Caught Wir Sind Helden‘s latest video on MAD TV while in Santorini earlier this month and liked it so much I made a note to look up the tune when I got back. They’re German, but it’s an apt soundtrack to my visit to Greece’s volcanic islands in that it’s pretty, I don’t understand a word, and it leaves me wanting more. Recommended if you like the Cardigans. Enjoy.

Comments (9)
  1. sonicdeath99  |   Posted on Oct 29th, 2005

    As they said on “Laugh-In,” “Verrrry interesting…”

    Scott, really glad to have you back. Ignore the haters; Jed and Jim did a good job in your absence, but I’m sure they’re glad you’re back, too. Keep’em around. Good for another perspective.

  2. thomas  |   Posted on Oct 29th, 2005

    HEY! Something German on Stereogum!!!!
    What do you wanna know? The Titel means “from now on blind” if u liked that u should hear “nur ein wort” (only a word) or Aurèlie.
    Take a look at:
    http://www.wirsindhelden.de/engl/wahrheit.html
    It´s in english
    and they have videos as well
    If u ever need mor german related infos just mail
    Greetings from Germany
    Thomas

  3. Justus  |   Posted on Oct 29th, 2005

    It is incredibly difficult to translate Helden lyrics as they are highly idiomatic and sometimes simply absurd. But I will give it a try, and you might get a glimpse at what they are singing about.

    The title, as already said, means “From now on blind.” However, the preposition “hier” means “here” rather than “now”. “Ich weiß nicht weiter” ought to be translated into “I was at a loss”, but again for the sake of the road metaphor I used “I don?t know how to go on any further” particularly as the next line “I have never been” needs the “further” of the last sentence to make sense at all (“further I have never been”). The wagon (more likely a car) appears to be the metaphor for the partner, referred to as “he”. Both partner (if male) and “wagen” are gramatically masculine. At the end of the song, they are singing about “flausen” which actually are “silly ideas”. Yet, “flausen” are never put in one’s ear (Ohr) – they used “Ohr2 to rhyme with “davor”.

    From now on blind

    Between two questions
    In the gap between two days
    Nothing more was to say
    Nothing to grieve about and I
    Took the wagon
    And got on my knees in front of it
    I said:
    I don?t know how to go on any further
    I have never been

    Me and the wagon
    And the swarm of bees in my stomach
    And the road to be beaten
    We got along but
    Two days ago
    The wagon got on its knees

    He said
    I don?t know how to go on any further
    I have never been

    I don?t know how to go on any further
    I don?t know where we are,
    I don?t know how to go on any further
    From now on blind
    From now on blind
    From now on

    Me and my stomach
    And the head in my collar
    Carried blindly by two feet
    That don?t say a word
    Except:
    Surrender
    And get on your knees at last
    I said
    I don?t know how to go on any further
    I have never been

    I don?t know how to go on any further

    And less than one thousand meters before the gate outside
    A roar sounded and a male choir sang

    Then there was silence and in-between and before
    The pause put a new bug in my ear
    And I
    I don?t know how to go on any further

  4. johnny come lately  |   Posted on Oct 30th, 2005

    look who’s just catching on. its a waste of time to listen to wir sind helden in english…it just doesn’t mean the same thing. listen to it in german or not at all.

  5. uh. major suckage.

  6. shlab  |   Posted on Oct 30th, 2005

    here in germany mostly teenage girls listen to the “helden”… so much for the profundity of their lyrics..

  7. You gotta try some other tracks from the “Heroes”… Like, “Zuhaelter”(meaning Pimp, but not anything like that 50 Cent track) and “Guten Tag”.

    Those are pure awesomeness.

  8. shearer  |   Posted on Nov 1st, 2005

    quote:
    ‘here in germany mostly teenage girls listen to the “helden”… so much for the profundity of their lyrics..’

    that’s absolutely wrong. WSH is not a band making songs for teenagers. it’s not right that mostly teenage girls listen to their songs.

  9. Matt from Sydney  |   Posted on Nov 26th, 2005

    Hi All. I am not a teenage girl, but a 33 year old Aussie guy. I just went to see the Helden play a concert in Mainz and they were AWESOME!!! Interesting that I was not the oldest person there – there was definitely a mix of ages. I am going to improve my German so that I can understand the lyrics better :-)

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