Amerika (song)

Last updated • 2 min readFrom Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia

"Amerika"
Amerikasingle.jpg
Single by Rammstein
from the album Reise, Reise
B-side
Released6 September 2004
Recorded2003
Studio El Cortijo (Málaga, Spain)
Genre Neue Deutsche Härte
Length3:46
Label Universal
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)
Rammstein singles chronology
"Mein Teil"
(2004)
"Amerika"
(2004)
"Ohne dich"
(2004)
Audio sample

"Amerika" is a song by German Neue Deutsche Härte band Rammstein. It was released on 6 September 2004 as the second single from their fourth studio album, Reise, Reise (2004). The song peaked at number 2 in Germany and entered the top 5 in Austria, Denmark, and Switzerland.

Contents

Content

The song is intended as a commentary on the worldwide cultural and political imperialism of the United States of America. The song's lyrics, as well as its video, are a critique of America's cultural imperialism, political propaganda and role as a global policeman. [1] The two verses are sung in German with a chorus in Denglisch: "We're all living in Amerika, Amerika ist wunderbar, We're all living in Amerika, Amerika, Amerika" and "We're all living in Amerika, Coca-Cola, Wonderbra. We're all living in Amerika, Amerika, Amerika." The band views it as a satire on Americanization, and the lyrics make reference to various corporate and cultural symbols of America as Coca-Cola, Wonderbra, Santa Claus, and Mickey Mouse. Uncharacteristically for Rammstein, the song incorporates an interlude in which the lyrics explicitly state the band's intentions: "This is not a love song, This is not a love song, I don't sing my mother tongue, No this is not a love song".

Video

The video shows the band in Apollo-era space suits [i] on the Moon, with shots of other cultures acting like stereotypical Americans, satirizing Americanization. These shots include Africans eating pizza and making Christmas wishes to Santa Claus, Buddhist monks eating hamburgers, South East Asians, Japanese, Native Americans, Inuit, Aboriginal Australians, an Indian Sikh man smoking a Lucky Strike cigarette and a Muslim man worshipping in front of an oil refinery after removing his Nike sneakers. Near the end, various ethnic groups sing and dance along. The end of the video shows that the band have actually been in a fake Moon set in a studio, [2] complete with film crew, an allusion to the Moon landing conspiracy theories. Till Lindemann, Rammstein's lead singer, wears a space suit with the name "Armstrong" on it, a reference to Neil Armstrong. The video ends with a band photograph left behind on the Moon's surface while the recording of Jack Swigert's quote "Houston, we've had a problem here" is being played.

Live performance

As with every song from Reise, Reise (except "Ohne dich"), "Amerika" debuted live in three consecutive concerts for members of the Rammstein fan club. During the live performances of this song on tour, Flake is often seen riding around on a Segway PT with confetti cannons firing red, white and blue confetti in a parody of a ticker-tape parade. It was the last song of the band's main set, and was played at every concert of the Reise, Reise tour. During a concert in Gothenburg, Sweden on 30 July 2005, frontman Till Lindemann suffered a knee injury when keyboardist Flake accidentally ran into him with the Segway PT; this caused concerts scheduled in Asia to be cancelled.

Track listing

CD single

  1. "Amerika"
  2. "Amerika" (English Version)
  3. "Amerika" (Digital Hardcore Mix) by Alec Empire
  4. "Amerika" (Western-Remix) by Olsen Involtini
  5. "Amerika" (Andy Panthen & Mat Diaz's Clubmix)
  6. "Amerika" (Electro Ghetto Remix) by Bushido & Ilan
  7. "Amerika" (Jam & Spoon So Kann's Gehen Mix)
  8. "Mein Herz brennt Orchesterlied V"
  • Released in a jewelcase, digipack and as a digital download

Pock-it CD

  1. "Amerika"
  2. "Amerika" (Digital Hardcore Mix) by Alec Empire
  • A 2-track CD single was also released in a card sleeve

UK 7" vinyl

  1. "Amerika"
  2. "Wilder Wein"

Australian edition

  1. "Amerika"
  2. "Amerika" (Digital Hardcore Mix) by Alec Empire
  3. "Amerika" (Western-Remix) by Olsen Involtini
  4. "Amerika" (Andy Panthen & Mat Diaz's Clubmix)
  5. "Mein Herz brennt" (Orchestra Version)

UK version

  1. "Amerika"
  2. "Amerika" (Digital Hardcore Mix) by Alec Empire
  3. "Mein Herz brennt"
  4. "Ich will Orchesterlied VII"

UK DVD

  1. "Amerika" (Video) – 4:19
  2. Making of the Amerika Video – 12:01
  3. "Amerika" (Album Version) – 3:46

Charts

Certifications

RegionCertification Certified units/sales
Denmark (IFPI Danmark) [26] Gold45,000
Germany (BVMI) [27] Gold150,000

Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rammstein</span> German metal band

Rammstein is a German Neue Deutsche Härte band formed in Berlin in 1994. The band's lineup—consisting of lead vocalist Till Lindemann, lead guitarist Richard Kruspe, rhythm guitarist Paul Landers, bassist Oliver Riedel, drummer Christoph Schneider, and keyboardist Christian "Flake" Lorenz—has remained unchanged throughout their history, along with their approach to songwriting, which consists of Lindemann writing and singing the lyrics over instrumental pieces the rest of the band has completed beforehand. Prior to their formation, some members were associated with the punk rock acts Feeling B and First Arsch.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sonne (Rammstein song)</span> 2001 song by Rammstein

"Sonne" is a song by German metal band Rammstein. It was released in 2001, as the first single from their album Mutter. According to Till Lindemann, the song was originally written as an entrance song for the boxer Vitali Klitschko, whose surname was also the working title of the song. The female vocal comes from Spectrasonic's "Symphony of Voices" sample library. The music video for the band's 2019 single "Deutschland" features a piano-based version of "Sonne" in the ending credits.

<i>Mutter</i> (album) 2001 studio album by Rammstein

Mutter is the third studio album by German Neue Deutsche Härte band Rammstein. It was released on 2 April 2001 through Motor and Universal Music. The album's cover image is a photograph of a dead fetus, which was taken by Daniel & Geo Fuchs. The album has yielded six singles which, to date, are the most released from any Rammstein album.

<i>Reise, Reise</i> 2004 studio album by Rammstein

Reise, Reise is the fourth studio album by Neue Deutsche Härte band Rammstein. It was released on 27 September 2004 through Universal Music in Germany and followed shortly by its release across Europe. It was later released in North America through Republic Records on 16 November 2004. Recorded at El Cortijo Studios in Málaga, Spain, the album was produced by the band themselves along with Swedish record producer Jacob Hellner.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Seemann (Rammstein song)</span> 1996 song by Rammstein

"Seemann" ("Seaman"/"Sailor") is a song by German band Rammstein, released as the second single from their album Herzeleid. It was composed by bass player Oliver Riedel, with lyrics by Till Lindemann.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Engel (song)</span> 1997 song by Rammstein

"Engel" is a song by German Industrial metal band Rammstein. It was released in April 1997 as the first single from their second album, Sehnsucht. The female part of song's chorus is sung by Christiane "Bobo" Hebold of the German pop band Bobo in White Wooden Houses. An English version of "Engel" can be found on US special editions of Sehnsucht. According to an interview, keyboardist Christian Lorenz came up with the main riff for this song on a synthesizer along with a whistle melody.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mein Teil</span> 2004 song by Rammstein

"Mein Teil" is a song by German Neue Deutsche Härte band Rammstein. It was released as the lead single from their fourth studio album, Reise, Reise (2004), on 26 July 2004. "Mein Teil" attracted controversy in Germany; the media dubbed it "Das Kannibalenlied" due to its lyrics referring to the Armin Meiwes cannibalism case, which helped to boost it to second place in the German music charts after its release in early August 2004. It was Rammstein's first number-one single, topping the charts in Spain. Remixes of the song were done by Arthur Baker and Pet Shop Boys. "Mein Teil" was nominated for Best Metal Performance at the 48th Grammy Awards but lost to Slipknot's "Before I Forget".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Christian Lorenz</span> German keyboardist

Christian "Flake" Lorenz is a German musician. He is best known as the keyboardist in Neue Deutsche Härte band Rammstein, as well as the main composer of the band along with guitarist Richard Kruspe. He was also a member of the East German punk band Feeling B. Lorenz has solo album named Flake feiert Weihnachten.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ohne dich</span> 2004 song by Rammstein

"Ohne dich" is a song by German Neue Deutsche Härte band Rammstein. It was released on 22 November 2004 as the third single from their fourth studio album, Reise, Reise (2004).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Keine Lust</span> 2005 song by Rammstein

"Keine Lust" is a song by German Neue Deutsche Härte band Rammstein. It was released as the fourth and final single from their fourth studio album, Reise, Reise (2004), on 28 February 2005 in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland as a maxi-single, a limited edition digipak single, a 7" vinyl single, a 12" vinyl single, and as a two-track.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Benzin</span> 2005 song by Rammstein

"Benzin" is a song by German industrial metal band Rammstein, released as the first single from their album Rosenrot.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rosenrot (song)</span> 2005 song by Rammstein

"Rosenrot" is a song by German industrial metal band Rammstein. It was released on 16 December 2005, as the second single from the band's album of the same name.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Feuer frei!</span> 2002 single by Rammstein

"Feuer frei!" is a song by German industrial metal band Rammstein. The song was released as the fifth single from their third album Mutter. The title is from the command to start shooting in German military language and can be compared to "fire at will" or "open fire".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rammstein discography</span>

The discography of Rammstein, a German heavy metal band, consists of eight studio albums, three live albums, and six video albums. Rammstein has also released 33 singles, 30 of which are accompanied by music videos. The band was formed in the mid-1990s by six musicians from East Berlin and Schwerin: singer Till Lindemann, guitarists Richard Kruspe and Paul Landers, keyboardist Flake Lorenz, bassist Oliver Riedel, and drummer Christoph Schneider.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Haifisch</span> 2010 song by Rammstein

"Haifisch" is a song by German band Rammstein. It was released on 28 May 2010, as the third single from their 2009 album Liebe ist für alle da. Just before announcing the premiere of the song's video, Rammstein's website left this quote regarding the song: "the shark not only has teeth – he's got tears as well. But since it lives in the briny deep, no one sees them. A shame. After all, this cartilaginous fish is one of the oldest of the world's many misunderstood creatures. A bit more sympathy couldn't hurt!"

<i>Rosenrot</i> 2005 studio album by Rammstein

Rosenrot is the fifth studio album by German Neue Deutsche Härte band Rammstein, released on 28 October 2005. The album includes six songs artistically omitted from Reise, Reise. The album's first title was Reise, Reise Volume Two, but on 18 August 2005 the album was announced as Rosenrot. The cover art is nearly identical to the Japanese import of Reise, Reise. The image is a slightly altered photograph of the icebreaker USS Atka, taken on 13 March 1960 at McMurdo Station, Ross Ice Shelf, Antarctica.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Deutschland (song)</span> 2019 song by Rammstein

"Deutschland" ("Germany") is a song by German Neue Deutsche Härte band Rammstein. Released as the lead single from their untitled seventh studio album on 28 March 2019, it was their first new music since the song "Mein Land" in 2011.

<i>F & M</i> (album) 2019 studio album by Lindemann

F & M is the second and final studio album by German-Swedish super-duo Lindemann. It was released on 22 November 2019 through Universal Music and Vertigo Berlin. The album was preceded by three singles; "Steh auf", "Ich weiß es nicht" and "Knebel", with "Steh auf" peaking at No. 8 in Germany. Vocalist Till Lindemann reverts to singing in German on this album unlike the group's debut album, Skills in Pills, which he sang entirely in English. And it's the last album feature Hypocrisy/Pain Multi-instrumentalist Peter Tägtgren and as a duo with Till Lindemann before he left in 2020.

<i>Zeit</i> (Rammstein album) 2022 studio album by Rammstein

Zeit is the eighth studio album by German Neue Deutsche Härte band Rammstein, released on 29 April 2022 through Universal Music. Produced by the band with Olsen Involtini, the album was unplanned and recorded as a result of the band's tour being postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. According to the band, the enforced lockdowns due to the pandemic spurred the band's creativity, resulting in spontaneous writing and recording sessions. Rammstein recorded the album in late 2020 and early 2021 at La Fabrique Studios in Saint-Rémy-de-Provence, France, where they recorded their previous album. The album's title track was released as the lead single on 10 March 2022.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Zick Zack</span> 2022 single by Rammstein

Zick Zack is a song by German industrial metal band Rammstein. It was released on 7 April 2022 as the second single from their eighth album, Zeit. The song became Rammstein's fourth No. 1 single in Germany after "Zeit".

References

  1. Two of these are stage reproductions of Apollo 11 suits, but as there is a shortage of such suits for more than a small Apollo crew, the other four suits are contemporary Space Shuttle EMU suits with the chest-mounted control box and the hard upper torso.
  1. Jill E. Twark (2015). Envisioning Social Justice in Contemporary German Culture. Boydell & Brewer. ISBN   9781571135698.
  2. "How to Fake your own Moon Landing" Archived 18 August 2011 at the Wayback Machine , Ethan Siegel. Science Blogs. 7 June 2009. Accessed 7 June 2011
  3. Ryan, Gavin (2011). Australia's Music Charts 1988–2010 (PDF ed.). Mt Martha, Victoria, Australia: Moonlight Publishing. p. 229.
  4. "Rammstein – Amerika" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40.
  5. "Rammstein – Amerika" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50.
  6. "Rammstein – Amerika" (in French). Ultratip.
  7. "Top 50 Singles". Jam! . Archived from the original on 11 December 2004. Retrieved 7 December 2023.
  8. "Rammstein – Amerika". Tracklisten.
  9. "Rammstein: Amerika" (in Finnish). Musiikkituottajat.
  10. "Rammstein – Amerika" (in French). Les classement single.
  11. "Rammstein – Amerika" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts.
  12. "Archívum – Slágerlisták – MAHASZ" (in Hungarian). Single (track) Top 40 lista. Magyar Hanglemezkiadók Szövetsége. Retrieved 26 April 2019.
  13. "Rammstein – Amerika". Top Digital Download. Retrieved 15 April 2022.
  14. "Nederlandse Top 40 – Rammstein" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40.
  15. "Rammstein – Amerika" (in Dutch). Single Top 100.
  16. "Rammstein – Amerika". VG-lista.
  17. "Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 16 April 2022.
  18. "Rammstein – Amerika" Canciones Top 50.
  19. "Rammstein – Amerika". Singles Top 100.
  20. "Rammstein – Amerika". Swiss Singles Chart.
  21. "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 11 May 2021.
  22. "Official Rock & Metal Singles Chart Top 40". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 15 April 2022.
  23. "Jahreshitparade Singles 2004". austriancharts.at. Retrieved 11 January 2020.
  24. "Top 100 Single-Jahrescharts". GfK Entertainment (in German). offiziellecharts.de. Retrieved 11 December 2019.
  25. "Schweizer Jahreshitparade 2004 – hitparade.ch". Hung Medien. Retrieved 11 December 2019.
  26. "Danish single certifications – Rammstein – Amerika". IFPI Danmark . Retrieved 9 July 2024.
  27. "Gold-/Platin-Datenbank (Rammstein; 'Amerika')" (in German). Bundesverband Musikindustrie . Retrieved 8 June 2018.