“Relating to the last millennium – like us”
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What exactly did the doctors say about his song “Elke”.
Die rzte, Farin Urlaub (lr), Bella B and Rod Gonzales at a concert in 2016.
Photo: DPA/Axel Hemken
Opinion Berlin During a live performance, “Ärzte” distanced himself from his song “Elke”. Does it cancel out the culture now or is just an honest approach to his early work that has aged badly? Our writers were in Berlin last Sunday – and they understood the situation a little differently.
Experience the Doctors of Berlin in Berlin – a real experience. This was obvious to me when I bought tickets to an open-air concert last Sunday a few months ago. I’m not a big fan myself, but my wife is. His name is not Elke. I would have been a doctor, Farin Urlaub might have never imagined that the song of the same name would again make headlines in the Republic after more than 30 years.
After the inaugural band, the first vocals of the Doctors Behind the Scenes, the first moments of goosebumps with big hits, the 58-year-old singer announced in front of the sunset on Tempelhofer Feld: “With every concert – lately – come get the beer now. Songs. Now a long break from hits. Now we are searching for songs that no one wants to hear – except us.” Die rzte is a live band that interacts with fans. Not with me, I’m far behind. But many in the front row suggest songs to be played by concert-going doctors, such as “Madonna’s Colon”.
Farin Urlaub: “I can’t play Madonna’s colon anymore. Word of honor. I can’t play it anymore.” Drummer Bela B. Felsenheimer: “It Makes Him Sick”. And then many fans call: “Elke”. Farin Urlaub reacted sharply: “Wait a minute. Elke is fat, mischievous, this is no longer possible. It is in the last millennium – like us.” Lots of laughs Bella B.: “There are hardly any minorities about whom we can still gossip.” And then as a nod to another song from the doctors: “Maybe Lifeguard.”
Farin Urlaub grumbled that the band “Elke” would no longer play, as had happened that evening. A completely normal concert, a game between the band and the audience that doctors have always practiced. The fans love it, and the band seems to love it too. “Elke” has lines of text like this: “In summer she gives shade, in winter she keeps you warm / She has thighs that weigh a hundred pounds, she’s infinitely fat / I’m on the other day / Without oxygen of equipment climbed on it”. There is no doubt that something like this was already completely exaggerated and highly objectionable when it was released in 1988. The fact that in 2022 the Doctor suddenly woke up all night and took the opportunity to purge in Berlin to announce that he no longer wanted to play the song — well, a bit of construction must be done.
“Elke” was already well above that. The doctors knew then. That’s why he wrote the song. A calculated barred break. Maybe they wouldn’t have written “Elke” today, maybe they put the theme in a song against too much consumption nowadays, against fast food, against McDonald’s. Perhaps they will tackle the subject in a more mature way. Or maybe not. However, there is a discussion about the song here. And what would be better to say to Berlin: “And that’s a good thing.”
For fans last Sunday, the cancellation of “Elke” was only gone in the blink of an eye. Farin Urlaub erased the musical request from the audience with these words: “Suggestions for Suggestions: The First Poem of the Madonna’s Colon as a Ballad.” Then he starts playing silky smooth strings, unfortunately the guitar is out of tune. Rapidly exchanging, flattering vocals: “I’d like to be Madonna’s colon / Yes, I’ll always be full”. Suddenly the rzte-Singer says: “Dude, that really could be Westerhagen, right?!”
Hmm… there was something. Does Westerhagen really still play their song “Dick”…!?
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