I just returned from a fabulous, week-long family vacation in Germany. I have a “thing” for Germany; if you search my personal blog for “foreign fetish” you can read all about it, but I digress. For me, music in Germany has always been very powerful. Let me explain.
The first time I went to Germany, I did so at the age of fourteen (okay, I’ll just give you the year as a reference. It as 1983.) as a part of a month-long interchange program with twelve other Americans. I stayed with a girl my age (and her family), just as she had done with my family in the States, the summer before. I was fascinated that the German teens listened to much of the same stuff I was listening to. That summer, “China Girl” by David Bowie was huge over there; I remember vividly giggling with my German and American friends as we told each other to “Shut your moussssssse.”
Also big in Germany that summer? Peter Schilling’s German version of “Major Tom”, “Völlig Losgelöst”…and Supertramp. (I know, right? You either love ‘em or you hate ‘em.)
During my month overseas, I became very much acquainted with Neue Deutsche Welle. Before I flew home, the girl I stayed with made me a NDW mixtape, which included songs I loved like “Sommersprossen” (by UKW) (and by the way, that video is totally hilarious if you care to click), “Da Da Da” (by Trio), and “Carbonara” (by Spliff). I wore that cassette tape out.
As for Supertramp, I hardly ever heard them after I got home because I was riding the 80′s wave, but on the rare occasions that I did, the music swept me right back to that summer in Germany.
As luck would have it, Germany has apparently been in some kind of time warp, because when I was there last week, three magical things happened.
First, while lunching in a small cafe in a small down, the kitchen was jamming to the greatest hits of–you guessed it–Supertramp.
Second, while visiting the Viktualienmarkt, Munich’s famous farmer’s market, I stepped into a shop just in time to hear “Carbonara”. I think that event caused me to spend about twice as much as I would have, had Elton John been playing, but I’m not completely sure about that.
Third, as we were flying down the autobahn on our last full day in Germany, Peter Schilling came on the radio, singing “Völlig Losgelöst”–in that happy tone of his, that makes you want to snap your fingers to the beat and sing along with him, even though it’s one of the most depressing songs ever.
I hope that the next time I get back to Germany, the perfect trifecta finds me again.
In the meantime, enjoy this playlist of awesome 80′s songs that were hits in both English AND German: “Der Kommissar”, “99 Luftballons” (“99 Red Balloons”), and of course, “Major Tom”.
(“Völlig Losgelöst” wasn’t on playlist.com, so you’ll have to click on the link above to hear/watch it on Youtube.)
You have just made my musical day! I love you. Perfect playlist. I’ve been trying to find an excuse to use a video of Falco doing Der Kommissar on my blog for ages.
Motpg´s last blog ..Generational Angst Gap
I concur! About making my day and loving you!!
Secret Agent Mama // Mishi´s last blog ..Weekly Winners The Back To Life- Back To Reality Edition
Oh! Well I love you as well.
Thanks for making MY day!
Melisa´s last blog ..Above God And Everybody
great playlist, Melisa and thanks for sharing your trifecta from your vacation!!!
(All of these songs were included on our “8th grade reunion” mixed CD.)
That is one of the magical things I love most about music… it acts as a time machine!!
I’m swooning, SWOONING I tell ya! You’ve hit 2 of my all-time favorite songs from any year or genre (Der Kommissar & Major Tom) and 99 Luft Balloons is just the fluffer in my fluffernutter sandwich.
I lived 4 years in Deutschland and miss it terribly; love reading your posts & reminiscing!
Danke Schoen!
Mari´s last blog ..Im not dead yet
Wait, you had an 8th grade reunion??? I have never heard of that! (But it sounds like whomever was in charge had impeccable taste in music! LOL)
Melisa´s last blog ..Above God And Everybody
Hahaha!! *blushes*
My friend Bill and I have been the “committee” for each of them! (We have one every 5 years and did a Mix CD for our 10th and 20th).
He’s my cohort in music… this same grade school we went to has a Music Trivia Night fundraiser each year… talk about fun!
Now I need to hunt down those CD’s (or shoot an email to Bill)
Aw Mari, ich liebe dich.
And…bitte schoen!
Melisa´s last blog ..Above God And Everybody
Hahaha, love Supertramp. It is so great how one song can blast you right back to a moment in time!
I love ‘em too, Sue…it’s funny, I don’t make an effort to listen to them, but I sure love when I happen to catch a tune (or six, as was the case at lunch last week!)!!
Melisa´s last blog ..Above God And Everybody
Oh, I LOVE Der Kommisar! And Supertramp is awesome…love “Raining Again”! That was out about that time, too
Kim´s last blog ..Alive & Kicking
Confession… I used to be able to sing 99 Red Balloons IN German.. now I pretty much fake it to make my kids think I’m totally cool.
Kim: I really do love Supertramp too: just not on my iPod, I think.
Lara: ME TOO! hahahaha
Melisa´s last blog ..Ill Tell You Whats Yummy- Cold Spaghetti and Room Temperature Snowballs