Das kann uns keiner nehmen – Bilingual Lyrics German/English

• By: Revolverheld
• Album: Neu erzählen

Lyrics & Translation

Dive into the heart of friendship with Revolverheld's "Das kann uns keiner nehmen." This song captures the bittersweet beauty of reuniting with old friends and reliving cherished memories. It's a perfect anthem for anyone who values deep connections and the moments that shape us, offering a chance to connect with German culture through its relatable themes of nostalgia and camaraderie.

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
Freunde /ˈfʁɔɪ̯n.də/ A2	noun - friends
Jahr'n /jaːʁn/ A2	noun - years
erlebt /əˈlɛbt/ B1	verb - experienced
Kneipe /ˈkaɪ̯.pə/ A2	noun - pub, tavern
erste /ˈɛʁstə/ A2	adjective - first
Bar /baʁ/ A1	noun - bar, counter
Momente /ˈmomen.tə/ B1	noun - moments
Leben /ˈleː.bən/ A2	noun - life
Stadt /ʃtat/ A2	noun - city
Trinken /ˈtʁɪŋkən/ A1	verb - to drink
Licht /lɪçt/ A2	noun - light
ändern /ˈʔɛndɐn/ B2	verb - to change, to modify
schnaps /ʃnaps/ A2	noun - spirits, schnapps

Key Grammar Structures

• Alte Freunde wiedertreffen Nach all den Jahr'n

  ➔ Accusative Case with Preposition 'nach'

  ➔ 'Nach' requires the accusative case. 'Jahr' becomes 'Jahr'n' in the dative plural, however, 'all den Jahr'n' as a whole phrase modifying the verb requires the accusative. Therefore, it shows a duration or time period after all those years. Without 'nach', it would be 'seit all den Jahren'.

• Wir hab'n alle viel erlebt Und sind immer noch da

  ➔ Present Perfect Tense (haben + Partizip II)

  ➔ 'Wir haben erlebt' is the present perfect, used to express experiences in the past that are relevant to the present. The 'viel' is the adverb modifying the verb.

• Sieht es heute noch so aus Wie in den Neunzigern

  ➔ Comparative Structure with 'wie'

  ➔ The phrase 'so...wie' is used for comparisons, meaning 'as...as'. Here, 'Sieht es heute noch **so** aus **wie** in den Neunzigern' means 'It still looks as it did in the nineties.'

• Manche sind geblieben Und jeden Abend hier

  ➔ Incomplete Sentence Structure (Ellipsis)

  ➔ The second line 'Und jeden Abend hier' is elliptical. It's missing a verb. The full sentence would be something like 'Und sind jeden Abend hier' or 'Und sind jeden Abend noch hier'. This is common in informal speech and song lyrics.

• Doch unsre Freundschft ist geblieben Denn uns verbindet mehr

  ➔ Use of 'denn' to introduce a reason

  ➔ 'Denn' is a coordinating conjunction that introduces a reason or explanation. It's similar to 'because' in English, but the word order after 'denn' remains standard (subject-verb-object).

• Oooh, das kann uns keiner nehmen

  ➔ Modal Verb 'können' with Infinitive 'nehmen'

  ➔ 'Können' is a modal verb expressing ability or possibility. 'Nehmen' is the infinitive verb it modifies. Here, 'kann...nehmen' means 'can take away'.

• Wir hab'n an jede Wand geschrieben Dass wir da war'n

  ➔ Subjunctive Mood (Konjunktiv II) in Indirect Speech

  ➔ While not strictly Konjunktiv II, the form 'war'n' (instead of wären) in this sentence represents informal/colloquial speech used similarly to reported speech. While often 'wären' would be used if reporting what someone else said/thought, the simple past is sometimes used instead for stylistic effect or casual speech. It implies a reported statement/thought: *We wrote on every wall that we were there.* 'Dass' introduces a subordinate clause.

• Und wenn ich morgen drüber rede Klingt das nach Spaß am Leben

  ➔ Conditional Sentence (Type I)

  ➔ This is a type I conditional sentence. 'Wenn' introduces the condition ('if I talk about it tomorrow'), and the main clause expresses the likely result ('it sounds like fun'). Both clauses are in the present tense. Note also, that the verb and subject swap places immediately after the subordinate clause that starts with 'wenn'.