Formation
The band was founded in 1987 by Markus Reinhardt and Pompejo Ricciardi. Reinhardt's brother Oliver Reinhardt joined the band sometime afterward. After producing a demo tape, co-founder Ricciardi left the band and was replaced by Peter Heppner. Heppner had known the band from mutual friends and from growing up in the same neighborhood in Hamburg. Oliver Reinhardt departed the band, leaving the current lineup as Peter Heppner (vocals) and Markus Reinhardt (electronics).
After producing two new demo tapes, Wolfsheim applied at various labels, until they caught the attention of Strange Ways Records, which has since published all their records.
No Happy View & Popkiller
In 1991, the single "The Sparrows and the Nightingales" was released, followed by the single "It's Not Too Late (Don't Sorrow)" and their first album "No Happy View" in 1992. While No Happy View was recorded in two weeks, the sophomore "Popkiller" (1993) was given more time to be produced. This allowed Wolfsheim to incorporate more classical elements.
In 1995, Wolfsheim released a compilation, "55578", which stayed on the German Media Control Charts for five weeks. Its name is the postal code for Wolfsheim, Germany.
Dreaming Apes
The third album "Dreaming Apes" was released in February 1996, followed by Wolfsheim's first tour. On this tour the live album "Hamburg Rom Wolfsheim" was recorded and published in October 1997.
It was in 1998 when Wolfsheim received public attention, after Heppner had recorded a duet "Die Flut" (The Surge) with Joachim Witt. This song was a major hit, reaching number two on the German Single Charts.
Spectators
"Spectators", the fourth album, was released in February 1999 and went to number two on the German album charts. That summer, Wolfsheim played at many of the major German festivals and also played their first show outside of Germany, at Belgium's Eurorock Festival.
In 2001, Heppner recorded more songs as a guest artist. His collaboration with "Schiller", "Dream of You", received heavy rotation on MTV Germany. He also collaborated on "Glasgarten" with "Goethes Erben". These collaborations brought Wolfsheim still more attention. Also in 2001, Metropolis Records brought Wolfsheim to American audiences, releasing Spectators in the United States. Recordings from the Spectators tour were released as a DVD Kompendium in April 2002.
Casting Shadows
"Casting Shadows", their fifth studio album, was released in March 2003. The single "Kein Zurück" debuted at number five on the Media Control Charts, later reaching number four, and staying in the top ten for 10 weeks. Casting Shadows itself reached the top position on the album charts. In March and April 2004, Wolfsheim went on their first tour in the USA.
On January 17th, 2008, it was announced on the band's official website that the collaboration between Markus Reinhardt and Peter Heppner is reaching its end. According to the press release, the reasons for this are attributed to ongoing disputes concerning the future of Wolfsheim. Heppner's ambitions to launch a solo career meant that any plans for the production of a new Wolfsheim album would be suspended for 2009.
The disputes peaked when Peter Heppner signed a multi-album solo record deal in late 2005 and Markus Reinhardt, considering this a breach of contract and a disregard for the basic interests of Wolfsheim, filed a lawsuit to exclude Heppner from the Wolfsheim partnership so that Wolfsheim could continue without him. In spring 2008, Reinhardt's lawsuit was rejected.
Heroin She Said
Wolfsheim Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
i see her stumbling through the rain
a skinny figure in the dark
her face a shade of grey
begging here and barking there
she´s swearing all the time
her fingers fumbling with her hair
and she starts to cry and she´s asking why
her life´s always the same
but she does not see, that unfortunately
there´s no one here to blame
"heroin" she said, "was the best i had...
no more mountains left to climb.
the world so slow... all my dreams just too high
to be fulfilled in time...!"
she grabs my arm... and i feel alarmed
her fingers gripping tight
i see her pleading eyes... so i start to diguise
and say, that everything´s alright...
and the reason why i pretended and lied
is that i don´t want to kill
the poor dream that´s left in the deepest cleft
of the thing that she calls will...!
"heroin" she said...
The lyrics to Wolfsheim's song "Heroin She Said" portrays the story of a young woman who appears to be homeless and addicted to heroin. The singer or singer, walking down the streets one night, sees the woman stumbling through the rain. Described as a "skinny" figure in the dark with a face a "shade of grey," she is begging and swearing, fumbling with her hair, and a dirty mess of grime. Though she starts to cry, upon asking why her life is always the same, unfortunately, she doesn't see that there is no one to blame - it's all her doing.
When she utters the words "Heroin," the woman claims it was the best thing she ever had, and there are no more mountains left to climb in her life. While her dreams are too high to fulfill in time, everything is slow-paced in the world. The woman grabs the singer's arm quite tightly, and he feels alarmed, but her pleading eyes compel him to ignore the situation's reality and reassure her that everything's okay. He pretends and lies to protect the hope and dream that she has left - a dream that resides in the deepest corners of her will.
This song, like many others by the German synth-pop group Wolfsheim, could be interpreted in several ways. Still, it seems to suggest the dangers of drug addiction, which are so vividly depicted through the woman's tragic story.
Line by Line Meaning
walking down the streets at night
As I stroll through the city at night, I notice a woman stumbling around in the rain.
i see her stumbling through the rain
The rain makes it difficult for her to walk steadily, and she stumbles as she goes.
a skinny figure in the dark
As she is drenched in the rain and obscured by the dark, it is clear that she's much too thin.
her face a shade of grey
Her complexion is ashen, which could be a sign of illness or drug use.
begging here and barking there
She is asking for money from passers-by and shouting at those who refuse to help her.
she´s swearing all the time
She is using a lot of profanity, which may indicate her frustration with her current situation.
her fingers fumbling with her hair
She is struggling to keep her hair in place, and her movements indicate that she's disoriented.
a dirty mess of grime
Her overall appearance is dirty and disheveled, with a lot of grime on her clothes and skin.
and she starts to cry and she´s asking why
She is starting to cry and asking why her life is always so difficult.
her life´s always the same
She feels that her life is stuck in a repeating cycle of pain and adversity.
but she does not see, that unfortunately
However, she fails to realize that her problems are not entirely the fault of other people or external circumstances.
there´s no one here to blame
She must take responsibility for the choices she's made and the life she's created for herself.
"heroin" she said, "was the best i had...
The woman confesses that heroin was the best thing she ever experienced, perhaps suggesting that she's now addicted.
no more mountains left to climb.
Her addiction has left her with no more goals or aspirations to strive for.
the world so slow... all my dreams just too high
She feels the world is moving too slowly for her and that her dreams are unattainable.
"to be fulfilled in time...!"
She believes it's unlikely her dreams will come true and become fulfilled in the future.
she grabs my arm... and i feel alarmed
The woman grabs the singer's arm, making him feel uneasy and alarmed.
her fingers gripping tight
Her grasp is strong and tight, revealing her desperation and need for support.
i see her pleading eyes... so i start to diguise
She looks at him with eyes pleading for help, and he feels compelled to conceal his own reluctance to offer help.
and say, that everything´s alright...
He pretends that everything is fine, in order to avoid confronting the difficult reality of the woman's situation.
and the reason why i pretended and lied
The singer reflects on the reason why he felt he had to lie and conceal his true feelings.
is that i don´t want to kill
He doesn't want to crush what is left of the woman's will to fight and survive.
the poor dream that´s left in the deepest cleft
Despite her addiction and adverse circumstances, the woman still clings to a dream buried deep within her psyche.
of the thing that she calls will...!
The dream is a representation of her inner strength and determination to overcome her past and present struggles.
"heroin" she said...
The woman again speaks of her addiction, suggesting that it is an all-consuming force in her life.
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: MARKUS REINHARDT, PETER HEPPNER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind