Written By Braddon S. Williams
Rammstein: Sehnsucht
Language is an interesting byproduct of music.
Music in itself is known as the universal language, but sometimes (as in the case of most opera) the lyrics and vocals are in a foreign tongue, leaving us to interpret the music however we choose.
I related to the music of Rammstein from my very first exposure to it.
Seeing them live intensified my feelings even more.
Rammstein hail from Germany and their native language fits the harshness of their industrial metal attack perfectly.
I bought their Sehnsucht album the year it was released, 1997, and just now learned the English translation to the song titles by looking up the Wikipedia article about the album.
Knowing that Sehnsucht means “longing” adds a layer of understanding that I didn’t possess before, but it really doesn’t change how I feel about the song…it rocks, and it connects to me on a primal level.
I did know that their song Du Hast translates to “You Hate”, but just discovered that it also means “You Have”, which is interesting, but changes nothing.
I’m a big fan of great lyrics, but I’m also a big fan of pure music that moves me.
Rammstein moves me, and I understand that just fine!
