Faith No More have covered a lot of ground over their career – in particular, 1995’s King for a Day… Fool for a Lifetime utilises a different genre for every track. Mike Patton is one of the most talented vocalists in rock music, with a range of six octaves. Impressively, he’s able to make even this throwaway polka in pidgin German engaging.
The polka isn’t common in Western pop music – “Weird” Al Yankovic is a famous exponent, and They Might Be Giants dabble with the accordion. ‘Das Schützenfest’ translates as The Shooting Fest, and this charming vignette unfolds at a shooting competition. In reportedly hideous German, Patton describes his lover’s armpit as smelling like a summer morning.
Such ruminations aren’t unusual for Patton – when asked about his lyrics, he once said: “They come from my head, my ass, my toilet, my pillow, places like that.”
‘Das Schützenfest’ was featured on the EP Songs to Make Love To, led by Faith No More’s faithful cover of the Commodores’ ‘Easy’. It was later to added the deluxe version of Angel Dust. It’s clearly not a major song in the Faith No More catalogue, but it’s an amusing dabble into exotic territory.
Das Schützenfest
Lyrics in English and German
We then met
Wir trafen dannFor the open marksman festival
Zum offen SchützenfestIt looks to me
Für mich sieht sie ausLike Heino’s sister
Wie Heinos SchwesterBlack is the hazelnut,
Schwarzbraun ist die Haselnuß,Her hair was tanned
Schwarzgebräunt ist war ihr HaarOh my Bavarian girl, just go there
Oh mein Bayerisches Mädchen, tage bloss hinKnowing, lie down too
Hervor weissen, leg dich auch hinWe don’t shit with that
Wir scheißen eben nicht mit demThe rifle festival, never seen again
Das Schützenfest, niemals mehr gesehenWe make love
Wir machen LiebeIn the pig trough
Im SchweinetrogMy pants burst
Meine Hosen platzenOn my doodle tail
Auf mein DudelschwanzYou thought I was a dandy and
Sie dachte ich war ein Dandy undHer calves were like pork knuckles
Ihre wade waren wie EisbeinOh girl, just go there
Oh Mädchen, tage bloss hinKnowing, lie down too
Hervor weissen, leg dich auch hinWe don’t shit with that
Wir scheißen eben nicht mit demThe rifle festival, never seen again
Das Schützenfest, niemals mehr gesehenOh doorbell yes yes dog dog away
Oh Klingel ja ja hund hund wegDog gone, asshole dog gone
Hund weg, arschloch hund wegIt made my heart a white sausage
Sie machte aus meinem Herz, eine weisse WurstShe dances ute-ut and Schuhplattler
Sie tanzt ute-ut und SchuheplattlerArmpit was fresh and smelled like
Achselhöhle war frisch und duften wieSummer morning, summer morning
Sommermorgen, SommermorgenGreat
SuperOh girl, hurt me
Oh Mädchen, tat mir ansSuperlochwel her bra
Superlochwel ihren BHWeekend, but shit not with that
Wochenende, Scheiße aber nicht mit derThe Schützenfest never seen again
Das Schützenfest niemals mehr gesehenNever seen it again
Niemals mehr gesehen
Read More
- Faith No More Album Reviews
- Great B-Sides
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If someone would have told me I would listen to a polka 3 times in a row…I would have said they were crazy. It IS engaging. It is an interesting concept to make an album also.
That’s dedicated listening – it’s kind of a throwaway that Patton’s vocal ability elevates into pretty good territory.
It’s not everyday you hear a polka that you want to take a second/third listen to. It is interesting…lead Tuba
I wouldn’t take it as far as polka….but I would like to hear someone make an album by decades….a fifties track, a sixties track…
Maybe there is one already I don’t know.
Have you heard Josh Rouse – he made a pretty good concept album called 1972 that sounded like Carole King and Curtis Mayfield.
Not that I remember but I will check it out. It sounds familiar but I will look up some tracks. Did you feature him before?
I haven’t really posted about him for a long time, I don’t think? His best stuff is really early in the 21st century. I like Comeback (Light Therapy) – it sounds like it’s about a girl, but it’s actually about the sun.
Ah hell I love this one!
I guess it did come out around the time Chinese Democracy was getting started!
I figured Clinton would like albums with links to Democracy.