Angst – Bilingual Lyrics German/English

• By: Rammstein
• Album: Zeit

Lyrics & Translation

Dive into Rammstein's "Angst" to explore the German concept of "Angst" (fear) and how it's woven into societal narratives. Through its powerful lyrics and imagery, the song offers a unique lens to understand the cultural nuances of fear and its impact on human behavior, enriching your understanding of both the music and the German language.

[English]

When the children are undisciplined

The father already threatened

The boogeyman will come and get you

If you don't follow my command

And we believe that to this day

So in fear are country and people

Something bad will happen

Evil is coming, will never leave

And the fear grows into the night

Door and gates are guarded

Backs are wet, hands are clammy

Everyone is afraid

Of the boogeyman

In darkness he creeps up

If you're not good, he'll touch you

Don't trust any strangers then

So much nightmare, so much delusion

And so we believe to this day

Heavily armed is the mob

Oh, they can't help but do it

Shouting fire into the streets

And the fear grows into the night

Not an eye is closed

Backs are wet, hands are clammy

Everyone is afraid

Of the boogeyman

Who's afraid of the boogeyman

Who's afraid of the boogeyman

Who's afraid of the boogeyman

Who's afraid

And the fear grows into the night

Not an eye is closed

Backs are wet, hands are clammy

Everyone is afraid

Boogeyman

Boogeyman

[German]

Wenn die Kinder unerzogen

Schon der Vater hat gedroht

Der schwarze Mann, er wird dich holen

Wenn du nicht folgst meinem Gebot

Und das glauben wir bis heute

So in Angst sind Land und Leute

Etwas Schlimmes wird geschehen

Das Böse kommt, wird nicht mehr gehen

Und die Furcht wächst in die Nacht

Tür und Tore sind bewacht

Die Rücken nass, die Hände klamm

Alle haben Angst

vorm schwarzen Mann

In Dunkelheit schleicht er heran

Bist du nicht brav, fasst er dich an

Traue keinem Fremden dann

So viel Albtraum, so viel Wahn

Und so glauben wir bis heute

Schwer bewaffnet ist die Meute

Ach, sie können es nicht lassen

Schreien Feuer in die Gassen

Und die Furcht wächst in die Nacht

Gar kein Auge zugemacht

Der Rücken nass, die Hände klamm

Alle haben Angst

vorm schwarzen Mann

Wer hat Angst vorm schwarzen Mann

Wer hat Angst vorm schwarzen Mann

Wer hat Angst vorm schwarzen Mann

Wer hat Angst

Und die Furcht wächst in die Nacht

Gar kein Auge zugemacht

Die Rücken nass, die Hände klamm

Alle haben Angst

Schwarzer Mann

Schwarzer Mann

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
Angst /æŋst/ B2	noun - fear or anxiety
schwarz /ʃvaʁts/ A2	adjective - black
Mann /man/ A1	noun - man
Furcht /fʊʁçt/ B2	noun - fear
Nacht /naχt/ A1	noun - night
schleichend /ʃlaɪ̯çənt/ B2	adjective - sneaking
Feuer /ˈfɔʏ̯ɐ/ A2	noun - fire
Wahn /va:n/ C1	noun - delusion or madness
Albtraum /ˈalbˌtʁaʊ̯m/ B2	noun - nightmare
brav /bra:f/ B1	adjective - well-behaved
bewacht /bəˈvaχt/ B2	adjective - guarded or watched
schwer /ʃveːɐ̯/ A2	adjective - heavy or difficult
können /ˈkœnən/ A2	verb - to be able to
gehen /ˈɡeːən/ A1	verb - to go

Key Grammar Structures

• Wenn die Kinder unerzogen schon der Vater hat gedroht

  ➔ Use of present perfect tense to describe an action that happened in the past but has relevance to the present.

  ➔ The phrase "hat gedroht" is in the present perfect tense, combining the auxiliary verb "hat" (has) with the past participle "gedroht" (threatened).

• Und das glauben wir bis heute

  ➔ Use of the present tense "glauben" to express a current belief or state.

  ➔ The verb "glauben" is in the present tense, indicating an ongoing belief or perception that persists into the present.

• Schwer bewaffnet ist die Meute

  ➔ Inversion of subject and verb for emphasis, common in poetic or stylized language.

  ➔ The phrase follows a typical inversion pattern: the adjective phrase "Schwer bewaffnet" (heavily armed) precedes the subject "die Meute" (the pack).

• Wer hat Angst vorm schwarzen Mann

  ➔ Use of the interrogative pronoun "wer" to ask questions about people or subjects.

  ➔ The question "Wer hat Angst" is asking who is afraid, where "wer" is the subject pronoun used for asking about people.

• Und die Furcht wächst in die Nacht

  ➔ Use of the present tense "wächst" to describe ongoing action happening in the present.

  ➔ The verb "wächst" is in the present tense, indicating that the fear is increasing continuously in the current moment.

• Gar kein Auge zugemacht

  ➔ Use of the negation "kein" with the noun "Auge" to express 'not a single eye closed', emphasizing total sleep deprivation.

  ➔ The phrase "Gar kein Auge zugemacht" uses "kein" to negate "Auge" indicating that not a single eye was closed.