I just heard this older song from Lindenberg and Delay on the radio. While listening to their – even for native german speakers often incomprehensible – mumblings, I thought about alternate egos and about not behaving like one’s true self. The videoclip I just found is playing around that: a guy is desperately trying to get into the club where they’re performing the song. He’s putting on various disguises but never gets past the bouncer until the very end.
I think everybody who reaches out to the public – be it through art, politics or just by writing a blog – is creating some sort of “public persona(s)” for him/herself. But if this is really helping one’s cause remains to be seen. In some RA-fanblogs there are ongoing discussions about what his “true self” might be. While this will probably never be disclosed, I put some effort into translating this rock song, so that english speakers might have some fun with it too – here you go:
Eigentlich bin ich ganz anders
actually I’m completely different
ich komm’ nur viel zu selten dazu
but I can’t act like myself very often
Du machst hier grad’ mit einem Bekanntschaft
you’re making the acquaintance of someone
den ich genauso wenig kenne wie du
I know just as little as you
Ich hab’ so viel’ Termine
I have so many appointments
in der Disco, vor Gericht und bei der Bank
in the disco, at court and at the bank
Da schick’ ich einfach meine Vize-Egos
I’m sending my vice-egos there
und das wahre ich bleibt lieber im Schrank
my true self prefers to hang out in the closet
Ich bin gar nicht der Typ,
I’m not at all the guy
den jeder in mir sieht
everyone believes me to be
und das werd’ ich euch bei Zeiten
and there’ll be a time
auch alles noch beweisen
when I’m going to prove that to you
Eigentlich bin ich ganz anders
actually I’m completely different
ich komm’ nur viel zu selten dazu
but I can’t act like myself very often
Du machst hier grad’ mit einem Bekanntschaft
you’re making the acquaintance of someone
den ich genauso wenig kenne wie du
I know just as little as you
Du hast bestimmt ‘n falsches Bild von mir
You’ve surely got a wrong impression of me
sowas wie ‘n echten Kujau
like a true Keating
Es tut mir leid, da kann ich nix dafür
I’m sorry but I can’t help it
denn mein eigentliches Ich ist im Urlaub
my true self is on a holiday
Ich bin gar nicht der Typ,
I’m not at all the guy
den jeder in mir sieht
everyone believes me to be
und das werd’ ich euch bei Zeiten
and there’ll be a time
auch alles noch beweisen
when I’m going to prove that to you
Eigentlich bin ich ganz anders
actually I’m completely different
ich komm’ nur viel zu selten dazu
but I can’t act like myself very often
Du machst hier grad’ mit einem Bekanntschaft
you’re making the acquaintance of someone
den ich genauso wenig kenne wie du
I know just as little as you
Zum Schluss, da hätt’ ich noch ‘ne Frage
Finally I’ve got one question
Wieso packt ihr alles, was ich sage
why do you take everything I say
immer auf die Goldwaage –
always way too serious –
Das find’ ich voll schade
that’s such a shame
Planet Schade 
frauvonelmdings
Interesting side note: the two singers have an age gap of 30 years (!) … Lindenberg was already 62 when he performed this song in 2008 😉 … saw him in a club in Hamburg years ago – he truly is an original, coolness personified 😉
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Servetus
My ex used to sing me this song all. the. time. Also “es ist alles klar / auf die Andrea Doria.”
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Servetus
oh, tbw, I can’t answer for everyone involved in the discussion (which is not new, it’s been ongoing on my blog, at least for five years), but for me it’s not about “true self” vs “public persona” or “true” vs “fake.” I don’t believe there is such a thing as a true self. It is, however, a discussion about the nature of identity.
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frauvonelmdings
My definition of a “true self” might match with your opinion however. I think one is constantly developing/changing one’s “true self”. Children – up to a certain age – are naturally pretty uninhibited at first. How they will be able to “speak their mind” when they grow up, depends a great deal on their parents/education and their own ability to “stand up for themselves”.
Regarding RA, I find it interesting, that he – although he claims himself to be “moody” – he doesn’t really allow himself to BE openly moody – at least not towards his “followers” on twitter. Watch John Cusack’s twitter account for a change. THIS is what I’d call moody. Moody, political, outspoken and – although he’s got 1,59 mio followers – he actually sometimes responds to tweets. Same with Neil Gaiman, who has over 2 mio followers.
But – as we heard in the “anglophile i-chat” – “Acting is reacting” – so imho there’s still a long way to go for “Anxiety-Boy” and his true self from Leicester 😉
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Servetus
maybe. I think we are different selves for different people, and none of them are really or fully true or authentic. We may have certain predispositions or preferences or lines we feel we can’t or won’t cross, but there’s no there, there, IMO.
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suzy
Großartig, dass Du das übersetzt hast, der Text ist wirklich gut! Und ich stimme Dir zu, ich glaube wir wären sehr überrascht den ein oder anderen Blogger oder Prominenten kennen zu lernen, wie er/sie in Wirklichkeit ist 🙂
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frauvonelmdings
Tja, die arme Lindsay aus Vancouver hat ja gestern den “moody Armitage” Schock ihres Lebens erlitten … da sieht man mal 😉
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suzy
hab´s gelesen 🙂 na so ein Pech aber auch….
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