Verdamp lang her – Bilingual Lyrics German/English

• By: Bap

Lyrics & Translation

[German]

[English]

Verdamp lang her, dat ich fass alles ähnz nohm

Damn long time ago, that I took almost everything at face value

Verdamp lang her, dat ich an jet jejläuv

Damn long time ago, that I believed in something

Un dann dä Schock, wie et anders op mich zokohm

And then the shock, when it came at me differently

Merkwürdich, wo su manche Haas langläuf

Strange, how many rabbits run on for a long time

Nit resigniert, nur reichlich desillusioniert

Not resigned, just richly disillusioned

E bessje jet hann ich kapiert

I've understood a little bit

Wer alles, wenn dir et klapp, hinger dir herrennt

Who all runs after you, if things are going well for you

Ding Schulder klopp, wer dich nit all hofiert

Pats you on the back, who doesn't usually suck up to you

Sich ohne ruut ze weede dinge Fründ nennt

Calls himself your friend without blushing

Un dich daachs drop janz einfach ignoriert

And simply ignores you the very next day

Et ess lang her, dat ich vüür sujet ratlos stund

It's been a long time, that I stood there helplessly in front of such things

Un vüür Enttäuschung echt ni' mieh kunnt

And really couldn't do anymore because of disappointment

...

...

Ich weiß noch, wie ich nur dovun gedräump hann

I still remember how I only dreamt of it

Wovunn ich nit woss, wie ich et sööke sollt

Of what I didn't know how I should seek

Vüür lauter Söökerei et Finge jlatt versäump hann

Almost missed finding it because of all the searching

Un övverhaup, wat ich wo finge wollt

And generally, what I even wanted to find

Ne Kopp voll nix, nur die paar instinktive Tricks

A head full of nothing, only those few instinctive tricks

Et duhrt lang, besste dich durchblicks

It takes a long time until you see through things

...

...

Dat woor die Zick, wo ich noch nit ens Pech hat

That was the time, when I didn't even have bad luck yet

Noch nit ens dat, ich hatt se nit ens satt

Not even that, I wasn't even fed up with it yet

He woor John Steinbeck, do stund Joseph Conrad

Here was John Steinbeck, there stood Joseph Conrad

Dozweschen ich, nur relativ schachmatt

In between me, just relatively checkmated

Et ess paar Johr her, doch die Erinnerung fällt nit schwer

It's been a few years, but the memory isn't hard

Hück kütt mer vüür, als wenn et jestern wöör

Today it feels like it was yesterday

Verdamp lang her, verdamp lang

Damn long time ago, damn long

Verdamp lang her

Damn long time ago

Verdamp lang her, verdamp lang

Damn long time ago, damn long

Verdamp lang her

Damn long time ago

...

...

Frööchs mich, wann ich zoletz e Bild jemohlt hann

Ask me, when I last painted a picture

Ob mir e Leed tatsächlich jetz jenüsch

If a song is really enough for me now

Ob ich jetz do benn, wo ich hinjewollt hann

If I'm there now, where I wanted to go

Ob mir ming Färv op die Tour nit verdrüsch

If I'm not ruining my colors on this tour

Ich jläuv, ich weiß, ob du nu laut mohls oder leis

I think I know, whether you paint loudly or quietly now

Kütt nur drop ahn, dat de et deiß

Only matters, that you do it

Verdamp lang her, verdamp lang

Damn long time ago, damn long

Verdamp lang her

Damn long time ago

Verdamp lang her, verdamp lang

Damn long time ago, damn long

Verdamp lang her

Damn long time ago

...

...

Verdamp lang her, dat ich bei dir ahm Jraav woor

Damn long time ago, that I was at your grave

Verdamp lang her, dat mir jesprochen hann

Damn long time ago, that we spoke

Un dat vum eine och jet beim andere ahnkohm

And that something from one also arrived at the other

Su lang, dat ich mich kaum erinnre kann

So long ago, that I can barely remember

Häss fess jejläuv, dat wer em Himmel op dich waat

You firmly believed, that someone in heaven is waiting for you

"Ich jönn et dir", hann ich jesaat

"I grant it to you", I said

Verdamp lang her, verdamp lang

Damn long time ago, damn long

Verdamp lang her

Damn long time ago

Verdamp lang her, verdamp lang

Damn long time ago, damn long

Verdamp lang her

Damn long time ago

Verdamp lang her, verdamp lang

Damn long time ago, damn long

Verdamp lang her

Damn long time ago

Verdamp lang her, verdamp lang

Damn long time ago, damn long

Verdamp lang her

Damn long time ago

Verdamp lang her, verdamp lang

Damn long time ago, damn long

Verdamp lang her

Damn long time ago

Verdamp lang her, verdamp lang

Damn long time ago, damn long

Verdamp lang her

Damn long time ago

...

...

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
lang /laŋ/ A1	adjective - long
her /hɛr/ A1	pronoun - her (referring to a female)
kapiert /kaˈpiːʁt/ B1	verb - understood
Enttäuschung /ɛntˈtɔʏʃʊŋ/ B2	noun - disappointment
Erinnerung /ɛˈʁɪnəʁʊŋ/ B2	noun - memory
Färv /fɛʁf/ B2	noun - color
Bild /bɪlt/ A2	noun - picture
Schock /ʃɔk/ B1	noun - shock
Haas /ha:s/ B2	noun - hate
Söökerei /ˈzøːkəʁaɪ/ B2	noun - search
Kopp /kɔp/ B2	noun - head
Ding /dɪŋ/ A2	noun - thing
Fründ /fʁʏnt/ B1	noun - friend
jet /jɛt/ A2	adverb - yet
vüür /fyːʁ/ B2	adverb - before
zokohm /zoˈkoːm/ B2	verb - to come

Key Grammar Structures

• Verdamp lang her, dat ich fass alles ähnz nohm

  ➔ Subordinate Clause with "dat"

  ➔ This line uses the subordinate conjunction "dat" (that) to introduce a clause describing something that happened a long time ago. "Verdamp lang her, dat..." translates to "It's been a damn long time that...". The word order in the "dat" clause follows German subordinate clause rules, with the verb ("nohm") at the end.

• Nit resigniert, nur reichlich desillusioniert

  ➔ Parallel Structure

  ➔ This line uses parallel structure to contrast two adjectives: "nit resigniert" (not resigned) and "reichlich desillusioniert" (amply disillusioned). The structure emphasizes the distinction: the speaker is not resigned, but very disillusioned.

• Wer alles, wenn dir et klapp, hinger dir herrennt

  ➔ Conditional Clause with "wenn"

  ➔ This line uses a conditional clause introduced by "wenn" (if). The structure "wenn dir et klapp" (if it works for you) sets the condition for the main clause "Wer alles... hinger dir herrennt" (everyone runs after you). The sentence highlights the opportunistic behavior of people who are only interested when someone is successful.

• Ding Schulder klopp, wer dich nit all hofiert

  ➔ Relative Clause

  ➔ This line uses a relative clause "wer dich nit all hofiert" (who doesn't flatter you at all) to describe the type of person who pats you on the shoulder ("Ding Schulder klopp"). The relative pronoun "wer" refers to those who are not genuinely flattering, highlighting their insincerity.

• Sich ohne ruut ze weede dinge Fründ nennt

  ➔ Infinitive Clause with "ze"

  ➔ This line uses an infinitive clause with "ze" (to) "ohne ruut ze weede" (without turning red) to describe how someone calls you their friend ("dinge Fründ nennt"). The phrase implies that the person is shamelessly lying, without even blushing.

• Et ess lang her, dat ich vüür sujet ratlos stund

  ➔ Subordinate Clause with "dat" (repeated from earlier example)

  ➔ Similar to the first example, this line uses "dat" to introduce a subordinate clause. "Et ess lang her, dat..." (It's been a long time that...) precedes the clause "ich vüür sujet ratlos stund" (I stood clueless before such a thing). This again uses the German subordinate clause word order with the verb at the end.

• Ich weiß noch, wie ich nur dovun gedräump hann

  ➔ Indirect Question with "wie"

  ➔ This line uses "wie" to introduce an indirect question. "Ich weiß noch, wie..." translates to "I still remember how...". The following clause, "wie ich nur dovun gedräump hann" (how I only dreamed of it), functions as the object of the verb "weiß". German grammar places the verb at the end of the indirect question clause.