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.
The Sparrows and the Nightingales
Wolfsheim Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
in this world of hate and greed
is it black or is it white
let's find another compromise
and our future´s standing still
we're dancing in the spotlight
i'm still waiting ...
leaving home ...
and god is on your side
dividing sparrows from the nightingales
watching all the time
dividing water from the burning fire ... inside
and god is on your side
dividing cruelty from tenderness
watching all the time
dividing fiction from reality
move in circles walk on lines no human being in sight
calm the winds and calm the seas
let´s try another kind of peace
who fights this holy civil war
a million men in uniform
wo ist der führer der mich führt?
ich warte immer noch ...!
and god is on your side
dividing presence from our history
watching all the time
dividing deaf men from the listening ones
leave a light on in the night for me, that i can find you
remember when we both where young and reckless and so curious ...
now you're hiding from your child ... a new day's dawning
remember that you felt alive, sometimes ...
and god is on your side
dividing soldiers from the fisherman
watching all the time
dividing warships from the ferryboats
The lyrics of Wolfsheim's song The Sparrows and the Nightingales deal with the themes of freedom, war, division, and compromise in a world filled with hatred and greed. The song speaks to the sadness and confusion that people feel when they look at the state of the world and realize that the future seems bleak and uncertain. The opening line, "how long have you been free", is a poignant question that suggests that there is very little true freedom in the world, and that most people are living under the yoke of oppression, whether it be from an outside force or an internal one.
The song goes on to talk about the need for compromise in a world where everything seems black or white. The lyrics suggest that if only people could find another way, there might be hope for the future. However, the fact that the future is "standing still" suggests that there is little progress being made.
The final section of the song talks about the importance of remembering the past and holding onto the memories of what once was. It speaks to the idea that even in the darkest of times, there is still something worth fighting for, and that hope can still be found if we are willing to look for it.
Line by Line Meaning
how long have you been free
Have you ever truly been free in this world of hate and greed?
in this world of hate and greed
The world seems to be filled with hatred and desire for wealth.
is it black or is it white
Is everything just one-sided or can there be a middle ground?
let's find another compromise
Perhaps there is a solution that accommodates both sides.
and our future´s standing still
We're at a standstill with our future and have made no progress.
we're dancing in the spotlight
We're more drawn to fleeting, superficial things than serious problem-solving.
where is the leader who leads me
We're lost and unsure about who to follow, where we're heading, and what to do next.
i'm still waiting ...
We continue to wait, hoping someone appears to guide us.
leaving home ...
We must leave behind what we've known, willingly or not.
and god is on your side
Some people believe that God takes sides in conflicts.
dividing sparrows from the nightingales
We often make distinctions and categorize things that are actually very similar.
watching all the time
God is watching every move we make.
dividing water from the burning fire ... inside
We must separate what we desire and what we fear.
dividing cruelty from tenderness
Distinguishing harmful actions from those that are kind.
dividing fiction from reality
Some things are true, while others are just imaginative.
move in circles walk on lines no human being in sight
We're either stuck in routines or following strict rules, without much human interaction.
calm the winds and calm the seas
We need to bring peace and calmness to our lives.
let´s try another kind of peace
We should attempt to create a different type of peace.
who fights this holy civil war
People are fighting in a so-called 'holy' war, but is it really religiously motivated?
a million men in uniform
There are many people, all dressed the same, fighting in wars.
wo ist der führer der mich führt?
Where is the leader that will guide us out of this mess?
ich warte immer noch ...!
We're still waiting for someone to lead us to a better future.
leave a light on in the night for me, that i can find you
Please don't leave me in the dark, show me where to go.
remember when we both where young and reckless and so curious ...
Can we go back to a time when we were naive yet curious, willing to try anything?
now you're hiding from your child ... a new day's dawning
We've become secretive and fearful, even denying our own children.
remember that you felt alive, sometimes ...
Don't forget that you had moments of being alive and feeling free.
dividing soldiers from the fisherman
We categorize people into different roles, even though they are all human beings.
dividing warships from the ferryboats
We put ships into separate categories based on their intended use.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Royalty Network, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: CARLOS PERON, MARKUS REINHARDT, PETER HEPPNER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind