Fur der Woche that’s in it Rainy days and Songdays celebrates German English anthems for the footy.
And no triumphalism here or throwbacks to the World Wars, just banging songs the British have taken to their hearts.
I’ll start off with a curve ball here with a prog rock concept act many outside Germany might not know.
To Be Or Not To Be
I’ll Call Thee Hamlet (Woods of Birnam): And you can’t get much more English than Shakespeare.
I caught these guys in Dresden where they were the headliners for the German Travel Mart.
And just for good measure Birnam lead singer Saxon Christian Friedel throws in a soliloquy.
Give a little whistle
The Scorpions (Winds of Change): The Hanover rockers’ biggest hit was adopted as the song of the Fall of the Berlin Wall.
Of course anyone who listens to the words beyond the opening whistling and before the chorus will know different.
And who says a song can’t have an unintended journey and follows the Moskva down to Gorky Park… and onto Berlin.
Did you ever think that we could be so close like brothers?
Model craft
Kraftwerk (Das Model): And the Dusseldorf kings of synth pop who did wonders for the image of the German fraulein.
And also cornered the market in Tour de France music.
Da Da, Ja, Ja
Trio (Da Da Da): And if learning a language was only this easy.
The rest from this Grossenkneten is German and our translator reveals it is staple pop fare boy loves/doesn’t love girl.
Ja, we know, Da, Da, Da.
Up, up and away…
Nena (Neunundneunzig Luftballons): And this Eurovision banger is one of those rare songs that is just as good in its native language and English.
And of course, there will be English red balloons to greet the home side tomorrow.
North Rhine-Westphalian Nena’s song is thd best of the German English anthems for the footy and no mistake.
And to misquote Nena although it will be her sentiment…
This is it, boys… this ain’t war.
And girls!