So my parents were planning to bring me to a show of Einstürzende Neubauten when I was younger, but decided against it. Today I was reminded they exist and well, they are fucking weird as fuck, but in a very interesting way.
They go from weird clips with nice song (but still a bit weird):
Edit: So found an explanation for this song which I think is really beautiful and makes me appreciate it quite a bit more
The music video is fascinating. Notice how certain themes are subtly revealed: being the goat and wearing horns, the horror of self-reflection, the uselessness of make-up and jewelery, and the washing of hands. The setting is a dingy restroom, an underworld where dirty things are meant to be flushed away and forgotten. There's a lot of water, too, which to me is suggestive of the River Styx.
Why do I mention this? Because I think it it ties in strongly with the lyrics, where the flag interpretation is probably correct. The song is many things: a critique of, a lament for, and a dialogue with, modern day Germany. The name Sabrina could be a personification of the country as a motherland. Perhaps the singer (Blixa Bargeld) is treating the nation as his lover, and is describing the qualities which he feels she lacks and should strive for.
Consider all the positive things which the colors of the German flag are said NOT to stand for:
- the beauty of a sunset
- sexual consummation and procreation (i.e. stained sheets, and Zeus' descent as a shower of gold to be with Danae)
- vital fluid, both literal (blood) and symbolic (red wine)
- golden memories and golden ages
- actual valuable gold, which would quickly be snatched if left in the open
Germany's blackness dominates and muddies all the other colors. Malevich's Black Square, for example, is an interesting reference. That painting is usually associated with the new order that was about to be established in the Russian Revolution of 1917. Lenin's utopia, however, never came to be. The fact that the revolution didn't live up to its promise might be tied to the lyric about "a high pitch on a future scale".
As a parallel to Russia, Germany also derailed itself through the rise of Nazi ideals and the "cold furnace" of the Holocaust. Certainly, it's no fun to carry an albatross around your neck into the post-WW2 world. How does a nation collectively atone for such a thing? Is it even possible? How can one move on with dignity rather than forgetfulness?
Those are big question with no easy answers. However, the *desire* to look for answers is important, which a song like "Sabrina" beautifully captures. When Bargeld sings "I wish this would be your color", I like to think he's dedicating it to Germany, with "this" referring to the song itself. Perhaps one day, the country's colors will boldly stand for the right things.
If someone were to ask me if this is a love song, I would say yes. It's about tough love.
To just totally wack ass shit like this: