Rock Me Amadeus by Falco (Johann Hölzel) is the only German language song to reach #1 in the US, doing so in 1985. Johann would have been 66 this year
Rock Me Amadeus by Falco (Johann Hölzel) is the only German language song to reach #1 in the US, doing so in 1985. Johann would have been 66 this year
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Dr Zeus
Dr Zeus
Dr Zeus
Dr Zeus
Dr Zeus
Wait Nena did get to #1?
99 Luftballons came so close
Vienna Calling also a banger.
His version of Der Kommissar is awesome too.
https://i.redd.it/qkd7ojenyfzb1.gif
TIL that 99 Luftballons only reached #2 thanks to Jump by Van Halen
Does anyone remember that Bloodhound Gang song about Falco ?
I only heard this song when I was a kid. Strange to find out now that it wasn’t in English.
Growing up I thought I just couldn’t understand what he was saying. Now I know I can’t and why.
Ah, I was a weird southern Catholic school 6th grader who absolutely loved Falco.
I feel like there was an English version too.
TIL, the reason I could never make out the lyrics is because it’s in German, and not because of my auditory processing disorder.
Falco is badass. The movie based on his life is also great.
For anyone curious, these are the German parts of the lyrics translates to English:
He was a Punk and he lived in the big city
It was in Wien, was Vienna, where he did everything
He was in debts, cause he drank, but all the women loved him
And everyone shouted: “Come and rock me, Amadeus!”
He was superstar, he was so popular
He was so over the top, because he had flair
He was a virtuoso, was a rock idol
And everybody shouted: “Come and rock me Amadeus!”
Amadeus, Amamdeus [etc.]
It was around 1780 and it was in Vienna
No plastic money anymore, the banks against him
Where the debts came from, everybody knew well
He was a man of the women, women loved his punk
He was superstar, he was so popular
He was so over the top, because he had flair
He was a virtuoso, was a rock idol
And everybody is shouting still today: Come and rock me, Amadeus!”
A quick note here: The first “everyone shouted” refers specifically to every *woman* in the German version, which gets lost in translation because English isn’t a gendered language while German is. Thus, the sentence “everyone shouted: rock me, Amadeus” is definitely meant sexually.
The second time it comes up, “everybody shouted” refers to everyone (men and women), not just women, in the German version, too. So I guess it’s up to your own interpretation how progressive that lyric is meant to be, i.e. if the follwing “rock me” is meant sexually as well. Which, if it is, would mean that Falco sings that not just the women, but also the men wanted to have sex with Mozart.
And the term “Man of the women” is a direct translation of the German idiom “Mann der Frauen”, which means womanizer or playboy.
Out of the dark is also super cool
Front Line Assembly did a cover of this with Tim Skold leading it during the tour they did this recent summer.
‘Twas awesomely fun.
Er war so popolair!
🎶 I’m a playa I’m a playa 🎶
Ralph Garnan on the KROQ morning show in the early 00’s worked this song into bits on the show semi-regularly.
I loved him as a teenager. Also kind of a weird coincidence I was in Puerto Plata DR when he got in his wreck.
Sad fact: He was one of three triplets to survive…
Fun Fact: there’s a bar in Vienna called Falco’s – and they have all his memorabilia and play Falco’s songs only.
That song was everywhere back then. Remixes and all.
Awesome track. Another Gen X Anthem.
Jeanny is also a fantastic and sad song.
Nobody calls him “Johann” in Austria. He’s plain Falco or if you want to be fancy Hans/Hansi Hölzel.
My middle name is Amadeus and my dad gave me the name just because of this song. I’m not gonna lie, Amadeus sounds cool
Nobody calls him Johann.
I am one of the dancers in the video! Falco had 2 dogs that he brought to the set, Great Danes I think. Long time ago
So exaltiert!
Great song. “Jenny” (in German/Austrian) is fantastic too. Grew up with these.
Love Falco
This was my first cassette tape.
1985 was society’s peak
That was a great song!!!! R.I.P
Also the first white guy entering the Billboard-R&B-Single-Charts. Took til 2002 for Eminem to get rated higher.
It was a fantastic song and musically that era was awesome , such variety was on offer
Dr Zaius, Dr Zaius!
One of like 4 records/albums I owned growing up. Even as a kid, I couldn’t help but marvel at how much peppier the “American Edit” of the song was than the comparatively prototypical-sounding original version.
I love this song! 🤘
He also wrote/performed the original “Der Kommisar.”
I’m a playa. I’m a playa.
I’ve never heard this before, but dang this guy was amazing. Holy crap. Just look at him. Thanks reddit
Falco once said one of my favorite quotes: “If Mozart were alive today, he’d be a punk rocker.”
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Gone too soon, my friend. RIP.