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German lyrics from David Bowie's "Heroes"
https://www.slave.co.nz/forum/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=173		 Page 1 of 1
Author:  The Immortal Great Potato [ Mon Jul 18, 2005 8:58 pm ]
Post subject:  German lyrics from David Bowie's "Heroes"
Delving into decades-old music for a while now...

Waaay back in good olde 1977, David Bowie decided to head over to what was then West Berlin to record his album Heroes, the title track of which is now a well-known song. At the same time, he also produced a version of this song which has verses 1 to 3 in English, verses 4 to 6 in German, the chorus/bridge in German, and then the final verse in English again. This version can be found on the "Bowie Rare" compilation album of David Bowie songs.

Because I didn't really have much else to do today, I thought I'd translate the 3 verses and chorus/bridge in German into English, listed along with the original German lyrics, and the corresponding lyrics from the English version.... This translation is by no means a definitive version or the most elegant one possible, and any umlauts (double-dots over vowels) have been rendered here by putting the letter e after the vowel in question.

German lyrics in red,
Translation into English of the German Lyrics in green (If there has been any ambiguity about which exact English word to use, I have if possible used the corresponding word from the English version),
English lyrics in blue.

Verses 1 to 3 - In English

Verse 4

Du
You
I

Koenntest du schwimmen
Could you swim
I wish you could swim

Wie Delphine
Like dolphins
Like dolphins

Delphine es tun
Dolphins do it
Like dolphins can swim

Niemand gibt uns eine Chance
Nobody gives us a chance
Though nothing, nothing will keep us together

Doch wir koennen siegen
But we can win
We can beat them

Fuer immer und immer
For ever and ever
For ever and ever

Und wir sind dann Helden
And we are then heroes
O we can be heroes

Fuer einem Tag
For one day
Just for one day

Verse 5

Ich
I
I

Ich bin dann Koenig
I am then king
I will be king

Und du
And you
And you

Du Koenigin
You queen
You will be queen

Obwohl sie
Although they
Though nothing

Unschlagbar scheinen
Seem invincible
Will drive them away

Werden wir Helden
We become heroes
We can be heroes

Fuer einen Tag
For one day
Just for one day

Wir sind dann wir
We are then us
We can be us

An diesem Tag
On this day
Just for one day

Verse 6

Ich
I
I

Ich glaubte zu traeumen
I thought to dream
I can remember

Die Mauer
The wall
Standing

Im Ruecken war kalt
At the back was cold
By the wall

Schuesse reissen die Luft
Shots tear the air
And the guards shot above our heads

Doch wir kuessen
But we kiss
And we kiss

Als ob nichts geschieht
As if nothing happens
As though nothing befall

Und die Scham fiel auf ihre Seite
And the shame fell on their side
And the shame was on the other side

O wir koennen sie schlagen
O we can beat them
O we can beat them

Fuer alle Zeiten
For all time
For ever and ever

Dann sind wir Helden
Then we are heroes
Then we could be heroes

Nur diesen Tag
Just this day
Just for one day

Chorus/Bridge

Dann sind wir Helden x3
Then we are heroes x3
We can be heroes x3

Nur diesen Tag
Just this day
Just for one day

Dann sind wir Helden
Then we are heroes
We can be heroes

Verse 7 (final verse) - In English

...If you've made it this far, then well done!!

[Edit #1: I just noticed that the "schwimmen" in line 2 is a verb, and so shouldn't be capitalised... Sometimes I can be soooo slack... Edit #2: I've done a bit of juggling with which lines the English parallel-lyrics appear on, to synchrinise when the English and German lyrics actually get sung]
Author:  Snuff [ Mon Jul 18, 2005 10:25 pm ]
Post subject: 
Quote:
well u guys get 5 gold stars for effort!
Author:  Rob [ Tue Jul 19, 2005 12:17 am ]
Post subject: 
wow,cool.DFo you wanna borrow a computer game? :lol:
Author:  The Immortal Great Potato [ Tue Jul 19, 2005 12:54 am ]
Post subject: 
Quote:
wow,cool.DFo you wanna borrow a computer game? :lol:
I'm kinda all computer-gamed out at the moment... That's how I end up doing stuff like that :lol:
Author:  HELTER SKELETOR [ Tue Jul 19, 2005 7:57 am ]
Post subject: 
Lol, I have 'Bowie Rare' On Vinyl. I got it years ago for 20c at Save Mart.
Author:  Rob [ Wed Jul 20, 2005 1:22 am ]
Post subject: 
Quote:
... at Save Mart.
Does that place exist?I always thought it was a piss take...or you are actually taking the piss... then I am just stupid...don't bother Jim :lol:
Author:  HELTER SKELETOR [ Wed Jul 20, 2005 9:26 am ]
Post subject: 
Fuck Bro, It's on West St. near Civic Video (That huge 2nd hand clothing warehouse). Infact Lorelle took us to the one in Wanganui on a road trip you guys took us on about 4 years ago. I think she brought you a black trenchcoat on the day. I remember it well because i got about 10 Atari games for the 2600 in my collection.

What led you to believe it was a myth?
Author:  Snuff [ Wed Jul 20, 2005 1:05 pm ]
Post subject: 
Save smart... save S-Mart!
Author:  Rob [ Wed Jul 20, 2005 10:56 pm ]
Post subject: 
Quote:
Fuck Bro, It's on West St. near Civic Video (That huge 2nd hand clothing warehouse). Infact Lorelle took us to the one in Wanganui on a road trip you guys took us on about 4 years ago. I think she brought you a black trenchcoat on the day. I remember it well because i got about 10 Atari games for the 2600 in my collection.

What led you to believe it was a myth?
Haha random, I don't remember a thing ...nothing new I supose but yeah,out of it.I just always thought people used it for shit giving like:
"Where did you get your crappy stupid guitar...Save Mart?" sorta thing.

I am now more in the know. thanks dude. Oh I just thanked some one else! :lol:
Author:  The Immortal Great Potato [ Thu Jul 21, 2005 4:51 am ]
Post subject: 
I've just turned my initial posting here into a web page, found at http://homepages.paradise.net.nz/shood1/helden. This interweb thing's sure eating into my sitting around doing nothing time...
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