Tommi – Bilingual Lyrics German/English

• By: AnnenMayKantereit
• Album: Es ist Abend und wir sitzen bei mir

Lyrics & Translation

Dive into the rich, emotive sounds of AnnenMayKantereit to master German through song. This track is a perfect tool for learners to practice listening to deep, articulated baritone vocals and understanding expressive, poetic German phrasing that goes beyond basic textbook vocabulary.

[English]

Tommi, I think I'm homesick

I want to stand by the Rhine again

Just gaze into it

Watch the ships drift by

Tommi, I think I'm homesick

Maybe it's the light and the way it's breaking right now

Or the fact that

You can see the Spree from this train

Tommi, maybe I'll call you

So you can say: "Someday, someday, someday

We'll start over here for the last time"

Where we grew up together

That's where we'll all move back to someday

So that the children we might have

Are all born in Cologne

Where we grew up together

That's where we'll all move back to someday

So that the children we might have

Are all born in Cologne, born in Cologne, born in Cologne

...

In the city where we were young and dumb

And invincible, because everything was so colorful

And it was always clear that someday the day would come

When we both would leave

We always wanted to see things

As much as possible, all over the world

All roads lead to Rome

And someday back to Cologne

Where we grew up together

That's where we'll all move back to someday

So that the children we might have

Are all born in Cologne

Where we grew up together

That's where we'll all move back to someday

So that the children we might have

Are all born in Cologne, born in Cologne, born in Cologne

...

Tommi, I think I'm homesick

I want to stand by the Rhine again

Just gaze into it

A cold drink and rolling a joint

...

Where we grew up together

That's where we'll all move back to someday

So that the children we might have

Are all born in Cologne, born in Cologne, born in Cologne

...

[German]

Tommi, ich glaub, ich hab Heimweh

Ich will mal wieder am Rhein steh'n

Einfach hineinseh'n

Zuschau'n, wie Schiffe vorbeizieh'n

Tommi, ich glaub, ich hab Heimweh

Vielleicht liegt es am Licht und wie's sich grade bricht

Oder daran, dass man

Hier in der Bahn die Spree seh'n kann

Tommi, vielleicht ruf ich an

Damit du sagst: "Irgendwann, irgendwann, irgendwann

Fang'n wir hier zum letzten Mal von vorne an"

Da, wo mer zusamme groß jeworde sin

Da zieh'n mer alle irgendwann wieder hin

Damit die Kinder, die mer krieje könn'n

Alle in Kölle jebore sin

Da, wo mer zusamme groß jeworde sin

Da zieh'n mer alle irgendwann wieder hin

Damit die Kinder, die mer krieje könn'n

Alle in Kölle jebore sin, jebore sin, jebore sin

In der Stadt, in der wir jung und dumm war'n

Und unverwundbar, weil alles so bunt war

Und es war immer klar, irgendwann kommt der Tag, an

Dem wir beide geh'n

Wir wollten immer was seh'n

So viel, wie es geht und überall auf der Welt

Alle Wege führ'n nach Rom

Und irgendwann zurück nach Köln

Da, wo mer zusamme groß jeworde sin

Da zieh'n mer alle irgendwann wieder hin

Damit die Kinder, die mer krieje könn'n

Alle in Kölle jebore sin

Da, wo mer zusamme groß jeworde sin

Da zieh'n mer alle irgendwann wieder hin

Damit die Kinder, die mer krieje könn'n

Alle in Kölle jebore sin, jebore sin, jebore sin

Tommi, ich glaub, ich hab Heimweh

Ich will mal wieder am Rhein steh'n

Einfach hineinseh'n

Kaltgetränk und ein'n dreh'n

Da, wo mer zusamme groß jeworde sin

Da zieh'n mer alle irgendwann wieder hin

Damit die Kinder, die mer krieje könn'n

Alle in Kölle jebore sin, jebore sin, jebore sin

Key Grammar Structures

• Tommi, ich glaub, ich hab Heimweh

  ➔ Subordinate Clause (Object Clause) without 'dass'

  ➔ In German, the conjunction "dass" is often omitted in informal speech. The verb "hab" moves to the position it would occupy if "dass" were present.

• Zuschau'n, wie Schiffe vorbeizieh'n

  ➔ Relative/Interrogative Adverb Clause

  ➔ The conjunction "wie" is used here to introduce an indirect clause describing an action ("Zuschau'n").

• Vielleicht liegt es am Licht und wie's sich grade bricht

  ➔ Reflexive Verb with Passive nuance

  ➔ The reflexive verb "sich brechen" describes how light is refracted, often used for natural phenomena.

• Da, wo mer zusamme groß jeworde sin

  ➔ Relative Clause with Adverbial 'wo'

  ➔ In colloquial German (specifically local dialects), "wo" acts as a relative pronoun for "da" (the place where).

• Damit die Kinder, die mer krieje könn'n

  ➔ Final Clause (Purpose) with 'damit'

  ➔ "Damit" introduces a subordinate clause expressing an intention or purpose. Note the verb "könn'n" at the end.

• In der Stadt, in der wir jung und dumm war'n

  ➔ Relative Clause with Preposition

  ➔ Since it is 'in der Stadt', the relative pronoun must be in the dative case to match the preposition 'in'.

• Alle Wege führ'n nach Rom

  ➔ Proverbial usage with simple present

  ➔ The sentence uses the simple present to state a timeless truth or a common proverb.

• Und es war immer klar, irgendwann kommt der Tag

  ➔ Subordinate Clause as Subject/Complement

  ➔ The phrase 'irgendwann kommt der Tag' acts as an explanatory clause for the adjective 'klar'.