Deutschland: Tracklist Quickie/Editorial

It’s been almost 10 years since ‘Liebe ist fur Alle Da’ was released by Rammstein. I was still in Year 7 when that album was out, and now I am doing a PGCE. But, yesterday, their new song, Deutschland, was released. And it’s good.

Deutschland Tracklist Quickie

If you know Rammstein, they use their lyrics as a means of wordplay for international tomfoolery and japery. The use of the different tenses (ich, sie, wir, ihr) was noted and I dug it. Du, Ich, Wir, and Ihr are different tenses. Whereas English speakers say ‘You Play’ ‘I Play’ ‘We Play’, Germans change the tense around. ‘Ich Spiel’, ‘Du Spielt’, ‘Wir Spielen’. I interpret it as a commentary on the complicated feelings that the narrator has for his country, while also using wordplay to talk about the German language.

Overall, this was a good song. Its classic Rammstein in its uncompromising sort of way, and it was an enjoyable listen. But the video for it has received some attention.

Editorial

In short, Rammstein is in the news for their new music video for ‘Deutschland’. Said video goes through historical periods of German history, from the Germanic Tribes, to East Germany. Due to depictions of concentration camps and Nazis in said video, this has caused some controversy, especially amongst Jewish people. As you can imagine, this has generated controversy from some corners as being anti-semitic.

If you haven’t seen the video, I say watch it, as I have linked it above. I believe that people should really make their own judgement on this matter, though I have some personal opinions to add. Watching this video, I don’t think it is Anti-Semitic. This argument is coming from someone who has studied German History as part of my undergrad degree and watching it from multiple perspectives, I don’t see it as anti-semitic in any way.

Rammstein’s members are all from East Germany, as was, and were under a totalitarian regime. Germany, as a country, has been one that has suffered and been a part of bloodshed throughout its long history. I see the music video for what it is. It isn’t glorifying or sensationalising that imagery, but it is an acceptance of it. The music video is destructive, chaotic, and anarchic. The use of iconographies such as swastikas and striped pyjamas do not indicate glorification.

The video features the band cannibalising a personification of Germany, having an orgy in an East German office, said personification giving birth to German Shepherd dogs, lasers, and other madness. If you think the band are glorifying cannibalism, sexual deviance, and Zoophilia, then you are quite far in your own backside.

Conclusion

In conclusion, this video does not glorify Anti-Semitism. It accepts German history for what it was and shows its destructive nature. I love Deutschland, it is a good song. I think that you will too. Is it Rammstein’s best song? I think it’s up there, I love Du Hast more. We’ll see what I say when my Tracklist on Rammstein gets written.

Related Posts & External Links

Tracklist: Talking Heads

Track by Track: The Visitors

Tracklist Quickie: March of the Black Queen

Deutschland on Spotify