little bit about each other
we could be friends and then we would know
more and more about each other
we could have good times going
we could do so many things together
Hey, look at me, I'm just one of a hundred people
why would no one simply say:
We could be friends if we'd only know
a little bit about each other
we could be friends and then we would know
more and more about each other
we could have good times going
we could do so many things together
I'm sure that I have seen you before
'cause you got a thousand faces
my unknown friend I see you any time
and at a thousand places
don't you think we should get together
that way we could do much better
In Udo Lindenberg's song We Could Be Friends, he sings about the idea of friendship and the potential connections that can be formed if people merely took the time to get to know one another. He emphasizes that despite being complete strangers, we all have the capability of coming together and creating good memories, sharing laughs, and supporting one another. The chorus "We could be friends if we'd only know a little bit about each other, we could be friends and then we would know more and more about each other, we could have good times going, we could do so many things together" emphasizes the notion that friendship is attainable with a little effort.
In the verses, Lindenberg touches upon the idea that often people meet and interact, but fail to connect on a deeper level. Everyone is busy with their lives and distracted with their daily routines, but if folks took the initiative to engage with others, even brief interactions could lead to future opportunities for friendship. Lindenberg challenges the idea that strangers have to remain strangers, and encourages listeners to pursue new connections and build meaningful relationships.
Overall, the song highlights the power of human connection and emphasizes the importance of reaching out and creating bonds with others. It serves as a reminder that there are opportunities for friendship all around us and we shouldn't take them for granted.
Line by Line Meaning
We could be friends if we'd only know
If we took the time to learn about each other, we could be friends.
a little bit about each other
We don't need to know everything, just a little bit.
we could be friends and then we would know
If we became friends, we would learn more about each other.
more and more about each other
Our friendship would deepen as we learned more about each other.
we could do so many things together
As friends, we could enjoy many activities together.
Hey, look at me, I'm just one of a hundred people
I'm just one person in a sea of many.
that you've met today, but all of them just looked away
People haven't been acknowledging or paying attention to me.
why would no one simply say
Why hasn't anyone suggested we become friends?
I'm sure that I have seen you before
I feel like we have crossed paths before.
'cause you got a thousand faces
You have many different appearances or personas.
my unknown friend I see you any time
Even though we haven't met, I feel like I could bump into you at any moment.
and at a thousand places
I feel like I've seen you in many different locations.
don't you think we should get together
Shouldn't we make an effort to become friends?
that way we could do much better
If we became friends, we could both benefit from the relationship.
Contributed by Ruby S. Suggest a correction in the comments below.