In 1994 we lived in Munich - a much shorter time than anticipated - this is a snippet of life there.
The verses are in English and slip into German, the bridge is in German (a little limerick I wrote at the time about a lady we were having more than a little trouble with) and the chorus is as close as I can get to the Bavarian dialekt.
For the benefit of transparency, I have to state that my German skills are pretty limited, and my Bavarian skills even more so - my apologies to any German or Bavarian speakers who may come across this. Thanks to Jan for checking my German! For Bavarian, I was on my own :)
What I'm trying to express in the song is the transition we felt from our native English into German as we were there, and the slow development of our Bavarian dialekt. We loved Munich, and met some of the most friendly people there, and still see friends there when we can.
We drank a lot less beer than it seems here by the way - it was winter, so Glühwein was the order of the day, but it's hard to scan :)
It's kind of europop in a way. It's meant to be frivolous and funny. I guess it might be more meaningful if you understand the German :)
Off the plane in Munich
What could possibly go wrong?
Pambula to Neuhausen
Hand me down my Lederhosen
You can put your Dirndl on
We’re going out to Karneval
Chorus:
I mog da Tanz und Drubl
I mog de ganz Hektic
I mog de schee Marktfweiba
I mog de ganzen Sicht
Wir gehen in die Innenstadt
Wir trink’ ein bißel Bier
Man muß Weißwurst nur am Morgen eßen!
I’ll embrace my inner Bayer
They can’t get me out of here
Gonna tune to Bayern Drei
(from now on)
Chorus:
I mog da Tanz und Drubl
I mog de ganz Hektic
I mog de schee Marktfweiba
I mog de ganzen Sicht
INSTR
Wir können Alpinkatzen hören
Mit Hubert und Zabine
Ich hab’ mich selbst verloren
Dießener Straße, Rotkreuzplatz
And all points in between
Mehr Bier hier, mehr Wurst da
Ja ja
Chorus:
I mog da Tanz und Drubl
I mog de ganz Hektic
I mog de schee Marktfweiba
I mog de ganzen Sicht
Bridge:
Aber!
Die häßliche Hexe aus München
Hat für mir viel’ wahnsinnige Wünsche
Sie wünschte für mir
Kein mehr Wurst, kein mehr Bier
Die häßliche Hexe aus München!
Jawohl!
I hob da Minchna Narrisch gern
Ich bin kein alter Kerl!
Take me back to Nymphenburg
I’m gonna be your Lederhosen boy
You can be my Dirndl girl
We’re going out to Karneval
A ROUGH translation:
Verse 1:
Off the plane in Munich
What could possibly go wrong?
Pambula to Neuhausen (Pambula Beach is where we live in Oz, Neuhausen is the suburb we lived in in Munich)
Hand me down my Lederhosen (traditional Bavarian leather shorts for men)
You can put your Dirndl (traditional Bavarian dress and blouse for women) on
We’re going out to Karneval (long celebrations for Fasching in various parts of Germany)
The chorus is Bavarian(ish) - tut mir Leid Siegfried und Traudl! - and translates something like:
I love the dancing and buzz
I love the whole craziness
I love the pretty market ladies
I love the whole sight (ie thing)
Verse 2:
We go to the city center (Marienplatz)
We drink a small amount of beer
One must eat Weißwurst only in the morning! (a Bavarian culinary rule)
I'll embrace my inner Bayer (Bayer - Bavarian)
They can't get me out of here
Gonna tune to Bayern 3 (a popular radio station in Munich)
(From now on)
Verse 3:
We can hear Alpinkatzen (an Austrian band we first heard at Carnival)
With Hubert and Zabine (Hubert von Goisern and Zabine - leader and sexy yodeller in "der Alpinkatzen")
I got myself lost
Dießener road, Rotkreuzplatz (the street where we were living and a nearby centre)
And all points in between
More beer here more sausages there
The bridge:
But!
The ugly witch from Munich
Has for me many crazy wishes
She wished for me
No more sausage, no more beer
The ugly witch from Munich!
Oh yeah!
I hob da Minchna Narrisch gern (Bairisch "I like the Munich craziness")
Ich bin kein alter Kerl! (German "I'm not an old guy", but there is also a vernacular meaning which I won't go into ;)
Take me back to Nymphenburg (the castle a block or two away from Dießenerstraße)
I’m gonna be your Lederhosen boy
You can be my Dirndl girl
We’re going out to Karneval
credits
from Looking Like The Real Thing,
released January 1, 2017
Neil Porter: vocal, keyboards, bass, guitars, percussion, drum programming, production
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