Tage wie diese
"Tage wie diese", is a song by the German punk-rock band Die Toten Hosen. It was released on 23 March 2012 as a single, being a teaser for the album Ballast der Republik that was released afterwards on 4 May 2012. The music was composed by Andreas von Holst, while Campino and Birgit Minichmayr wrote the lyrics. Campino provided vocals while Andreas von Holst and Michael Breitkopf played the guitars. The bass was played by Andreas Meurer and drums by Stephen George Ritchie. "Tage wie diese" is one of only two singles from The Toten Hosen songs to top the German charts, the other one being "Zehn kleine Jägermeister" from 1996. Writing For this song, Andreas von Holst had been inspired by the field holler Black Betty, which he knew in the Ram Jam-Version from 1977. He had already composed a first draft of the song with the title "Kreise drehen" (engl.: Moving in circles) in 2010 and recorded it in his own recording studio in his cellar. But the band was not convinced at first - neither did the tune catch their ears nor could Campino come up with suitable lyrics to it. It took the help of Birgit Minichmayr in the summer of 2011 to get things going again. Under the new title "Tage wie diese" this song was recorded as the first one for the album which should be released to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the band. Themes The lyrics describe a collective feeling of happiness when celebrating with a large group of people to music. The song is structured in the following parts: Intro, first and second verse, first chorus, third verse, second and third chorus which then repeats and fades out. A guitar riff in D Major, played by Andreas von Holst, starts the song. Then Campino starts to sing the first verse. In the second verse, the drums kick in, played by Stephen George Ritchie. E-bass and the second E-guitar, performed by Andreas Meurer and Michael Breitkopf respectively, start playing from the first chorus on. The first part of the song consists of verse #1 and #2. The lyrics describe the joyful anticipation and the meeting with a friend or an acquaintance at a designated meeting-point. Then they are off to the event venue, which is located in Düsseldorf because according to the lyrics, they move „entlang der Gassen, zu den Rheinterrassen über die Brücken, bis hin zu der Musik.“ (engl: along the alleys to the Rhine terraces, crossing the bridges to where the music plays). Now follows the first chorus, sung by all members of the band: „An Tagen wie diesen wünscht man sich Unendlichkeit. An Tagen wie diesen haben wir noch ewig Zeit. Wünsch ich mir Unendlichkeit." (engl.: On days like today, you wish for eternity. On days like today, we still have forever. Wishing for eternity.) In the third verse the lyrics express the wish that the celebrations may never stop and that the singer will protect his friend. The