I've been told that the German original implies a few things that don't translate well -- does anyone here have a strong enough grasp of German to comment?
Instead of "Hello Major Tom. Are you receiving? Turn the thrusters on. We're standing by." the german version goes "Hello Major Tom, can you hear us? Do you really want to destroy this project?" which strongly implies that he decided to throw the mission. Even his last message for his wife is less sentimental in the original.
The ending is also slightly different, with Major Tom musing that a "light is leading me through space, I'm coming soon ... I'm starting to feel cold".
Instead of "Hello Major Tom. Are you receiving? Turn the thrusters on. We're standing by." the german version goes "Hello Major Tom, can you hear us? Do you really want to destroy this project?" which strongly implies that he decided to throw the mission. Even his last message for his wife is less sentimental in the original.
The ending is also slightly different, with Major Tom musing that a "light is leading me through space, I'm coming soon ... I'm starting to feel cold".
I definitely prefer the german to the english version, if only for the reason that they had to modify the lyrics a lot to still achieve the rhyming effect the original has.
Liev what you said is right on target! Your right, but at some point he just decided to end his life as he knew it. I do believe it does have something to do with lost soles wither it be dew to drugs or just prue unhappeniss. i remember hearing this song during the 80's listening to it ove and over right after my 7 year old son had been kidnapped not so mush what the words were but the feeling of nothing ever going to be the same again. then a few weeks ago i heard it on TV...
Liev what you said is right on target! Your right, but at some point he just decided to end his life as he knew it. I do believe it does have something to do with lost soles wither it be dew to drugs or just prue unhappeniss. i remember hearing this song during the 80's listening to it ove and over right after my 7 year old son had been kidnapped not so mush what the words were but the feeling of nothing ever going to be the same again. then a few weeks ago i heard it on TV and feeling had changed not sadness any more, but just a remonder of a time in my life.
In addition to Liev's response, the stanza a couple of lines before that in English reads something like - "Starting to collect requested data. But what will it affect when all is done? thinks Major Tom" - which seems coldly clinical. The English translation of the German is slightly different and carries a more philosophical - almost religious - tone: "Scientific experiments,/ but what use is that in the end / wonders Major Tom."
In addition to Liev's response, the stanza a couple of lines before that in English reads something like - "Starting to collect requested data. But what will it affect when all is done? thinks Major Tom" - which seems coldly clinical. The English translation of the German is slightly different and carries a more philosophical - almost religious - tone: "Scientific experiments,/ but what use is that in the end / wonders Major Tom."
I've been told that the German original implies a few things that don't translate well -- does anyone here have a strong enough grasp of German to comment?
Instead of "Hello Major Tom. Are you receiving? Turn the thrusters on. We're standing by." the german version goes "Hello Major Tom, can you hear us? Do you really want to destroy this project?" which strongly implies that he decided to throw the mission. Even his last message for his wife is less sentimental in the original. The ending is also slightly different, with Major Tom musing that a "light is leading me through space, I'm coming soon ... I'm starting to feel cold".
Instead of "Hello Major Tom. Are you receiving? Turn the thrusters on. We're standing by." the german version goes "Hello Major Tom, can you hear us? Do you really want to destroy this project?" which strongly implies that he decided to throw the mission. Even his last message for his wife is less sentimental in the original. The ending is also slightly different, with Major Tom musing that a "light is leading me through space, I'm coming soon ... I'm starting to feel cold".
I definitely prefer the german to the english version, if only for the reason that they had to modify the lyrics a lot to still achieve the rhyming effect the original has.
Liev what you said is right on target! Your right, but at some point he just decided to end his life as he knew it. I do believe it does have something to do with lost soles wither it be dew to drugs or just prue unhappeniss. i remember hearing this song during the 80's listening to it ove and over right after my 7 year old son had been kidnapped not so mush what the words were but the feeling of nothing ever going to be the same again. then a few weeks ago i heard it on TV...
Liev what you said is right on target! Your right, but at some point he just decided to end his life as he knew it. I do believe it does have something to do with lost soles wither it be dew to drugs or just prue unhappeniss. i remember hearing this song during the 80's listening to it ove and over right after my 7 year old son had been kidnapped not so mush what the words were but the feeling of nothing ever going to be the same again. then a few weeks ago i heard it on TV and feeling had changed not sadness any more, but just a remonder of a time in my life.
lyricstranslate.com/en/Voellig-Losgeloest-Voellig-Losgeloest.html
lyricstranslate.com/en/Voellig-Losgeloest-Voellig-Losgeloest.html
In addition to Liev's response, the stanza a couple of lines before that in English reads something like - "Starting to collect requested data. But what will it affect when all is done? thinks Major Tom" - which seems coldly clinical. The English translation of the German is slightly different and carries a more philosophical - almost religious - tone: "Scientific experiments,/ but what use is that in the end / wonders Major Tom."
In addition to Liev's response, the stanza a couple of lines before that in English reads something like - "Starting to collect requested data. But what will it affect when all is done? thinks Major Tom" - which seems coldly clinical. The English translation of the German is slightly different and carries a more philosophical - almost religious - tone: "Scientific experiments,/ but what use is that in the end / wonders Major Tom."