In Extremo – Der Rattenfänger

• 0
  General Comment:This song is based on the poem "Der Rattenfänger" by Johann Wolfgang Goethe, which is of course inspired by the legend.

  Flag Tallicafanon July 03, 2006   Link

  • No Replies Log in to reply
    
      There was an error.
• 0
  General Comment:The Ratcatcher of Hameln is something like a german fairy tale. There was once the town Hameln that was pleagued by rats. One day there came a traveling bard and said he could make all the rats go away and desperate the townspeople offered him many riches if he just made the rats go away. The bard took his flute and played a song, that made all rats come to him. Without stoping to play he walked out of the town and all the rats followed him. He led them to the river Main and they all ran into the water and drowend. When the bard returned to the townspeople to get his payment they said that the rat-problem had solved itself and that there was no way his playing could be conected to it in any way and so they did not have to pay him. The bard got very angry and left the town that his curse would be horrible if the townspeople would not pay him but they did not really pay attention to it. When the bard returned, he once again toke out his flute and started to play, but this time all the children of the town followed him down the road away from the town. The townspeople where highly frightend by this display of his power and agreed to pay him his reward and he let go all the children.
  
  "The Ratcatcher
  
  I'm the famous singer
  The far traveled ratcatcher
  That this old famous town
  Sourly really needs
  And even if there would be so many rats
  And even if there would be weasels, too
  Of them all I clear this place
  They all have to come with me
  
  Then the happy singer is
  Sometimes a childcather, too
  Who calmes even the wildest
  When he's singing golden tales
  And would lads be that stern
  And would lasses be that overwhelmed
  In my strings I reach (?, play the lute)
  They all have to follow
  
  Of them all I clear this place
  They all have to come with me
  
  When I play a tune (not a translation, but the same meaning)
  They go away with me
  With the hole pack (?)
  I leave this town
  At night, at night
  At night, on the hunt
  
  Then the worldwise singer is
  Somtimes a girlcatcher
  In no town he arrives
  Where he's not admired
  And would lasses be that boring
  And would women be that prude
  All of them them feel that excited
  With magic strings and song
  
  To lough at you all
  I now take my reward"
  
  Again the tale of the ratcatcher but this time he does not take the childrens with him to get his payment, but the townsmen doughters to be his reward.

  Flag Neithanon April 03, 2006   Link

  • No Replies Log in to reply
    
      There was an error.

Log in now to tell us what you think this song means.

Don’t have an account? Create an account with SongMeanings to post comments, submit lyrics, and more. It’s super easy, we promise!