I was re-listening the other day a very good music album and I suddenly realized that the greatest psychoanalyst of all time, Sigmund Freud, would have loved it.
The album starts with a song that seems to be a twisted, gloomy children story.
Then it follows a song about a man who shouts instructions and orders.
Then there is a song about the sun / son – you never really know which one, but Freud would say it is about a lost son. Also, this song was released with a video in which a fairy tale princess beats the poor dwarfs.
This is followed by a song in which a very demanding person just says the “He/she wants“
Well, and then there is this song called… you know already: “Mother”.
Freud would say that the whole album is about a very strict and demanding loony-tunes mother, who also reminds me of Madame Pinder Schloss from Addams Family.
So, if Freud would have had a favourite album, it would have been Mutter by Rammstein 🙂
I came across this photo of Christoph Schneider and his wife, Ulrike Schneider Schmid.
Source: https://www.instagram.com/budti/
I’ve seen her in the past, but in this particular photo I think she looks great. She seems to be a mixture between Shirley Manson from Garbage in her youth and Eva Green. I love her make-up, both the eyes and the red lipstick, and I also like the color of the dress and her awesome nails (I also use a similar deep red color for my nails). And, of course, her attitude is pretty cool. Rammstein’s drummer, Christoph Schneider, also looks nice.
I understand that she is a psychologist. How cool is that? She studied in Vienna and in Berlin. Now she works in Berlin.
I don’t know how old she is, but she seems younger than Christoph. Anyhow, I like her style!
They have two kids and got married in 2014. Photos from their wedding are all over internet. Here is one of my favorite photos (taken by Steffen Böttcher):
Isn’t this funny? I love their shoes. He – very rockstar; She – nonconformist (wearing those flats at her wedding). Why would her feet suffer as it happens with most brides that wear the “traditional” uncomfortable shoes?
Also, here is another photo from their wedding. I like it because she has the same dark red nails.
She is kind of private about her life. If you’re lucky enough, she will let you follow her instagram account (soulischmid) 🙂
Read some other cool stuff:
Why is Nina Hagen so cool?The art of today. My favorite contemporary painter: JANET HILLTill Lindemann feeding birds…From Dusk Till Dawn “Dance Scene” vs. Rammstein’s Engel Video
“Engel” (1997) was one of the first Rammstein videos I’ve watched. I was mesmerized by it. I particularly liked the woman’s dance with the snake and whiskey pouring part. I thought she was very very sexy. And the song was amazing.
The dancer is very expressive but unfortunately I couldn’t find her name. Update: Happily, someone pointed out that the dancer’s name is Cécile Dütsch (here is her Linkedin account). On Rammstein Belgium (best Rammstein fan page) I found a copy from what it looks to be a magazine:
Although no one knows the dancer’s name, we do know the female singer’s name. She is Christiane Bobolina Hebold. Although she doesn’t appear in the video, it seems that one time she did sing on stage with Rammstein (according to this guy, they sung together in Parkbühne Wuhlheide show in Berlin in 1998).
Anyhow, here is the amazing video with its amazing dance scene:
I like to think that the dancer represents the whore of Babilon dancing with the devil and baptizing poor Flake with the sinners’ water.
I thought this little “story” was a myth or something like this. Instead, the story itself was written by Robert Kurtzman for the movie From Dusk Till Dawn (1996). The screenplay was written by no other than Quentin Tarantino and the directing was made by Robert Rodriguez.
So, there is no myth about a whore of Babylon baptizing with whiskey lost souls, it’s a story made up by Tarantino and his friends. And guess who played the dance in the movie? – The extremely sexy Salma Hayek! And who is the subject of Salma’s baptise in this movie? Well, Tarantino, of course! 🙂
One year later, Rammstein deliberately took inspiration for their Engel video from this movie. They even state this in their Making of.
Now, if you’ve watched both videos, you can see there is great resemblance between them. The question is, who did it better?
I believe that Rammstein did it better. As much as I love Salma Hayek, I must say that the girl from Rammstein’s video was more suitable for the part. I think she is a professional dancer, she moves like a snake, like an alien, she even looks out of this world.
Salma is a little bit too “human” and “woman” for this part. She is sexier than the dancer from Rammstein’s video. The dancer is a little bit more androgynous, as she is above earthly things, making her more devilish. But, of course, Salma was the first one to do it and it is always a little bit easier to recreate something and avoid the mistakes than to be the first one to do something. Also, Salma has her classic charm and I am sure that some people will say that the original shooting is better than the second.
If you still haven’t seen Engel video or “From Dusk Till Dawn” movie, I highly recommend them both. The original idea is amazing, Salma was so good in the snake dance scene and Rammstein did the best cover this scene could possibly have.
If you like Rammstein, you can also check out these posts:
The funny meaning behind Rammstein’s Feuer und Wasser lyricsSerge Gainsbourg, Till Lindemann and Karl Lagerfeld – An interesting mixTill Lindemann feeding birds…
When I was a teenager I found about this band called Rammstein. Someone showed me a video of Engel and I instantly fell in love with the whole band’s aesthetics.
I never really thought about its lead singer, Till Lindemann. I liked the band as a whole. When I was already a young adult and I saw for the first time live this band I started to like its lead singer.
On stage, he possessed an incredible energy, he discharged so much power and he was definitely enchanting. Only then I started to really like him.
2. Karl Lagerfeld
Ugh, I never really cared much about this guy, but one day I saw a documentary about him and he made some live sketches. They were amazing. He was really talented.
I started to like about him the fact that he dresses in a certain way, always the same, in an old victorian style, but he sells clothes that change style every few months… So, on one hand we have a guy that dresses in the same way years in a row, and on the other hand this same dude convinces million people to buy new clothes every season. If he pulls this off, I think it is incredible.
3. Serge Gainsbourg
Everyone knows about Serge Gainsbourg, even though they might think they don’t. If the lyrics “Je t’aime… moi non plus” tell you something, then you surely already know Gainsbourg.
This crazy song was released in 1969 (ha!). Everyone knows it and that’s all. But, in 2010 I saw the movie Gainsbourg: A Heroic Life, which got me really into Serge. It is a wonderful movie, if you hadn’t seen it yet I highly recommend it. It is not your ordinary biographic movie, it is surrealistic, magical… delicious!
So yeah, after this movie I started to listen all of Gainsbourg’s songs and they are amazing.
So, what about these dudes?
What do all of them have in common? A certain je ne sais qoui… And this picture, this fking amazing picture!!!
I don’t know the story behind this photo, but it is definitely very interesting since it brings together such different personalities. I am pretty sure there is more they have in common…
“Feuer und Wasser” is the 10th song from the album “Rosenrot” by German band Rammstein, released in 2005.
If you listen this song but you don’t speak German, you will hear a deep and profound song, as if it is was about the meaning of life or something like this. Maybe you already know that “Feuer und Wasser” means “Fire and Water” and you might think that the song speaks about them metaphorically, where they are some kind of yin-yang. Anyhow, here is the song (the only normal version I found on Youtube – unfortunately it doesn’t have an official video):
The funny thing is that the song is about a man who swims around in a swimming pool and he sees a beautiful, attractive woman swimming too. What happens next is more likely to take place in his head, overdramatizing (in a hilarious way) the fact that she doesn’t notice him.
So, there are 2 things that make this song really funny:
The contrast between the seriousness of the music and its silly lyrics
The exaggeration of the man’s feelings towards the unknown woman
Wenn sie Brust schwimmt ist das schön
dann kann ich in ihr Zentrum sehn
Nicht dass die Brust das Schöne wär
Ich schwimm ihr einfach hinterher
Funkenstaub fließt aus der Mitte
ein Feuerwerk springt aus dem Schritt
Feuer und Wasser kommt nicht zusammen
Kann man nicht binden sind nicht verwandt
In Funken versunken steh ich in Flammen
und bin im Wasser verbrannt
Im Wasser verbrannt
Wenn sie nackt schwimmt ist das schön
dann will ich sie von hinten sehn
Nicht dass die Brüste reizvoll wären
Die Beine öffnen sich wie Scheren
Dann leuchtet heiß aus dem Versteck
die Flamme aus dem Schenkeleck
Sie schwimmt vorbei bemerkt mich nicht
Ich bin ihr Schatten sie steht im Licht
Da ist keine Hoffnung und keine Zuversicht denn
Feuer und Wasser kommt nicht zusammen
Kann man nicht binden sind nicht verwandt
In Funken versunken steh ich in Flammen
und bin im Wasser verbrannt
So kocht das Blut in meinen Lenden
Ich halt sie fest mit nassen Händen
Glatt wie ein Fisch und kalt wie Eis
sie wird sich nicht an mich verschwenden
Ich weiß
Feuer und Wasser kommt nie zusammen
Kann man nicht binden sind nicht verwandt
In Funken versunken steh ich in Flammen
und bin im Wasser verbrannt
Translation
It’s beautiful when she swims the breaststroke
Then I can see into her core
Not that the breast is what’s beautiful I just swim after her
Sparking dust flows from the center
A firework shoots from her crotch
Fire and water don’t come together
Can’t be bound, aren’t related Sunken in sparks, I am aflame and am burned in the water
Burned in the water
It’s beautiful when she swims naked
then I want to see her from behind
Not that the breasts are attractive
Her legs open like scissors
Then from its hiding place, the flame
glows hotly from her thigh-angle [1]
She swims past and doesn’t notice me I am her shadow, she stands in the light There is no hope and no confidence
Fire and water don’t come together
Can’t be bound, aren’t related
Sunken in sparks, I am aflame
and am burned in the water
Like this, the blood boils in my loins
I grab her with wet hands Smooth as a fish and cold as ice She won’t waste herself on me
I know
Fire and water never come together
Can’t be bound, aren’t related
Sunken in sparks, I am aflame
and am burned in the water
Valentine’s day is the day when we celebrate this passionate and crazy love that we have for the significant other. The Ancient Greeks identified multiple types of love. Among these, the consuming, heart burning type of love was called Eros. This is what we’re celebrating today!
Antonio Canova, Eros and Psyché, 1793
For Valentine’s Day I thought I should share with you one of the nicest love songs / poem I know. There are, of course, many beautiful love songs, but one of the best is Amour by Rammstein. The song “Amour” is the last song on the album Reise, Reise (2004). The song is powerful and Till’s voice is amazing, but the lyrics are la pièce de résistance.
The lyrics are passionate, but not pathetic, sour, but not sad, they are not vulgar, they are surprising and inventive… Amour (French word for “love”) is compared with a wild animal, hungry, dangerous, fierce. It’s an enchanted creature and the lovers are its prey.
Love is a wild animal
…
It sucks tightly on your lips and digs tunnels through your ribs
The lyrics are composed by Till Lindemann, the lead singer of Rammstein. I think you must first understand the lyrics and only after then listen the song. I have English friends that don’t understand German and they weren’t impressed by this song, but after I showed the meaning of the text, they absolutely loved it.
It devours me – head and hair and chokes me again after many years
Die Liebe ist ein wildes Tier
Sie atmet dich, sie sucht nach dir
Nistet auf gebrochenen Herzen
Geht auf Jagd bei Kuss und Kerzen Saugt sich fest an deinen Lippen Gräbt sich Gänge durch die Rippen
Lässt sich fallen weich wie Schnee
Erst wird es heiß dann kalt am Ende tut es wehAmour Amour
Alle wollen nur dich zähmen
Amour Amour am Ende gefangen zwischen deinen ZähnenDie Liebe ist ein wildes Tier Sie beißt und kratzt und tritt nach mir
Hält mich mit tausend Armen fest
Zerrt mich in ihr Liebesnest Frißt mich auf mit Haut und Haar und würgt mich wieder aus nach Tag und Jahr
Läßt sich fallen weich wie Schnee
Erst wird es heiß dann kalt am Ende tut es wehAmour Amour
Alle wollen nur dich zähmen
Amour Amour am Ende
gefangen zwischen deinen ZähnenDie Liebe ist ein wildes Tier
In die Falle gehst du ihr In die Augen starrt sie dir
Verzaubert wenn ihr Blick dich trifftBitte bitte gib mir Gift
Love is a wild animal
It picks up your smell, it’s looking for you
It nests upon broken hearts
and goes hunting when there are kisses and candles It sucks tightly on your lips and digs tunnels through your ribs
It drops softly like snow
First it gets hot then cold in the end it hurtsAmour Amour
Everyone just wants to tame you
Amour Amour in the end caught between your teethLove is a wild animal It bites and scratches and kicks towards me
It holds me tightly with a thousand arms
and drags me into its love nest It devours me – head and hair and chokes me again after many years
It drops softly like snow
First it gets hot then cold in the end it hurtsAmour Amour
Everyone just wants to tame you
Amour Amour in the end
caught between your teethLove is a wild animal
You fall into its trap It stares into your eyes
Spellbound when its gaze hits youPlease please give me poison
Here is the song. Unfortunately it doesn’t have an official video. I bet it would have been great!
For those of you who aren’t very romantic, there is always the song “Pussy” – suitable for Valentine’s Day too (search it on Vimeo because on Youtube you won’t find it 🙂 ).
P.S.1. I was not sure (and I’m still not) how to write in English the idea of a song whose lyrics make a beautiful poem, so I googled various types of formulations and I got this funny result: Song poetry. Funny, this is not about sung poetry, but about Classical Chinese poetry of the Song dynasty of China.
P.S.2. Even though this Rammstein’s song might be a little dark, the same “Amour” that devours the lovers can also bring them fresh and bright and happy moments, like this one. And butterflies in stomach, of course. Here is a cute little scene from the movie Clueless, one of the best kiss scenes there is – in my opinion 🙂 .
Hope you liked this post and I wish you a great Valentine’s Day! ❤❤❤
There’s a twitter account I’ve been following intermittently for a while now. It is called Rammstein Belgium and it surely does a great job following Rammstein’s activity, but it kind of focuses on Till Lindemann, Rammstein lead singer and song writer and I don’t mind at all…
Anyhow, they posted a video which totally swept me off my feet. Look at how cute it is!
Till is feeding the pigeon from his own mouth! OMG! 💕
