If you learn German with music, your language studies can become that much more fun.\u00a0Learning German with songs that you’d actually hear in Germany can take it to the next level with the added bonus of impressing your German friends.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Warm up those vocal cords and get ready to sing an eclectic mix of culturally important German songs that native speakers love, from classics to rock, pop and hip-hop hits.<\/p>\n
[fluentu-toc]<\/p>\n
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From the celebrated German electronic music band comes this 1983 international hit that portrays the experience of competing in the world\u2019s most famous cycling race, the Tour de France.<\/p>\n In Kraftwerk\u2019s signature style, this song employs repetitive rhythms and a catchy melody with only electronic instrumentation. This electronic music classic notably incorporates mechanical sounds associated with cycling.<\/p>\n This song is perfect for beginners to learn German with music<\/strong>, because it doesn\u2019t have many lyrics<\/a> yet will teach you quite a lot of vocabulary related to European geography!<\/p>\n This famous anti-nuclear protest song by the New German Wave<\/a> band Nena accurately captures the political climate of the Cold War in the 80s in Germany.<\/p>\n It tells a story of how helium balloons are casually released into the air by West German civilians, but are then misconstrued as missiles by East German officials.<\/p>\n This results in an all-out nuclear war, leaving \u201cno room for victors.\u201d This song has easy-to-follow<\/strong> words<\/strong> once you know the lyrics<\/a>. It is also great for vocabulary if you\u2019re a German history or political science enthusiast!<\/p>\n Even if industrial metal isn’t your cup of tea, there’s no denying that Rammstein is one of Germany\u2019s most important musical acts, both in the German-speaking world and abroad.<\/p>\n This song, which you might recognize from films like The Matrix <\/i>and How High<\/i>, plays with the homophones<\/a> hast <\/i>(have) and hasst<\/i> (hate).<\/p>\n This song has very repetitive and easy lyrics<\/a>,<\/strong> making it one of the better German songs for learning the language. You can also check out Rammstein\u2019s other music for more useful practice!<\/p>\n This song attempts to reflect upon the deep insecurity that Germans were feeling at the turn of the last century. An anthem of hope for the German identity, it is well known to many young Germans.\u00a0<\/p>\n Given the economic slump of the early 2000s, as well as the reduction of welfare benefits and stagnation of the former East, it aims to highlight that \u201cthis is just a bad period” more than any other song of its time.<\/p>\n The lyrics<\/a> by the renowned Paul van Dyk are powerfully political and great for an intermediate-level German student<\/strong>!<\/p>\n Deichkind is one of Germany\u2019s top hip-hop\/electro acts, whose ironic and humorous lyrics found popularity in the German-speaking world at the end of the 90s.<\/p>\n This silly song and its equally comical video try to explain, with examples, the concept of leider geil<\/i>, or \u201cunfortunately awesome.\u201d\u00a0For example, despite creating pollution and hurting the environment, getting a fancy new ride is leider geil<\/i>.<\/p>\n The pace of the lyrics<\/a>, as well as the use of slang, make it more appropriate for a higher-level German language student<\/strong>. Nevertheless, if you like hip-hop, give it a shot!<\/p>\n Another hit from the German New Wave, this post-punk \u201ccult\u201d song by the Swiss band Grauzone features a man singing about wanting to be a polar bear.<\/p>\n According to him, if he were one, he \u201cwouldn\u2019t have to cry [and] everything would be fine.\u201d\u00a0Performed with guitars, drums and synthesizers, the song goes on to remark that \u201cpolar bears never have to cry.\u201d<\/p>\n The lyrics<\/a> are ideal for German language beginners<\/strong> who want to acquire some basic, yet specific, vocabulary while they learn German with music that most native speakers recognize!<\/p>\n This song by Bushido, a well-known rapper from Berlin, is the type of rap song that glorifies the money and possessions the rapper has accumulated while sneering at his haters, who so clearly underestimated him back in the day.<\/p>\n All that self-involvement produces great examples of reflexive verbs and pronouns<\/strong>! As reflexive verbs have the same object and subject, the lyrics<\/a> in these kinds of songs are perfect.<\/p>\n For instance, Bushido can now buy himself\u00a0(sich kaufen<\/i>) all kinds of things if he wishes, like an entire Lidl grocery store and a villa. Why? Because the times have changed (themselves)\u2014Zeiten \u00e4ndern sich<\/i>.<\/p>\n Though this song has been recorded many times by different singers, Marlene\u2019s recording of the German love song \u201cLili Marlene\u201d is arguably the most well-known.<\/p>\n Written as a poem in 1915, this song became popular during World War II with soldiers from both sides of the war. This is also probably one of the most famous German-language songs in the world!<\/p>\n With poignant yet colorful lyrics<\/a>, this ode to Lili Marlene is perfect for intermediate German students<\/strong> who are looking for a challenge as they learn German with music.<\/p>\n Dschinghis Khan is the poster child for German disco.\u00a0The band was created in Munich to compete in Eurovision 1979 and released a number of German-language disco tracks centering on hordes and Huns.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cMoskau\u201d<\/em> has a particularly bright feel. It\u2019s unabashedly fun, and a video of its performance has become Internet famous for featuring dancers in bright, satiny outfits performing outrageous Hopak-style dancing<\/a>.<\/p>\n The lyrics<\/a> contain a few interesting verb conjugations<\/strong>, such as the orders in the informal version of the\u00a0Imperativ<\/em><\/a>\u00a0case, telling the listener to \u201cwirf die Gl\u00e4ser an die Wand\u201d<\/em> or \u201cthrow the glasses at the wall.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n Die Toten Hosen is a famous German punk rock band that was formed in D\u00fcsseldorf in 1982. The band’s name translates to “The Dead Pants” and it comes from a German idiom<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n They’re known for their energetic and socially conscious music, often with humorous and satirical elements. This song’s lyrics convey a sense of longing and reflection, exploring themes of nostalgia and lost opportunities.<\/p>\n The lyrics<\/a> also feature possessive constructions using the genitive form<\/strong>: Die H\u00f6lle der Wiedergeburt<\/i>\u00a0(the hell of rebirth),\u00a0im Buch des Lebens<\/i> (in the Book of Life) and more.<\/p>\n Silbermond gained widespread popularity in the German-speaking music scene in the 2000s with their melodic rock sound and emotionally charged lyrics.<\/p>\n A stirring song in general, the lyrics emphasize the strength within individuals to overcome difficulties and spread positivity. The concept of being a “warrior of light” suggests a commitment to hope, love and resilience.<\/p>\n The lyrics<\/a> are helpful if you\u2019re studying the imperative form<\/strong>: Lasst uns aufstehen, macht euch auf den Weg, sei wie der Flu\u00df, wenn dein Wille schl\u00e4ft, dann weck ihn wieder <\/i>(Let us stand up, set out on the way, be like the river, when your will sleeps, wake it up again).<\/p>\n Daniel Wirtz is a German rock musician, singer and songwriter known for his work in the rock and alternative music genres. He was the frontman of the band Sub7even and became famous during the 1990s and 2000s.<\/p>\n In this song, he uses vividly descriptive language, so we can observe how adjective endings change form with different cases<\/strong>. Wirtz employs dative and accusative declension of neutral-gender adjectives.<\/p>\n In the lyrics<\/a>, Wirtz presents his personal philosophy in reinster Form<\/i>\u00a0(in purest form) as he describes\u00a0das Leben im freien Fall<\/i>\u00a0(life in free fall). The song also features a variety of German adverbs.<\/p>\n As the indie rockers from Hamburg paint a dark and abstract picture of dysfunctional love, you can cement in your brain the diverse ways in which prepositions act upon possessive pronouns, articles and adjectives.<\/p>\n The song title translates to “The Slow Death of a Very Large Animal.” This song is full of many luscious German prepositions<\/strong> such as z<\/em>u, \u00fcber, unten, in, vor, aus, bei<\/i> (to, over, under, in, before, out, at).<\/p>\n Also, the lyrics<\/a> provide examples of imperative form in the second-person plural. The live acoustic version of the song on\u00a0TV Noir<\/em>, with a slower tempo and black-and-white aesthetic, is particularly lovely and haunting.<\/p>\n Andreas Bourani is a German singer-songwriter known for his pop and rock-influenced music. He’s also\u00a0been a coach on the German edition of the television show “The Voice of Germany.<\/p>\n The lyrics<\/a> have\u00a0many examples of the dative state<\/strong>, so you can refer back to it and work out the accusative by elimination if ever confused.\u00a0Ich treib alleine auf dem Meer <\/i>(I float alone on the sea)\u00a0he sings, static state, with the dative particle\u00a0dem<\/i>.<\/p>\n If he were to shove a boat into the sea and take off, it would be the directional accusative,\u00a0(fahre hinaus) auf das Meer<\/i>, shortened to\u00a0aufs Meer<\/i> (I\u2019m sailing out onto the sea).\u00a0<\/p>\n In this song, singer-songwriter Gisbert zu Knyphausen says goodbye to a failing romantic relationship and employs a number of verbs with separable prefixes<\/strong> as he lays out the impending separation.<\/p>\n He says nimm deine Schuhe mit <\/i>in the lyrics<\/a>\u2014take your shoes with (you), the imperative form sending the \u201cwith\u201d on the front of the infinitive verb mitnehmen<\/i>\u00a0(to take with) to the end of the clause.<\/p>\n The same rule returns as he applies the imperative to the verb\u00a0umdrehen<\/i>\u00a0and tells her,\u00a0dreh dich nicht um<\/i>\u00a0(don\u2019t turn around), with his construction based on the verb krummnehmen\u00a0<\/i>(take the wrong way) and the imperative nimm sie uns nicht krumm<\/i>\u00a0(don\u2019t take it wrongly).<\/p>\n Frittenbude is a German electronic music group formed in 2007. The band’s style combines elements of electro, techno, punk and hip-hop, creating a unique and energetic sound.<\/p>\n This is a catchy electro track with laconic hipster rap vocals to help you remember how subjunctive I (Konjunktiv I)<\/em> form works with the line of doch sie sei leider pleite<\/i> (she was supposedly broke, unfortunately).<\/p>\n The lyrics<\/a> are also packed with adjective declination, past tense verb conjugation, lots of slang<\/a><\/strong> and complex narrative lyrics.<\/p>\n Fr\u00e4ulein Wunder was a German pop-rock band that gained popularity in the late 2000s. This song, called “If I Were A Boy” in German, came out a few months before Beyonc\u00e9’s song of the same name<\/a> came out. Coincidence?<\/p>\n The two songs are still quite different in mood. We hear the subjunctive II (Konjunktiv II)<\/em>, which is the realm of theoretical and far-fetched possibilities<\/strong>.\u00a0<\/p>\n The lyrics<\/a> include Ich w\u00fcrd nur D-max gucken, und Jacky-Cola schlucken, ich w\u00fcrd mich selber k\u00fcssen, und nur zum Spa\u00df freih\u00e4ndig pissen \u2013 wenn ich ein Junge w\u00e4r\u2026<\/i> (I would watch only D-max, gulp cola, kiss myself and piss with no hands for fun\u2026)\u00a0<\/p>\n This half-satirical, half-Men\u2019s Lib song about men and their nuances is one of the most popular German songs by Herbert Gr\u00f6nemeyer. Gr\u00f6nemeyer is one of the most commercially successful artists in Germany.<\/p>\n Featured in his album 4360 Bochum<\/i>, the track has tongue-in-cheek lyrics<\/a> and ironically points out that \u201cmen provide security [yet] men cry in secret [\u2026] men can do everything [yet] men have heart attacks.\u201d<\/p>\n This catchy classic is perfect for learning German because of its easy vocabulary and Gr\u00f6nemeyer\u2019s clear enunciation<\/strong>. You’ll also learn a song by one of the most famous German singers<\/a>.<\/p>\n It\u2019s hard to pick just one Hildegard Knef track for learning German. Knef is one of Germany\u2019s most famous chanteuses of the 60s and 70s.<\/p>\n This tune, sung in her signature smoky and almost raspy voice, is about how she is \u201ctoo tired to go to sleep.\u201d She hates silence and calm and loves the clamor and the \u201cpulse of the hasty night.\u201d<\/p>\n The lyrics<\/a> are perfect for you if you like something more playful or lighthearted. It has the added benefit that you would find most of its vocabulary in an elementary German textbook<\/strong>!<\/p>\n Manfred Krug was a versatile and prominent figure in the German entertainment industry, known for his contributions to film, television and music in both East and West Germany.<\/p>\n \u201cWenn der Urlaub kommt\u201d<\/em> (“When the Vacation Comes”) is like an afternoon spent at the city park: kind of loud and kind of exciting, with a noisier detour partway through.\u00a0<\/p>\n Some phrases feature useful grammar<\/strong>.\u00a0The song can also help cement your understanding of the word \u201cwenn<\/a>,\u201d<\/em> as it\u2019s featured heavily throughout. The lyrics are hard to find so you can practice your listening with this one.<\/p>\n Similar to our previous singer, Holger Biege was a singer-songwriter originally from East Germany who then built up a career in West Germany.\u00a0<\/p>\n His songs often have a blend of acoustic elements and melodic pop sounds. In this seemingly upbeat song with a haze of horns, pianos and high-energy drums, he implicates vodka and Coke for his mistakes.<\/p>\n The lyrics<\/a> include some useful bits of vocabulary<\/strong> that help shift the blame or talk about bad things happening: leider,<\/em>\u00a0meaning \u201cunfortunately,\u201d and\u00a0Cola-Wodka war Schuld daran<\/em> (vodka and cola were to blame).<\/p>\n \u201cSagen Sie, Frau Zimmermann\u201d<\/em>\u00a0(Tell Me, Mrs. Zimmerman) features a bold, brassy sound, with crooning ladies pulling out all the stops on background vocals. The storytelling in\u00a0the lyrics<\/a> takes center stage.<\/p>\n This tale of a scorned woman is also filled with dark humor\u2014an excellent incentive to translate the lyrics. It sounds like a cheery song, but the lyrics get progressively more sinister.<\/p>\n Learn the repetition of commands<\/strong> such as sagen Sie,<\/em> or \u201ctell me,\u201d which is the polite imperative. There are many useful verbs such as putzen <\/em>(to clean), backen<\/em> (to bake) and\u00a0lieben<\/em>\u00a0(to love).<\/p>\n The East German band Wir<\/a> released some rocking songs. They sit firmly in the camp of funk-rock, with distorted guitars and unusual melodies. They started up in the disco age and played music through the late 80s.<\/p>\n This song,\u00a0\u201cTrinklied\u201d<\/em> (“Drinking Song”), is a particularly funky track. The vocals are dreamy at first, building up into harmonized shouts in the chorus (\u201cTrink, trink!<\/em>\u201d\u2014\u201cDrink, drink!\u201d).<\/p>\n The relatively slow tempo makes for easy listening<\/strong>, and the lyrics<\/a> are available online.<\/p>\n Chicor\u00e9e was a rock band from the DDR (the former East Germany) that was reasonably well known during the 80s, and this song (whose title means \u201cWhat you\u2019re asking of me\u201d) is from 1987.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n One of the challenges of learning a new language is figuring out the most natural way to say something. Instead of memorizing set phrases, it’s helpful to find a catchy hook in a song that repeats a phrase\u2014a built-in memory device.<\/p>\n This song features two idiomatic expressions<\/strong> that repeat endlessly: von mir verlangen<\/a><\/em> (to request of me) and etwas macht mir Angst<\/em>\u00a0(I\u2019m afraid of something).<\/p>\n Marianne Rosenberg is known for being a Schlager<\/a><\/em> singer at heart. The German word\u00a0\u201cSchlager\u201d<\/em> literally means \u201chit\u201d and the songs tend to have a certain twangy sound and warm gentleness to the lyrics.\u00a0<\/p>\n That said, \u201cEr geh\u00f6rt zu mir\u201d<\/em> (“He Belongs to Me”) is not a Schlager<\/em> song. It sounds quintessentially disco and the instrumentation isn\u2019t filled with guitars or accordions, but synths and strings.<\/p>\n Given Marianne Rosenberg\u2019s clear enunciation, this is an excellent song for practicing your accent<\/strong>, but even beyond that, the lyrics<\/a>\u00a0are filled with immediately useful phrases.<\/p>\n Kreis\u2019s discography features numerous songs with disco and 70s funk stylings. If you enjoy this melodic track, you\u2019re sure to enjoy others in their rock oeuvre.<\/p>\n With stirrings of strings and flutes in the background, breathy vocals sing out, Ich will dich, ich will dich, nur dich immerzu!<\/em> (I want you, I want you, only you, forever!).<\/p>\n The tempo of the song is great for beginners<\/strong>, and the repetitive lyrics<\/a> are catchy and memorable. At the very least, you\u2019ll learn how to say, \u201cI want you\u201d over and over.<\/p>\n2. “99 Luftballons”<\/em> by Nena<\/h2>\n
3. “Du Hast”<\/em> by Rammstein<\/h2>\n
4. “Wir Sind Wir”<\/em> by Paul Van Dyk and Peter Heppner<\/h2>\n
5. “Leider Geil”<\/em> by Deichkind<\/h2>\n
6. “Eisb\u00e4r”<\/em> by Grauzone<\/h2>\n
7. “Zeiten \u00e4ndern sich”<\/em> by Bushido<\/h2>\n
8. “Lili Marlene” by Marlene Dietrich<\/h2>\n
9. “Moskau”<\/em> by Dschinghis Khan<\/h2>\n
10. “Paradies”<\/em> by Die Toten Hosen<\/h2>\n
11. “Krieger des Lichts”<\/em> by Silbermond<\/h2>\n
12. “Im freien Fall”<\/em> by Wirtz<\/h2>\n
13. “Der langsame Tod eines sehr gro\u00dfen Tieres”<\/em> by Herrenmagazin\u00a0<\/h2>\n
14. “Eisberg”<\/em> by Andreas Bourani<\/h2>\n
15. “Dreh dich nicht um”<\/em> by Gisbert zu Knyphausen<\/h2>\n
16. “Bilder mit Katze”<\/em> by Frittenbude<\/h2>\n
17. “Wenn ich ein Junge w\u00e4r”<\/em> by Fr\u00e4ulein Wunder<\/h2>\n
18. “M\u00e4nner”<\/em> by Herbert Gr\u00f6nemeyer<\/h2>\n
19. “Ich bin zu m\u00fcde, um schlafen zu geh\u2019n”<\/em> by Hildegard Knef<\/h2>\n
20. “Wenn der Urlaub kommt”<\/em> by Manfred Krug<\/h2>\n
21. “Cola-Wodka”<\/em> by Holger Biege<\/h2>\n
22. “Sagen Sie, Frau Zimmermann”<\/em> by Topsy K\u00fcppers<\/h2>\n
23. “Trinklied”<\/em> by Wir<\/h2>\n
24. “Was du von mir verlangst”<\/em> by Chicor\u00e9e<\/h2>\n
25. “Er geh\u00f6rt zu mir”<\/em> by Marianne Rosenberg<\/h2>\n
26. “Ich will dich”<\/em> by Kreis<\/h2>\n
27. “Mama will ins Netz”<\/em> by Annett Louisan<\/h2>\n