Wir

Annotation — European Songs

The b-side featured the song "Wir", with lyrics written by Austrian author and composer Fritz Rotter, and music by Russia-born, and West German-based composer Lotar Olias. The song attacks hippie culture, and the anti-war movement, calling the participants "bums" who "hang around in parks and alleys" with "pointless laziness".

Annotation by Justin A. Brummer

Annotation

Freddy Quinn, born 27 September 1931 in Niederfladnitz, Niederösterreich, Austria, and currently based in Hamburg, Germany. This single contained two conservative, pro-American, songs of the Vietnam War era, released in then West Germany on Polydor # 52 781.. The first song "Ein handvoll reis" ("A Handful of Rice") defended the US position in Vietnam, "we fought... for freedom and democracy". This had some moderate success in Europe, reaching # 7 in Austria (15 January 1067), and # 6 in Germany (15 November 1966).123 The b-side featured the song "Wir", with lyrics written by Austrian author and composer Fritz Rotter, and music by Russia-born, and West German-based composer Lotar Olias. The song attacks hippie culture, and the anti-war movement, calling the participants "bums" who "hang around in parks and alleys" with "pointless laziness".Sources1chartsurfer.de: Eine handvoll reis song vcfh↩2Wikipedia: Wir (Lied)↩3deutschelieder.wordpress.com: Freddy quinn wir↩

Annotation by Justin A. Brummer

Lyrics

English: Who doesn't want to be mistaken for bums? We / Who cares about peace on earth? We / You hang around in parks and alleys / Who can't comprehend your pointless laziness? We, we, we / Who has the courage to be ashamed of you? We / Who will not let our future be stolen from them? We / Who sees you smear old churches / And must lose all respect for you? We, we, we / Because someone has to be there who not only destroys / Who keeps our faith alive for us / Who learns, who educates himself, does his share of work / To build tomorrow's world / The world of tomorrow is already we today! / Who won't stay a noisy mob forever? We / Who even says that work only degrades / So bored, so blinded? You, you, you / Who wants to talk openly with you once more? We / Who, of course, also has their weaknesses? We / Who even has similar ways / Long hair too, only it's washed? We, we, we / We too are for toughness / We too wear beards / We too often go too far / But sometimes, in good moments / In quiet minutes / We regret various things / Who hasn't lost hope yet? We / And still thanks those who bore us? We / But who wants to keep protesting / Until there's nothing left to protest? You, you, you __________ German: Wer will nicht mit Gammlern verwechselt werden? WIR! / Wer sorgt sich um den Frieden auf Erden? WIR! / Ihr lungert herum in Parks und in Gassen / Wer kann eure sinnlose Faulheit nicht fassen? WIR! WIR! WIR! / Wer hat den Mut, für euch sich zu schämen? WIR! / Wer läßt sich unsere…

Notes

Polydor 52 781, red labels, "M 45", GEMA, Edition Esplanade, "Made in Germany — Deutsche Grammophon Ges.mbH"; A: Eine Handvoll Reis (Olias – Grasshoff) 3:30; B: Wir (Olias – F. Rotter) 3:26; Freddy with Orchester Robert Opratko. Picture sleeve: colour profile portrait of Freddy in a blue shirt, titled "Freddy — Eine Handvoll Reis" on the front and "Freddy — Wir" on the back. [From the record sleeve and labels]

About the artist

Austrian schlager singer, born 27 September 1931 in Austria; based in Hamburg, Germany. [Source: Wikipedia]

Themes

Demonstration · Counter-Culture & Hippies

In collections

European Songs · US 'Patriotic' / Pro-Government / Anti-Protest Songs [War Years]