Herzeleid Trivias

Song Information:

Wollt ihr das Bett in Flammen sehen? (Do you want to see the bed in flames?)

Der Meister (The master):
"Der Meister" is about a master's minions following and murdering people, often interpreted as a Mafia hit.

Weißes Fleisch (White flesh /White meat)
"Weißes Fleisch" (pronounced [ˈvaisəs flaiʃ]) is about rape. Till Lindemann once said in an interview that he received a letter from a girl who was raped thanking him for making the song.

She wrote that she could identify with the song "Weißes Fleisch" - that was also in the index for a short while. I spoke about rape while she couldn't. She had grown up with the idea that she had to keep that period from her youth a secret, and couldn't tell anyone. Through my song, she understood she could talk about it. She was so grateful I had written that song... I still don't understand what people get so excited about.

The song also was credited by American journalists as one of the influences behind the Columbine High School massacre due to the opening words of the song ("Du auf dem Schulhof, ich zum Töten bereit", "You, in the School yard, I, ready to kill") and the fact that Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold were professed Rammstein fans. In response, the band issued this statement:

"The members of Rammstein express their condolences and sympathy to all affected by the recent tragic events in Denver. They wish to make it clear that they have no lyrical content or political beliefs that could have possibly influenced such behavior. Additionally, members of Rammstein have children of their own, in whom they continually strive to instill healthy and non-violent values."

Rammstein's keyboardist Christian "Flake" Lorenz is known for the unusual dance he would do when Weißes Fleisch was performed live. There are two theories on the reason for the dance. One is that it started when Flake accidentally caught on fire. The other is that the dance was to relieve boredom on stage. Either could be correct. Also, Live Till used to have spark-throwers attach to his feet for the beginning of the song.

Asche zu Asche (Ashes to ashes):
"Asche zu Asche" is usually interpreted as the crucifixion of Jesus Christ, despite the lines "Ich komm wieder/in zehn Tagen", which means 'I will return/in ten days.' During live performances, the microphones would catch fire when they began to sing the chorus, just as the cover of the single depicts.

Seemann (Sailor, literally Seaman):
"Seemann" is noted to be one of the few slow paced songs by the band. During the live performance, Flake Lorenz used to "surf the crowd" in a boat. However, after being injured several times and almost completely stripped at one concert, the band's bassist Ollie Riedel took his place.

Das alte Leid (The old sorrow):
"Das alte Leid" is about the old sorrow of unfulfilled sexual desires. This is shown by the final line, "Ich will ficken", which means, "I want to fuck".

Heirate mich (Marry me):
"Heirate mich", which is about necrophilia and love for the dead, representing a deep longing for lovers past, is one of Rammstein's controversial songs. In the lyrical booklet for Herzeleid, the lyrics are printed in French, because according to the band, no-one would be disturbed if it was in French. The song was inspired by the death of Till's father.

Herzeleid (Heartache):
The song is about lovers.

Laichzeit (Spawning time):
"Laichzeit" has very accented synthesized sounds. It makes references to a fishes spawning time, apparent in the title and many of the lyrics. Laichzeit makes many references to incest and bestiality throughout the song.

One lyric for example: Er liebt die Schwester und von hinten der Fisch friβt sich zum Mund, die Kiemen blutig noch vom saugen an den roten großen Augen / He loves his sister and from behind the fish devours itself to its mouth, the gills still bloody from sucking on the big red eyes, can be interpreted very darkly.

Another example: Er liebt den Hund. Oh Gott von oben, der Fisch jetzt mit der Zunge küsst, Speit tote Milch dir ins Gesicht. Ihn anzufassen wagst du nicht / He loves the dog, oh god on high, the fish now kisses with his tongue. It spits dead milk in your face, you don't dare to touch him, is very obviously referring to sex with a dog.

In their performance in Live aus Berlin they had a large glitter cannon that shot metallic confetti and smoke 50 feet into the crowd and a very long guitar solo in which Paul and Richard slowly back up towards each other while playing slower and slower.

In their 1997 performance at Bizarre Festival in Cologne, Germany, Till had a bow fitted with sparklers that shot out as soon as the guitarists began playing.

Rammstein:
The song is titled Rammstein, with two "m's", after the band, but it refers to the Ramstein airshow disaster of 1988. In the Live aus Berlin performance of "Rammstein", singer Till Lindemann ascends from underneath the stage, via a trap door. He wears a burning coat, and special goggles from which a laser beam is projected, from one of the lenses.

Nowadays in the live show, Till uses twin flamethrowers attached to his arms instead.