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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 medievаl 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)
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 fomr 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/puke
Surprise, invade
Germany, Germany above everything
[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 everything)
[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!
რამშტეინის ახალმა კლიპმა სამყარო შეაზანზარა, მოდერ! იყოს რა ღამი თემად (ნუ დახურავ)
