Rammstein: Deutschland REACTION/ANALYSIS | The Daily Doug (Episode 308) (Viewer Discretion Advised)
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- Опубликовано: 11 июн 2024
- Trigger Warning: This video contains graphic content and themes. Viewer Discretion is advised.
0:00 Intro
2:03 Background and Historical Significance Discussion with Rae
10:28 Music Video and Reaction
#Rammstein #Deutschland #RammsteinReaction
In this episode of #TheDailyDoug, I'm watching the epic mini-movie by Rammstein called Deutschland. My friend, Rae, joins me in setting up the historical significance of the depictions in this riveting and provocative piece of art. Please be advised that, in telling their story of how they interact their German heritage, the men in Rammstein reenact some violent and gruesome scenes and atrocities. I applaud the band for their courage in telling their story in such a profound way. Thank you for watching.
Reference Video: • Rammstein - Deutschlan...
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Hi Doug,
German is my first language - so as a native pls let me explain as concise as possible many of the hidden symbols and meanings in this great song: In advance - please apologize the mistakes that I have certainly made as English is not my first language :-)
Before I go through it just some general remarks: the black lady’s persona in the video is “Germania” and she represents Germany (the nation / the people) and in many scenes where she appears the colors black, red and gold (colors of the German flag) are dominant. The video as well as the lyrics are a critical review on Germany’s history.
Main scenes of the video: The first scene with the roman soldiers refers to the battle of Teutoburg forest, the first time the German tribes untied under Arminius against the Romans and ambushed them on their march back to their winter camp + completely annihilated several legions - the Romans would never return and fortify at the Rhine - this could be seen as the birth of the German identity.
The red laser beams throughout the video I think are guiding thread (German expression “roter Faden”" translates to “red thread” and translates to guiding principle / guideline of a story)
When Germania (black lady) in golden armor (black red gold as main colors of the scene pushes the standard into the ground she raises all the dead medieval knights - a reference to the strength of the German people who recovered time after time throughout history from catastrophes (especially, but not only) in the middle ages (crusades, Hunnic invasion, plague, etc.) - the additional meaning i think is the fact that German people several times followed their countries call for War - even if they were already beaten up (e.g. after WWI going into WWII). The standard I guess refers to a relic which was part of the Imperial regalia of the Holy Roman Empire of German Nation ("Heiliges Römisches Reich Deutscher Nation" - the conglomerate of mostly German territories which was ruled by a emperor elected by the highest ranking nobles of the realm and persisted from the 10th century until 1806). This relic, the Lance of Longinus, is dated back to the 8th century and was said to contain in it's tip one of the nails that were used in the crucifixion of Jesus. It was supposed to make any army that carries it into battle invincible. It can still be seen today in a museum called "die Schatzkammer" (the treasure chamber) in Vienna,/Austria the city where I live ;-).
Next scene (fistfight) is from the roaring twenties, the period between the two world wars where upper class society was decadent on the backs of ordinary people + entertainment industry was born.
Next scene shows the Hindenburg disaster (famous German Airship which blew up in flames) during a time of growing industrialization 1930s.
Next Scene is from the communist elite in eastern Germany who was indulging in party and Champaign while ordinary people were poor and the main idea of communism should be equality of the people.
Then the scene in the middle ages - where the monks (representing the church) feast on Germania (the land) and suppress the common folk (underneath the table).
The scene in the prison again refers to the roaring twenties, as Germania is dressed in a Prussian uniform suppressing the German people. Additionally money is thrown away by everybody, a reference to the big inflation in Germany after WWI.
Then the rockets (Nazi German was working on the first warfare rockets called V1 and V2 (V standing for “Vergeltung” which translates to retaliation - fitting to the picture with the rockets, the lyrics are an alliteration on “über” a german pre-syllable/prefix meaning over. “Überheblich (overbearing / presumptuous), Überlegen (superior) Übernehmen (taking over), Übergeben (handing over), überraschen (surprise), Überfallen (ambush), „Deutschland, Deutschland über allen“ (Germany, Germany above everyONE). The line „Deutschland, Deutschland über alleN“ (Germany above everyONE) is a reference to one of the verses of former national anthem of Germany which was in use from 1922 to 1945 and got excluded after WW2 for being too nationalistic. In this verse there was a line “Deutschland, Deutschland über alleS“ (a subtle difference to the line in Rammstein’s version translating to “Germany, Germany above everyTHING”). The actual verse with this line was already written in 1842, long before the formation of Germany as a Nation (which only happened in 1871) - therefore “Germany, Germany above everything” was relating to the importance of uniting the several German ministates, kingdoms and Duchies into one nation. After WWI this verse got taken into the national anthem of Germany as it spoke to the patriotism of the German people but later officially excluded from the anthem since it was deemed too nationalistic. Today this verse/line is generally frowned upon and would be associated with Neo-Nationalism. Using this line in the scene with the concentration camps including the subtle change from “Germany above everyTHING” (which has already the nationalistic connotation) to “Germany above everyONE” which carries an even more nationalistic / racist meaning is a very clever double-reference to the doctrine of racial supremacy in the Third Reich.
The Concentration camp prisoners have symbols sewn on their jackets for the groups the Nazis hunted and killed (yellow star for Jews, Pink triangle for Homosexuals, red symbol for political adversaries (communists). Germania is on the side of the Nazis and has an eyepatch (representing the blind eye that many Germans turned on the atrocities of the Nazi regime.
The Scene where Till is dressed as a woman refers to the left wing terrorist group called “Rote Armee Fraktion” - a terrorist association in the 1970s responsible for several political assassinations and murders as well as a famous kidnapping of German Diplomats in Stockholm.
Then there is the scene with the stake at which books are burned by the Nazis and people are burned by the church (inquisition). Later the monk (church) and the Nazi soldier hug (as the church did not go against the Nazis when they came to power and both organizations were responsible for a lot of intolerance and suffering in their times.
The scene where Germania is dressed in white with a Halo I think refers to the positive, the strength of the German people who recovered time after time from several catastrophic disasters in their history. Later she gives birth to puppies representing the German people. The puppies are from a rare breed of dogs (Leonbergers) who’s population got almost extinct in both world wars (symbolized with the dogs wearing gas masks) but recovered after the wars. In these scenes the band members wear space suits - in my view a reference to the (hopefully) better future of the German people.
In the very last scene of the outro you can once more see Germania with national colors (black, red gold) with black lipstick, red eyes and golden armor before a red/ black background holding an eagle, the heraldic symbol of Germany. Finally, please find below the lyrics of the song as the perfectly convey the message of the problematic relationship many Germans have to their homeland, wanting to be proud of it but not being able to due to it’s difficult history:
One further remark to one of the more important lines of the lyrics: The line in this song "So jung und doch so alt" (So young and yet so old) refers to the fact that the German people with their idenitify have been around for thousands of years, however the actual state of Germany as a nation was only founded very late (1871) thorough the unification of several mini states (Prussia, Hessia, Saxonia, Bavaria, etc.) Here now the lyrics (copied from the internet):
[Verse 1]
You (You have, you have, you have, you have)
Have cried a lot (Cried, cried, cried, cried)
Separated in spirit (Separated, separated, separated, separated)
United in heart (United, united, united, united)
We (We are, we are, we are, we are)
Have been together for so long (You are, you are, you are, you are)
Your breath's cold (So cold, so cold, so cold, so cold)
The heart in flames (So hot, so hot, so hot, so hot)
You (You can, you can, you can, you can)
I (I know, I know, I know, I know)
We (We are, we are, we are, we are)
You (You stay, you stay, you stay, you stay)
[Chorus]
Germany - my heart in flames
Want to love and damn you
Germany - your breath's cold
So young, and yet so old
Germany!
[Verse 2]
I (You have, you have, you have, you have)
I never want to leave you (You cry, you cry, you cry, you cry)
One can love you (You love, you love, you love, you love)
And want to hate you (You hate, you hate, you hate, you hate)
Presumptuous, superior
Take over, hand over
Surprise, invade
Germany, Germany above everyone
[Chorus]
Germany - my heart in flames
Want to love and damn you
Germany - your breath is cold
So young, and yet so old
Germany - your love
Is a curse and a blessing
Germany - my love
I can't give you
Germany!
Germany!
[Bridge]
You
I
We
All of you
You (superior/overpowering, unnecessary)
I (Übermenschen (translates to “superior humans” - a term the Nazis implicitly used for themselves as the calles other races “Untermenschen” - translating to “inferior humans”), weary)
We (The higher you climb, the further you fall)
You (Germany, Germany above everyone)
[Chorus]
Germany - your heart in flames
Want to love and damn you
Germany - my breath's cold
So young, and yet so old
Germany - your love
Is a curse and blessing
Germany - my love
I can't give you
Germany!
This comment needs to be pinned
Just trying to give your comment attention, good work!
Danke!
Well done, guess your Interpretation fits very well. The video is not easy to understand for foreigners who are not experts on our history.
Grossartig, wie du alles erklärt hast. Vielen Dank!
She represents Germania, the personification of Germany and the Germans. Most commonly associated with the Romantic Era and the Revolutions of 1848
Ousting Ludwig wasn't very revolutionary lol
Exactly. And a black Germania is just one of the provocations of this song.
@@Nikioko Also watch her outfits. Her colors always resemble the current flag of the time or the Time Period. Prussian ruled Germany: Black and White. Golden 20s: gold. Nazi Germany: Black, white eyes, brutal red lipstick. Black, Red and Gold while the RAF-terror hostage szene and in the DDR.
@@mantiqor also the eye patch over her right eye making her blind to her right side or blind to the far right wing
@@mantiqor and the golden armor for the medieval fight, a representation of the Holy Roman Empire
Edit: she also has the double headed eagle in the breastplate of the armor, and is holding an eagle at some moments, both are symbols of the Holy Roman Empire
The final piano section is the melody of another of their songs. It's called "Sonne".
From a German, thank you very much for this review, Doug. This song is a masterpiece. Nothing has ever been able to capture my own and our common mixed feelings towards our home country as well as Rammstein's work of art.
Ich bin Niederländer, aber ich denke auch, dass dies ein super Meisterwerk ist. Das Video ist großartig, aber die Musik ist auch sehr gut. Ich finde die Geschichte dahinter gut erzählt. Jedes Mal, wenn ich das sehe und höre, bin ich aufs Neue erstaunt, wie unglaublich gut das ist.
The whole Video will understand only Historians and Germans and these people also have to watch the video several times. The song is about the ambivalent relationship of Rammstein and many Germans to their country, because of the violent and cruel history with extensive human crimes, especially in recent history. Therefore the video features various events from German history, including Roman times, the Middle Ages, witch hunting and burning, Protestant Reformation, the November Revolution, the "Golden Twenties" and hyperinflation, Nazi book burnings, the Hindenburg disaster, the First and Second World Wars, the Holocaust, the Weimar Republic, the Red Army Fraction (violent anti-capitalist alliance of young people and students against Nazis in high state and economy positions in post-war Germany), and the division of the country into West and East Germany including the Uprising June 17 in East Germany
A lot of people do not understand the scenes with the dogs. This breed of dogs are not German Shepards, but Leonberger. This breed of dog narrowly escaped extinction during the First and Second World Wars and is symbolic of the German people, whose existence was also strongly threatened in those wars - both now have a second existential chance.
Great description!!!! 🤘🏻🤘🏻
Thanks very much for the info! 😎👍
A fantastic analysis! Thank you for helping me to understand all of the imagery in the video.
I'm not German (although I have German ancestry), and I still understood the meaning, but that's probably because I understand some German.
I feel like the quick glance of soldiers in tricorn hats (presumably soldiers of Frederick the Great) is often overlooked. Them sitting next to the gluttonous priests/monks, I've interpreted as a sign of how church and state together ruled over the people during the 1700's.
“Those who can make you believe absurdities, can make you commit atrocities.”
-Voltaire
Wow. That is a timely quote. Thank you, Joe.
This is the 2nd time I’ve seen this quote in as little as a few days.
That how the band Rotting Christ begins their intro to Fire God and Fear.
Trump must have read up on Voltaire...
It's been playing out again these past 2 years. Mass formation psychosis.
The story told and illustrated in "Deutschland" simply blew me away. I consider the song to be one of the most important songs ever written in and about Germany - and together with the video, something has been created for which the term "masterpiece" is not high enough.
One thing to point out about the concentration camp execution scene -- each of the four bandmembers on the gallows is marked with a different symbol on their prison uniform: one has the pink triangle of homosexuality, one the yellow star for Jews (and is the one actively hanged in scene), and I haven't caught the other two symbols to identify them yet.
Exactly! The other two that appear in the scene are red (which is a political enemy) and the other one I think red and yellow inverted (political+jewish). Other triangles were green for common criminals, black for "asocials" (gypsys, people with disabilities, vagabonds, etc.), purple for Jehova's witnesses and blue for foreigners
As far as I remember the other two symbols mean in "Deutschland" mean "political" and "asocial/gypsy"...
I'm glad this has been pointed out, as one of the only things that can be done for the victims is to remember them. If we don't remember and acknowledge all the groups impacted, we risk them being targeted again.
@@Lammington2"we risk them being targeted again"⁉️
Do you really think, nationalsocialism and fascism ended 1945⁉️
I know most of the people want believe it, trust in this lie‼️
Unfortunately‼️
Dear Doug; Yes, the back lady is the symbol for Germany, the country, through out this piece. You see that in the colours black skin, the red lipstick and the golden armour - The German flag black, red and gold as it was, but yellow in its modern form. Comes from the original German uniforms as the country was formed in the 1800s, black and red uniforms with golden buttons. The entire piece is symbols overload, understanding it all, takes several views and a very solid knowledge of German history from the Romans to today. Thanks for your reactions, always enjoyable.
And the dogs she is giving birth to are mutts, and thus represents the fact that modern Germany is an amalgamation of many different states and principalities that has had different forms thoughout history as well as an amalgamation of various people from the austro-bavarians in the south, to the dano-schleswigians in the north and everything inbetween.
And actually the official colours of the flag are still Schwarz, Rot, Gold. There is so much from German history and the symbolism, one could write a complete essay about it.
@@herrmeistermann2426 I believe that the dogs are actually Leonbergers, a rare/heritage breed of dog that originated in Germany and that became almost extinct, but due to efforts of people from Germany and people from other nations, they brought the Leonbergers back from the brink of extinction. So more representative of the genesis of a new future, by working to amend relations with other countries in the post ww2 environment. Also the symbology in the song it is like the nativity where Germania is giving birth there is the donkey and another animal.
@@theinvisibleneonrainbowzeb2567 great post and I'm well read but had zero clue about the puppies
You sir rock.
...the German flag is still black, red, gold...most flag producers are just too cheap to make the flag properly gold.
When the "ending credits" start it's written on the screen:
"Ruby Commey as Germania"
The ending piano motif is from "Sonne" from the album "Mutter." That album has some really good ones, too. Sonne, Mutter, and Nebel are fantastic tracks.
I copied this from another channel:
The video opens in AD 16, on the ‘barbarian’ side of the lines, the border of the Roman Empire. Roman soldiers creep through the woods in the aftermath of the Battle of the Teutoburg Forest. The Romans were ambushed by an alliance of Germanic Tribes, led by a chieftain called Arminius (the original Hermann the German). Three legionary standards were captured, a loss symbolic and moral, as well as physical, and decades were spent trying to recover them. Rome never again attempted to take the lands east of the River Rhine, known as Germania.
‘Germania’ refers not just to a place, somewhere partly defined by where it isn’t (Rome) as well as where it is, but also to a national figurehead, traditionally representing the German people. Germania is a strong woman, usually armour-clad and battle-ready. Various symbols appear with her, among them a breastplate with an eagle, a black, red, and gold flag, and a crown. Look out for these in the video - they come up again and again - and the colours of the contemporary flag are there in every scene.
We get our first glimpse of Germania here (played by Ruby Commey), who stands holding Till Lindemann’s severed head. Next, astronauts appear carrying a metal and glass box shaped like a coffin. In the background we see a U-boat - a German submarine, used in World Wars I and II. Then we move to a scene set at a boxing match which takes us to Weimar Germany (1918-1933), a period known for its political instability but also greater cultural liberalism. Here, Germania appears in the cabaret costume of a flapper girl, and the boxers fight with knuckle-dusters as a crowd cheers them on.
We see the former East Germany, complete with busts of Marx and Lenin, the national emblem of East Germany, and a lookalike of the long-serving, insular, and repressive GDR leader Erich Honecker. There’s another astronaut, or rather a cosmonaut: Sigmund Jähn, the first German in space, who flew with the USSR’s space program (and who’s also a character in the 2003 film, Good Bye Lenin!). Medieval monks feast grotesquely on the supine Germania, tearing sauerkraut and sausage from Ruby Commey’s body, prison inmates are beaten by guards dressed in police and military uniforms from different historical periods.
The most obviously shocking scene references the Holocaust and the Nazi period. Four members of the band, in the striped uniforms of camp inmates, wait at the gallows, about to be hanged. They wear the cloth emblems used to identify their ‘crimes’: a pink triangle for homosexual prisoners, a yellow star for Jewish prisoners, a red and yellow star for Jewish political prisoners.
This sequence, teased in an earlier promo video, has already caused controversy. Have Rammstein the right to do this? Do they trivialise the suffering of Holocaust victims? How can they justify using Holocaust imagery to promote their new video? These are important questions that are part of a much bigger debate about the ethics of using the Holocaust in art and media.
Other scenes include the band walking away from a flaming airship, referring to the 1937 Hindenburg Disaster, in which 36 people died. Rats scuttle across the floor when the monks first appear, suggesting the Pied Piper of Hamelin, a legend with origins in the 13th century.
Germania walks towards the camera in a leather jacket, gold jewellery and a string of bullets across her chest, resembling the chariot drawn by four horses (the ‘Quadriga’) on top of the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin. The band members’ heads are shown as white marble busts, taking us to the 19th century Walhalla memorial in Bavaria, built as German Hall of Fame, its sculpted heads of German worthies on display to this day.
In the prison, hundreds of banknotes fall from above, suggesting the devastating hyperinflation Germany suffered in the 1920s. Nazis burn books, intercut with religious fanatics burning witches. We recognise members of the Red Army Faction (also known as the Baader-Meinhof group), a militant organisation active in the 1970s in West Germany. And in a blink-or-you-miss-it exchange, we are reminded of the much-criticised relationship between the churches and the state during the Third Reich.
Each scene captures in a moment the icons of an era, and the video cuts between them more and more frenetically as it goes on. Events bleed into each other, linked by the presence of the band members and the red laser beam that appears throughout the video, a ‘roter Faden’ (red thread or central theme), connecting each event.
Germany engages with its history in a very particular way. Try to imagine the video about Britain, with Britannia played by Ruby Commey. What would the equivalent events be? Quite a few of the tableaux might be similar - Romans, Crusaders, monks, 18th-century soldiers, collarless shirts and bareknuckle boxing - but would it have the same impact?
There’s no affection, and perhaps not much hope: its pessimistic tone seems to be quite an off-brand message for post-1989 Germany, which wants to acknowledge its past critically, while also looking to its future as a state at the heart of Europe. And actually, while we get a lot of medieval and twentieth-century history, the video’s tour through the past seems to stop in the late 1980s, before the fall of the Berlin Wall and Reunification of East and West Germany. Instead, we jump into the future, where the space-suited band take Germania into the unknown, travelling in that coffin-shaped glass box.
There’s an echo of the video for Sonne, where Snow White is trapped in a glass coffin. In fact, a piano version of Sonne plays over the end credits of Deutschland. This is a useful link for understanding something of what Rammstein is doing here. In Sonne, where the band’s characters free themselves of Snow White (naturally, they’ve been her sex-slaves), only to realise that they have made a mistake and long for her return, the overwhelming feeling of Deutschland seems to be that when it comes to Germania (or Germany): you can’t love her, and you can’t live without her.
Copied from GERMANIA (youtube acc) All belongs to him because it can explain all moments in the Video
perfect interpretation.
it could be added, that Germania was held hostage by the RAF in the video, as west germany was held hostage by the terrorism in the 70s.
The monk scene where Germania is feasted on probably refers to the '30 year war' When protestants (Luther) fought cathlics. Maybe also to the times around the Holy Roman Empire (of german nations), when Germany was fragmented into a hundred counties.
Germania is in a coffin because nothing lasts forever. The red beams pick up the roter Faden literaly, as they are modern lasers like used in arcitecture today, to messure the relics of Germany.
The punch line scene is missing: Germania gives birth to obedient german sheperhounds in a futuristic setting. I think Rammstein also documented their pessimism about the future and now.
As an American you might find it interesting to visit one of their older songs called Amerika. I believe it deals with a theme of perceived cultural and economic imperialism on the part of the United States.
"perceived"
Very good suggestion!
Love that song
@@feral_orc yeah that made me laugh too :D
Perceived: "regarded in a specified way -used to say how something or someone is seen or thought of"
Yes, I can see how it would be intensely funny.
During the Holocaust scene, four of the band members are wearing different symbols on their chests:
Pink Triangle for Homosexual Prisoners
Red for Political Activists
Purple for Sinti and Roma
Thank you for pointing this out, too. I haven't seen many people pick up on it, but a few articles also mention this. I also find it interesting that Paul with the plain yellow star is the one who is actually shown to be hanged, even though he's not the first in line. I may be reading too far into it, but it spoke to me about how often the spotlight gets placed on Jewish victims, but less so for the other victims of Nazism.
@@LadyTigerLily, I think you're seeing things that aren't there. You may not know how a gallows works, but they don't off people one at a time. The platform drops out and everyone hangs together. Maybe you ought to give that some thought.
@@Johnny.Fedora the big gallow in Auschwitz doesn't have a platform. They had to off one at a time. And this video is an artwork with the focus on the message not on historical accuracy...
@@morlin985, yes, I do understand metaphor.
@@morlin985 this imagery of death camps probably has to do with labor camps where v2 rockets were made and there was a brutal execution of many slave workers by strangulation (hanging), also i dont think the order or who was hung has anything to do with the imagery and if thats what you are hanging onto from the comments above your reply, it's misguided
I want to thank you for how respectful you treat the art, the artists and also your viewers in this video. On youtube that's sadly not the norm. So big props for making the effort, when many don't.
I started crying even before the actual reaction... i am from germany and it's just a so imbedded thing to be embarrased and feel pain because of your countries history while there is the contrast to the many great things this country has achieved
it really feels like it comes down to "you can only achieve as good things as you can achieve bad"
i am a middle-aged man born in the southern usa to a mom born in berlin six months before ww2 started. she married a us military man and moved to california in the early 1960s and taught my sisters and me vague basics like germany had many problems and some very bad people in the past. my desire to understand the german half of my family was frequently halted by the frequent taunt from other kids my age of “nazi” and “hitler babies” and stuff. so i never again told anybody about my mom’s half of my family lineage by never even thinking about it for decades. not until i watched numerous documentaries of the music created by young germans in the 60s, 70s, and 80s did i find a way to identify with where my mother came from. all those musicians making experimental electronic music wanted a new thing that was only theirs as a way to separate themselves from the past. powerful stuff. then a few years later i found rammstein and wondered what the heck is going on here? then a few years later still, the documentary about them touring the world and visiting the usa was the perfect ending of what i call my german music trilogy of:: krautrock: the rebirth of germany we call it techno rammstein: in amerika . then a few years later, this ten minute rammstein video comes out in 2019 and made it all as fuking obvious as can possibly get while still being incredibly artistic and beautifully ugly. wow. yes, i too can’t get more than a minute into the video without weeping for _all_ the reasons. so i wasn’t the only one twisted up inside about sh|t in the past. so i wasn’t incompetently alone in my angst. and i don’t even live there! i can completely ignore all those issues if need be. yet the emotion is quickly wrenched out of me by this magnificent art. i want to show this to my mother, but i do not have any idea how she would react. i want to have a conversation about stuff and i think showing how deeply everyone feels could help. gotta Love the daily doug!
The recurring lady in the video is supposed to be the mythical figure of Germania, in my opinion. A personified version of the country. So you guessed right in the end.
Not just in your opinion, it says so in the credits ;)
Rammstein has always been a band that has broken all the rules and taboos through their videos and have won awards for them for being so unique and inspiring ... since their conception they have become a band to be feared worldwide ... any major band that are on the same bill as them in any festivals tremble in fear lol ... they make the mighty kiss look like damp squibs lol .... to see them live to to have an experience you will never forget!
Imho the singer Till Lindemann, also reaches that point or goes even further in quite a few songs of his solo carreer [e.g steh auf, Ach so gern, praise abort].
@@Kloashut i agree. Till and Peter take Lindemann to another level
I absolutely appreciate that Germania has an eye patch during the nazi scenes and has a neck brace on. The suggestion being the German people where forced to look at the atrocities and turn a blind eye to it at the same time. Just incredible detail.
totally. It even switches sides - to point out the blindness on both eyes
German saying: "To be blind on one eye" or to be blind on the right/left eye.
The neck brace has to do with another Geman saying: "To posses no backbone(s)." (Kein Rückgrat besitzen.) It means that they don't have / stand up for their pricipals but do what others want them to do.
@@Cadfael007 I appreciate the insight from a native German, thank you.
im learning something new about this song every time. i love it
I thought she wears it because Oberst Stauffenberg who tried to kill Hitler also had to wear one. But, hey its a work of Art and leaves a lot to Interpretation.
I think this is one of the best reactions to this song. "Wow Friends, are you still with me?" fits. and " its provocative but holy shit its powerfull" somehow fits :-)
This song really captures the feelings of every true German towards his country: we want to love you, but we also have to hate you for what you did in the past.
@@jcb7029 Dude, if you get that from what I said, then we're not of the same people.
Thank you for the reaction.
Rae mentioned the scene where 4 people were facing the execution. Only the first executed was depicted as a Jew. The other guys had other patches, not David's stars. They depicted prisoners for political charges, homosexuality, and mental disorders.
The beauty of the film is that they've added so many details and layers to the scenery to tell the whole story.
I didn't noticed it until you said it
I think technically two jews, there was one who is "just" a jew and another who is a political jewish prisoner.
Thank you for pointing this out. As an historian, this attention to detail really impressed me in this video. Its not often that the media depicts the other marginalized individuals and members of social / political groups who were persecuted.
For anyone who might come across this, the list includes but is not limited to: the Roma, liberals, socialists, communists, pacifists, anarchists, union members, Freemasons, Jehovah's Witnesses, members of pacifist religions, homosexuals, bisexuals and trans individuals, the mentally ill and mentally disabled, and the physically disabled
Hi Doug, i watched a lot of reaction videos to this Rammstein Song... and this analyse is one of the best and deepest one. I thank you for your detailed reaction. Well done and greetings from Bavaria, Germany.
The ending piano is from ‘Sonne’, and it’s probably their best song to date. The uncensored video is interesting too
Sonne is the best song from rammstein. No doubt
Doug, you really really need to react to their song Mein Herz Brentt - piano version. YOU WILL BE BLOWN AWAY.
This is such a great song. I’m not German. I’m from Mexico actually. But once I understood, the power of this song.
Thank you, that was excellent. Great work as always, Doug. Really appreciate you. Greetings from Norway.
Worked with a young American guy who learned and spoke crisp German, he loved Rammstein and would explain the lyrics and song meanings when we listened to them at work. I remember telling him when Rammstein announced they were working on a new album, he was so ecstatic he actually got choked up; we moved on to different jobs, so I never got to see his reaction to this song and film, I'm sure it blew his socks off.
Love Rammstein. The reason I’ve started learning to speak German. I really enjoyed this review, thanks Doug. 👍🏼
Musical notes: The music over the intro of the video (with the sinister downward glissando) is "The Beast" by the (late) modern composer Johan Johansson, and the music in the outro is a piano arrangement of their own (Rammstein) song "Sonne." ( ruclips.net/video/StZcUAPRRac/видео.html )
Thank you for pointing out "The Beast".
Another great review! I absolutely love this song and video, incredibly powerful stuff. These guys are artists in the purest sense and make fantastic music. How much must that video have cost, absolutely cinematic! Keep doing what you do Doug, you make lots of people very happy utilising you musical background reacting to different styles. Much love Sir.
“It’s provocative, but holy shit it’s powerful”
Btw, The piano part from the credits is a song called "Sonne" and it is an amazing song too.
As a German when this came out I watched this with my family cause we are all metalheads and everyone was just completely silent after this song. I could relate so much to the chorus where he said he can't give his love to Germany cause I feel the same way. I love living in Germany but I also recognize how messed up our past was and can never give this country my love because of this.
Doug I am so glad I found your channel. This is an amazing song and video. Keep up the great work
That was magnificent! Such a powerful mix of music and video that transcends what rock music is.
Thats a nice one. Enjoy, and greetings from Germany! And yes, she represents Germania - a manifestation of Germany itself. And the viewer experiences her wandering through her own conflicted history.
Fine reaction Doug! I see that our friends has already responded to the the question around the woman: Germania/Germany - and yes as previously written below, that piano at the end there is from Rammstein´s song "Sonne". More Rammstein please, Doug!! They are totally unique and always brings something extra!
I watched the full video before watching your reaction and it is so powerful and well done. I also liked your translation. Definitely top 5 videos I have ever seen.
Of all the times I've heard this song and watched this video I've never taken the time to truly understand the lyrics and symbolism. Your real time translating and the video brought me to tears.
Seen them live twice. Industrial metal at its best. Til lindemann is an artist. Check out his solo stuff. Legend metal band here in uk. It's kind of wierd hearing them through your commentary as a 'new band' to you, because they have been massive for 10 years headlining most venues in uk and europe all the way. The piano section at the end is another famous song of theirs called 'sonne'.
I saw them live 3 times...TWO opened to KISS on 2008 or 09 ...Awesomeeee!!
Hi, I'm from Germany.
Rammstein is playing a classic "Industrial Metal" style. A 50-50 mix of synthesizers and hard metal guitars.
A big part of the German history in one video. The black woman as Germania. Germania is the personification of the German nation. It isn't and wasn't a goddess or Joan of Arc.
The glass coffin: It is Little Snow White from the Grimm-fairytales....and from their own video "Sonne". Only with black skin and in space.
The piano song at the end is the song "Sonne", too.
The words "Germania Magna" at the beginning are a Roman name for the area of Germany, that wasn't conquered by the Roman Empire at that time.
Germania Superior and Germania Inferior were the Roman conquered areas (Roman provinces) of Germany.
The line in this song "So jung und doch so alt" (So young and yet so old) means:
Germany as a unified state is very young. A unified German nation is only existing from 1871 onwards. Before that year of unification Germany was made of countless, little mini-states and the people identified first and foremost as Prussians, Hessians, Saxons etc, etc, etc. and only in a second line of thought they had a lose sense of being somehow Germans, too, as a kind of unifying second identity.
So the area & the landscape where the Germans are living and the Germans themselves as a people...are thousands of years old. But only recently, in 1871, there was a unified Germany as one single state.
So Germany as a unified state is very young...and at the same time it is thousands of years old.
The battle of the Teutoburg forest against the Romans (and Rammstein as Roman soldiers and Germans alike).
That battle is of ABSOLUTE importance for the German history.
The hanged bodies in the trees were the beaten Roman soldiers, who were gruesome sacrificed to the Germanic gods...and were partly nailed to the trees.
The Varus-(Teutoburg)-Battle was already in 9 AD. In 16 AD were the vengeance campaigns of commanding field general Germanicus under Emperor Tiberius Augustus. Therefore we see here the arrival of the Roman troops of Germanicus and they are watching their dead comrades hanging in the trees or getting their heads chopped off (for nailing them to the trees).
In reality the Romans under Germanicus found only the bones of the Varus army in the various ways they were slaughtered, sacrificed and displayed at the trees. Slaves were liberated even decades after the battle.
After the scenes with the Romans we saw the Hindenburg Zeppelin disaster (the burning Zeppelin in the background).
The moustaches and clothing from the fight scene are from WWI and post WWI years. From the working class people in WWI and the roaring 20's. In the WWII years later on this kind of big bushy moustache was already out of fashion.
The falling banknotes in the prison are not about corruption. That scene is about the hyper-inflation of the 1920's, that took away the savings of the Germans and left them in deep poverty and desperation.
One had to pay a loaf of bread with a handcart full of nearly worthless banknotes back then and it hit the German people deep down inside and in their souls. Especially the poor ones and the simple workers.
The V2 rocket (first manmade object in space) as technical triumph of the German spirit...and at the same time the killing of the concentration camp prisoners in the bunker factories below the mountains during the production of that rocket.
This scene in the video could be a representation of a very specific concentration camp. It was "Mittelbau-Dora" below the Kohnstein mountain.
A mixture between a big, huge bunker factory for V1 and V2 rockets and a concentration camp.
The concentration camp inmates had several different markings for different kinds of convicts and their "crimes" sown to their chests, like it was in reality, too. A pink triangle for homosexuals, the star of David for Jews and two of them were marked with the double-triangles for Jehovas Whitnesses.
The book burnings of the Nazis and the burning of the witches of the church. In the same scene with the book burning there is EVEN MORE going on. The cooperation of the church with the Nazis, when the priest with the cross embraces the Nazi SA-man.
The scene with the sign with the Hammer and a pair of compasses in a circle of wheat is the sign of the GDR (DDR). The socialst German state in the east that existed before the German reunification.
Therefore it was Karl Marx in the background in the scene with the tank (not the scene at the concentration camp).
The scene with Rammstein wielding guns (the pumpgun) and taking Germania hostage was about leftwing terrorism of the 1970's. The terrorists were called the RAF (Rote Armee Fraktion).
My interpretation of the red scanner-like beams: There are two different kinds of beams. The massive straight red light beam that goes up into the heavens AND there were those smaller, thinner "scanner" beams.
Aliens (or humans from the future) are scanning the whole German history. Like some real scientists are scanning and excarvating ancient Mexican or Egyptian statues, for example.
The massive red light beam is the red ribbon of time that ties together all the historical events.
PS: As for the dogs: Germans are fanatical dog lovers. We are a dog-owner nation. The dog is a firm part of Germany.
PPS: They didn't eat the body of the woman and her inner organs, even if it really looked that way. They were eating the national dish of Germany, that was put on the body of the black woman: Sauerkraut, Kassler & sausages.
In my opinion it symbolizes the church eating itself fat on the goods and values and food of Germany during the simple people (farmers, simple workers etc) lived a long time in a kind of hell of poverty and serfdom (the red fetish area below the table with Germania on it).
But that eating scene could indeed have a double meaning. It could represent the 30 years war, that was fought for religious reasons and depopulated large areas of Germany. It forced the people to commit canibalism because nobody was there anymore to produce food. Except the fat, wealthy people of the church, of course. They were still able to eat enough. Only the simple people at the bottom (farmers etc) died from hunger and had to fight and die in that war.
The 30 years war was the biggest catastrophe in Germany until WWI happened.
PPPS: The short scene with the dogs and their gas masks = WWI, where in reality animals (messenger dogs & horses) AND soldiers were wearing gas masks, too.
PPPPS: The puppies at the end are Leonberger dogs. The Leonbergers nearly went extinct during WWI and WWII.
PPPPPS: The black woman in the prison was dressed in a Prussian uniform with a Prussian helmet.
Till sings the famous, often misinterpreted, line of the "Deutschlandlied" (Song of the Germans), that is not forbidden in Germany but simply isn't sung anymore in our modern national anthem.
Till sings in his version the line "Deutschland über allen" (Germany above everybody) What is a BIG change to the real line in the orginal Deutschlandlied-song. In the original Deutschlandlied song it is written as "Deutschland über alles" (Germany above everything).
The real, whole line of that old Deutschlandlied goes "Deutschland, Deutschland über alles. Über alles in der Welt" (Germany, Germany above everything. Above everything in the world).
This line is often misinterpreted by many people as chauvinism and as a looking down upon all other countries on this planet. But that is wrong and not many people know about that in Germany and elsewhere.
The writer of that famous line didn't meant it in a chauvinistic way.
When that song was written, Germany was divided into umphteenth mini-states, what made Germany relative powerless and defenseless. Therefore the task of German unification was the goal above any other goal for all Germans (at least the writer of the song meant it that way).
So the main goal for all Germans had to be the united Germany. The goal of "(united) Germany above everything else".
That was, how that line was meant by the writer of the song.
The line isn't forbidden, like many people wrongly think. It's simply not sung anymore and not part of the official anthem of modern Germany anymore.
This has NOT its reason in the seemingly chauvinist meaning of "Deutschland über alles", like many people wrongly think. This whole stanza of the Deutschlandlied isn't sung anymore, because in other parts of the stanza are borders and landscapes mentioned, that aren't German borders and landscapes anymore.
We want to live in peace with the people and countries, who are now living in those former German lands and therefore we don't sing about those old borders and landscapes anymore.
It has nothing to do with the "Deutschland über alles" line in that stanza, like many people wrongly are thinking.
Finally:
The scenes I'm now talking about are pretty dark and low light. The WWII submarine in the submarine bunker during the astronauts are walking by with the glass coffin.
I think, the choice of the black woman as main actress was made, because:
a) it makes any accusations of racism and fascism against Rammstein useless
b) she represents one colour of the German flag and she is wearing the rest of the colours of our German flag as makeup and jewellery and clothes on her body: Black, Red and Gold
c) it provokes many people EVEN MORE 😄
Greetings
Mega
PS: RUclips didn't allow me to integrate this information into the bigger text (above) for unknown reasons, therefore I'm posting it here:
The troops, who smashed the Jewish shops during the Kristallnacht (not shown in the video) were SA (Sturmabteilung) in brown uniform and not the later SS (Schutzstaffel) in the black uniform. The SA did all the dirty work at the beginning of the Nazi rise to power...until the "Night of the long knives", an inner-Nazi power struggle, happened. The head of the SA (Ernst Röhm) was killed and from then on the SA was turned more and more into the SS under Himmler.
The book burnings were part of the early Nazi years, too, and were done by the SA, too. One can see the SA burning the books and Till is watching it in a brown SA uniform.
Both, Kristallnacht and book burnings were different things and happened at different times. The book burnings happened over a longer timespan at different locations at different times during the Kristallnacht was one big "event" that happened at one single day.
Kristallnacht means "Crystal Night" and was called that way, because the smashed shop windows of the Jewish shops looked like thousands of crystals on the ground. But in the Rammstein video I've only seen the book burnings.
This is for sure the most extensive review of the video I have ever seen/read!! Thx for all that info Mega!!
yup, there he is again. this man deserves all the credit and recognition for explaining the context of the video. megatwingo - I thank you, not only as a fellow german but also as an informed human being. you did a good job!
@@TheSlain1969 Thank you for the nice feedback, Tony! :)
@@LuGer212 Danke für das nette Lob! :)
loved the care you put into this!
Very well done!! I tried to explain the video to a friend, and this helped so much! Very powerful
Also if you want to dive in a little deeper watch "Deutschland by Rammstein: an Analysis" by three Arrows. It takes the visuals and the lyrics and puts them in context with the German history. For me as a german it was quite accurate and still very informative.
For a man to the east of the Berlin Wall, Rammsein's message is a little different, deeper. Dictatorship is not just a concept of a school lesson. We had 3 years of German occupation and 50 years of Soviet occupation. Think for yourself what was worse. Rammstein's socially critical sarcasm is very understandable and close to my heart. I have attended three concerts, the fourth ticket is waiting for the end of covid.
Yeah, i think almost no east german has ever considered the time of the GDR to be a "Soviet Occupation".
Ein äußerst wichtiger Kommentar.
Amazing video, just pure brilliance!!!
Powerful video. Love Rammstein especially Sonne which is the piano at the end. Simply brilliant!
Great video as always but i can't help but feel you needed to see this completely unprepared to get the full experience, like we did when it came out and no one knew what to expect! More Rammstein would be great - especially the live versions, Du Hast (Live inn Paris), Ich Tu Dir Weh (Live at Madison Square Garden), Engel (Madison) are the obvious ones to start with - yet another level of experience!
As a German I can say: This song is more than nine minutes of triggering.... And that's why it's so good, why it is so important!
Damn good stuff. Never been a Rammstein fan but it is certainly powerful and deeply moving work. Love your channel for the insightful input you bring…it’s why you’re the only one I subscribe to. Thanks for yet another great vid.
Such a wonderful and respectful reaction. Thank you man. 😪
You should watch them live, brilliant shows. Til (lead singer) is a certified pyro technician and designs their shows.
Rammstein is in a league all by themselves when it comes to art, music and show. I would recommend you to see some of their live performances. Thumbs up for an important reaction to their masterpiece
It's a true masterpiece in video and song, as a video it has a massive impact and a strong message. As a song it's deep and full but also immediately recognisable! Great video doug!
It took me a year to screw my courage to the sticking place and watch this one. Thank you, Doug.
great video! Doug, would you ever consider reacting to Grateful Dead's Scarlet Begonias in to Fire On The Mountain from May 8, 1977?
Oh shit, you are a Rammstein fan? Awesome, love your videos mate. :)
A doctor has listened to 7 Rammstein albums in a row. _This_ is what happened to his brain:
i sure wasnt expecting to see you here... AWESOME!
Deutschland is a song that I’m not sure would be produced anywhere else in the world. Can you imagine a US or U.K. band taking a critical look at their own history in this way, depicting the genocide of native Americans for the former or the multiple atrocities that were committed in the name of the Empire for the latter in the way Rammstein depicts the holocaust?
And there are so many historical references that they cover, ranging from the Romans being defeated by Germanic tribes at the battle of Teutoburg Forest, to the Bader-Meinhof gang, to the GDR, to Weimar era boxing, to the holocaust… and in most of the scenes, the black, red and yellow colours of the German flag and the lady representing Germania.
I agree that this level of gruesome imagery would be hard pressed to be produced. However, there are many anti-American songs. Some of them are fairly "soft" like Green Day's Holiday but many have fairly poignant criticism like many songs by System of a Down. I would say that especially today as compared to 10-15 years ago it would be much more difficult to get something like that produced.
Also reflected that the level of experienced gruesomeness in reactions are much higher in the US than in EU viewers.
Your breakdowns, reactions and commentary are very much appreciated.
Best wishes to you and yours, from Montreal. 🍻✌
Ow wow you came REALY prepated. Thank you for this, to giving this piece the Time it needs to understand it. Amazing, you two alltogether.All this haunts us Germans till today.
To me, this song simply says that our history is far from perfect. It's not just Germany. All of our past is filled with atrocities, either done to us, or done unto others. We cannot hide from that. Our society changes, but it's still the same. So young, and yet so old. We must remember our past, we must recognize it as our own, so that maybe we can learn from it and break the cycle.
I was thinking the same! It doesn't matter where you come from, there's always some shit in the past of your country, your people or your religion that makes you uncomfortable but you cannot, should not deny, because that past history is what makes our present and we should strive to do always better for the future generations, never forgetting our past failures.
They are an incredible band, even better live. I would highly recommend a double feature, Mein Herz Brennt, the studio version then the "piano" version.
Yes the Music Videos 🤡🤘
This!
She represents the country, German.
I think it is the best music video ever produced. The song, message, the history, the video quality, the band, the way to express the idea....everything makes this video the best that i ve ever seen.
Just RAMMSTEIN in their best level !
I would be hard pressed to come up with a music video/song with more meaningful symbolism & history (no matter how brutal, unsettling & upsetting) than this one! Truly a masterpiece work from Rammstein! VERY accurately detailing the history of Germany (especially it's bloody past). History is rarely beautiful (unless you choose to omit the ugly, in which case, you're fooling yourself!!). It is there to learn from!
Great reaction! Thanks for checking this out...especially with an open mind!
I wasn't aware I was a Rammstein fan, until now. Whew, what a powerful message. And, Doug, the lady represents Germany, as far as I can tell (mind you, I saw/heard this for the very first time)
You should definitely continue reacting to Rammstein's music!
Amazing review and nice intro style. More Rammstein please 🔥
Thank you so much for doing a real first reaction!
It might seem trivial to some reaction channels, but i feel like it adds so much to the format and is really amazing for the viewer.
I wouldn't guess that Maestro Helvering would got into RAMMSTEIN so much. I guess, you're ready for "AMERIKA"
Warlock
I've always considered these guys to be performance artists rather than musicians (in the best way). All of the videos they make are multi-layered and some are even darkly humorous, like Kein Lust.
I love your reactions! Greetings from Finland :)
Rammstein has a long history of making poetry in the form of metal music with multi-interpretable lyrics and motifs in both their lyrics and music, as well as their videos. Every one of their songs are masterpieces. I can wholeheartedly recommend songs like Ohne Dich, Auslander, Rosenrot, Mein Teil, Ich Will, Engel, Du Hast.
Their music really has a tendency to rise above the single medium of music and rises to an experience which combines at least audio, video as media, but poetry and even essay writing into a single feeling.
14:32 It is also important to notice the symbols the nazis attached on prisoners' uniforms. The yellow star was for jews, pink inverted triangles for homosexuals, green inverted triangles for criminals, political prisoners with red, etc.
Great video as always! Maybe you should watch the video a few more times for yourself. There are so many symbolisms about different historical events, it's hard to catch them all. Especially together with lyrics and score. There are also videos on youtube which help understanding some of these scenes. I love Rammstein's Deutschland because it made me want to learn more about those parts of history I wasn't too sure of.
She represents Germany. She is in every part of that story. And the piano end is from another song from Rammstein - Sonne. This is absolutely the best video in music history. The best!
The most prepared reaction I have ever seen, but I enjoyed it anyway.
"Deutschland will ich lieben und verdammen" - that says it all: There are good aspects to love and bad aspects to condemn.
I saw rammstein back in 98 with KORN on their first family values tour. I took LSD for that show, and was blown away!!! 🤯🤯
I bet
Powerful. Thanks for a great reaction.
Earned yourself a sub with your astute narrative picking. Great work pal.
Hi Doug, great video as always, you should do a react of Dyers Eve from Metallica, is the next song of "to live is to die" and the last one of the album.
Greetings from Argentina and would be a honour if you make some analysis of some of our music, maybe Tango?
Too much double bass
Something else to notice is how in the chorus the "Deutschland über allen" is verry clearly "alleN" and not "alleM" - so its "germany above everyone" and not "Germany above everything". Thats important since Rammstein are known playing a lot with words that sound alike and often blend different possible meanings into each ohter. But here it is verry clearl that they are not singing "über allem", which is part of the national anthem like it was used during nazi times, and is publicly baned in germany.
The symbolism in this... When you watch it several times, you see more and more. Down to the colors and time periods.. It's insane.
Thank you Doug for doing this. This is not a song. It is a visual and audio piece of art.
Rammstein! They are one of my all time favorite bands! I have seen them live a few times and it is the most amazing thing ever. I have a ton of respect for you that would go into these different genres with an open mind! And appreciate them for what they are. More Rammstein! Please do Sonne and Mein Teil next! Please!
Great to see Rae again, Her voice through My right speaker can't be a bad thing at all.
When Doug first reacted to Rammstein I suggested this song as a follow-up. Now you can see they can really bring up really dark stuff but still be very expressive and musically interesting.
2000 Years of history in 9 Mins, right in your face. And there are soooo many hidden details...
Finally a awesome reaction. Perhaps even the best reaction I've ever seen. It's important to know something about the topic. Great job. I suggest watching Rammstein-Radio
Deutschland überallen is actually the name of their national anthem . Great review man thanks from Sweden cheers and happy new years!
A masterpiece. No question. I remember the shock when it came out. If you made this reaction video when it was released I believe would have been some sorta risky move. It was provocative, as you said, in the way you said. Music, symbolism, filming, production... this video is so many things all at once in just one piece.
I saw like it's been easy for you to almost "not really watching it" by just focusing, as you always do by the way and we are all here exactly for that personal way to react you have Doug. You were focused more on the music and I believe when you went watching the video again to really look at it, all the details you didn't mention and probably even missed by talking over it, all those details will pop up and be "shocking" {the production was so good that some images lasted too short to avoid making them heavier to watch} but also help to better understand what's going on and a lot is going on there, all mixed in Rammstein's unique solid way.
You said we're supposed to learn from the past, from our History... unfortunately we don't... not everybody does. As a matter of fact we're back there somewhere. We are living our lives 100 years later and yet so many similarities still survive today. I usually say we are living in a New Middle Age which started with the end of Belle Epoque and I confirm my words here. We are living in times when some forces, in Europe but even in USA as the January 6th you "celebrated" over there explains quite well, are willing to bring back what we thought we eradicated after the end of WWII.
Unfortunately we really didn't. Sovranism, Suprematism and Nazi-Fascist underground forces seem to feel like reinforcing and legitimated, supported in many ways by specific political wings today, while those who kept the {Holocaust} Memory alive since then are slowly disappearing by age.
It's so easy to understand my point, if we just look back at mankind history, and I'm not talking about "studying" History. I'm rather talking about "understanding" History, which is a whole different thing, a thing that really can make a difference by giving us an open perspective on what's going on today and what can seriously happen... and I'm not talking about some crazy "conspiracy theory" bull****.
It's a very difficult time and those vibes from the 20s back then, 100years ago, are strong... we are all supposed to {and I do hope we do} do whatever it takes from deep within to not let that happen, not again. I'm from Italy so I perfectly know what I'm talking about... we are going to have a new President of Republic in a week time from today, in my Country, and for the first time in over 70 years we are potentially going to have the 1st President from the Right Wing of our politics, supported by those forces hidden in a brilliant disguise. Our geopolitical situation worldwide is putting the world as we know in peril, every move from now on is gonna be as much relevant as too many still do not understand, too blinded to see or willing to actually go right there into what in WWII so many lives when given to escape from. I would talk more about it, to explain what I mean, but i won't take the spot for a personal monologue.
I just can end by saying this song by Rammstein is so actual today... are we gonna feel still in love with our world if we let, by indifference or ignorance, let old bad things happen again in a way we cannot even imagine? As my mother always says... "when we imagine something really bad happening, the reality shows us something even worse than we managed to figure out when it was already too late". We as world cannot take bad signals lightly, Doug. The world is in a New Middle Age that's lasted longer than a century and will be soon almost a century and a half soon if we all don't work all together to prevent that from happening, if we, mankind, don't plant and cultivate the seed of a New Renaissance today.
Them using a piano acoustic reworking of their song "Sonne" is in line with their reworking their song "Mein Herz Brennt" from the same album "Mutter" into a piano acoustic version 10 years after that album came out. (I do have to say my favorite album by them is Mutter...so of course I'd recommend it and the single of "Mein Herz Brennt" that came with "Gib Mir Deine Augen" on the B Side) I would also recommend Lindemann (the band that Till Lindemann and Peter Tagtgren put together)
Such a powerful piece and a commentary on so much of current life. Rammstein are pure genius and guts for doing what they do.
The song and the video are both EPIC AF.
The ending track is another song called "Sonne". The video for sonne is one of my favorites and is another of very high quality but this Piano Version is actually off of a special album called "XXI Klavier"
Klavier is a piano only compilation album and is a must listen for any fan with a musical background.
She is Germania, a kind of an iconic woman like Athene or a Valkyrie, doing good for Germany and struggling with what Germans do and did.
I'm not a Rammstein fan, but as a German, this piece of music matches my opinion about my fatherland almost exactly. I was awestruck when I heard this first!
17:15 - She is Germania, a presentation of German nation or all germans.
The actress Ruby Commey who plays Germania in the video, descends from a German colony of Togo, Africa.
19:41 - Oh, you figured it out! :)
I also learned, while looking up stuff on this video that the puppies are "Leonbergers". A German breed that almost went extinct during the first AND second world war.
The ending piano section is a piano arrangement of one of Rammstein's biggest hits, the song "Sonne" (Sun). Also, Deutchland, Deutchland über alles is a reference to the beginning of the German national anthem as it was from the Weimar republic and throughout the 3rd reich.
A couple of items I would point out: At the beginning when we first see Germania in full armor, she's looking about with a pained expression. She then plants the standard and the dead German knights begin to rise to fight again, despite terrible injuries. I see this as paralleling (sp) the times when Germany went to war, especially World Wars 1 and 2, Germans from all over the world went to fight for the Fatherland- sometimes not even having been born there.
Second, the inclusion of East Germany in the mix: the boys in the band all grew up in East Germany, and the West/East German split was a painful wound I daresay the reunified Germany has yet to fully address. One thing I noticed was the presence of a cosmonaut in the military office- the first German in space was an East German and this was a huge point of pride back in the day for those who paid attention to such things.
Third (and last!), the 'hanging scene': During this scene we see Germania in an SS uniform, attending the hanging of alleged 'undesirables'. I don't know if it was intentional, but the first time we see her she has an eye patch over her right eye, and the second time we see her the eye patch is on the left. If intentional, I wonder if this is to show that the German people of that time 'saw what they wanted to see'?
Anyway, just a few thoughts that came to mind- as others have said, to do a deep dive into the meanings (real or perceived) would warrant a full-length documentary of its own.
On a personal note, my family came to the Colonies in 1720 from Germany- shout out to Koln :D- and though I am some 300 years removed from 'the old country' when watching this I cannot help but feel a tug on the heart even through so thin a thread of connection.
Best reaction of this epic masterpeace!