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.
I Won't Believe
Wolfsheim Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Just 'cause you said you're mine.
I won't believe that your heart's
Been cheating from the start.
I won't believe it's just a game.
I won't believe it's just the same... again.
I won't believe you could be far away
I've to believe at last, there won't be
Anything that's left behind, my friend
I understand, that you just saw
The signs, but not their sense
And laid your trust in me I won't believeâ?¦
I won't believe
That you will be there at all
You know that I believe
This is what a friend is for
I said I won't believe, but then
I understand that you could see
The signs but not their sense
Don't lay your trust in me
The song "I Won't Believe" by Wolfsheim is a ballad about a person who is skeptical of their lover's words or actions. The singer declares that they won't believe every lie their lover may tell them, just because they say they're together. Furthermore, they refuse to believe that their lover has been cheating on them from the beginning, or that their actions are just part of a game they are playing. The singer also mentions that they won't believe that their lover will always be around or that they will leave anything behind when they eventually depart their lives.
The singer does acknowledge that they can understand why their lover might be suspicious or concerned, but they cannot accept their partner's doubts. They cannot take responsibility for anything their lover might feel, and they refuse to be the one to break the other's trust. The message of the song seems to be about honesty and being true to oneself, and also about the importance of mutual trust and respect in any relationship.
Overall, "I Won't Believe" is a song about a person who is standing their ground and refusing to be fooled by their lover's words or actions. They value honesty and integrity above all else, and will not let anyone else's doubts or suspicions sway them from their own beliefs and convictions.
Line by Line Meaning
I won't believe every lie
I refuse to believe any lies that are told to me.
Just 'cause you said you're mine.
Merely saying that you are mine is not enough to convince me to believe anything that is untrue.
I won't believe that your heart's
Been cheating from the start.
I do not believe that you have been unfaithful from the very beginning.
I won't believe it's just a game.
I do not believe that what we have is just a game.
I won't believe it's just the same... again.
I refuse to believe that our situation will repeat itself again and again.
I won't believe you could be far away
But staying on my mind.
I cannot believe that you could physically be far away, but still occupy my thoughts.
I've to believe at last, there won't be
Anything that's left behind, my friend
In the end, I must have faith that nothing will be left unfinished, my friend.
I understand, that you just saw
The signs, but not their sense
I comprehend that you may have perceived certain indications, but not necessarily their meaning.
And laid your trust in me I won't believeâ?¦
Despite your trust in me, I do not believe what you are trying to portray.
I won't believe
That you will be there at all
I cannot believe that you will even show up.
You know that I believe
This is what a friend is for
As your friend, I believe that it is important to be truthful with one another.
I said I won't believe, but then
I understand that you could see
The signs but not their sense
Initially, I declared that I would not believe, but now I acknowledge that you may have seen certain indications, but not necessarily their meaning.
Don't lay your trust in me
It is better not to rely on me in this situation.
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: MARKUS REINHARDT, PETER HEPPNER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind