Herbert Gronemeyer - What's All This (1988) and a song from I Walk (2012) with Peter Hammill lyrics
(translation from German, original German lyrics by Herbert Gronemeyer)



  1. What's All This
  2. Full Moon
  3. Airplanes In My Head (version 1988 from What's All This)
  4. Alcohol
  5. Angst
  6. So Far Away
  7. Men
  8. White Arrogance
  9. Bochum
  10. Hold Me
  11. Airplanes In My Head (version 2012 from I Walk)


    What's All This

    His pyjamas lie there in my bed
    His comb stuck in my brush
    I said what's all this?
    His shoes stand in a tidy row
    That's nice to see when you get home
    What's all this?
    
    His after-shave hangs in the air
    He might have chosen mine to wear
    What's all this?
    You say he's moved in with you here
    You point me to the door, that's clear
    What's all this?
    
    His favourite dish upon the stove
    I'd shove my fist right down his throat but mustn't
    No, I mustn't
    Of embarassment he shows no trace
    His friendly smile lights up the place
    He's grinning, just grinning!
    
    How come I deserve to be
    The fool that he makes out of me
    At least you could have given me a clue
    You could have had a one-night fling
    In time I'd forget everything
    But I've got no chance
    I'm left no time to understand
    If you could see you've hurried love
    
    His head slumped on his double chin
    Since when d'you go for a slob like him
    What's all this?
    What's that you say?
    How come you throw your heart to waste
    On such a sponge, a blubber-face?
    What's that?
    What's it all about?
    
    I left you often on your own
    For him you kick me out of house and home
    What's all this?
    What's all it about?
    
    You try to seem such perfect lovers
    Oh how you two deserve each other
    So innocent, but laughing too loud
    You must have really suffered guilt so
    As you were tossing in your pillows
    Since when have you had a heart made of stone?
    You drank my love up in one go
    
    How come I deserve to be
    The fool that he makes out of me
    At least you could have given me a clue
    You could have had a one-night fling
    In time I'd forget everything
    But I've got no chance
    I'm left no time to understand
    If you could see you've hurried love
    

    Full Moon

    Full moon, I'm drunk as a skunk
    So mad about her, you can see the depths to which I've sunk
    Can't stand the days, at night I call her name
    Prowl around the neighbourhood, the hunter captured by the game
    I've been trying to steal her heart for so long
    
    She's stubborn but so am I
    I want her more as each and every day goes by
    Be my ally, conquer her pride
    We two together could besiege her heart from every side
    Be my friend, don't let her slip through my hands
    
    Cast your spell upon her, I'll stalk through her dreams
    So I can find her there defenceless, surrendering her love to me
    And if you do this for me . oh what delight
    I'll turn into a werewolf then and howl to you throughout the night
    
    Full moon, shine down your light on me
    Full moon, make me her lunacy
    You know she doesn't want me but you can turn the tide
    I can't go on without her so quickly, make her mine
    Full moon, hear my lonely cry
    
    You're so pale, I'm deathly white
    If nothing happens soon I don't think I can last the night
    From up in heaven you stare down on us serene
    I'm in desperation, and I'm begging you to rescue me
    Do something now, tomorrow will be too late
    
    My last hope's in your power,listen to my plea
    And help me now to win her heart or it'll be the end of me
    I'm drowning in the tears that all true lovers shed
    Don't leave me in this limbo, moon
    Don't leave me in this loneliness
    
    Full moon, shine down your light on me
    Full moon, make me her lunacy
    You know she doesn't want me but you can turn the tide
    I can't go on without her so quickly, make her mine
    Full moon, hear my lonely cry
    
    Come and make her want me the man of her dreams
    So I can find her there defenceless surrendering her love to me
    And if you do this for me . oh what delight
    I'll turn into a werewolf then and howl to you throughout the night
    
    Full moon, shine down your light on me
    Full moon, make me her lunacy
    You know she doesn't want me but you can turn the tide
    I can't go on without her so quickly, make her mine
    Full moon, hear my lonely cry
    

    Airplanes In My Head (version 1988 from What's All This)

    Your eyes have clouded
    Your smile is fixed
    And your thoughts are far away from here
    You kiss me like an actress
    Then walk out of shot
    Your indifference abundantly clear
    
    I'm empty, used up
    Only dregs in my cup
    And airplanes in my head
    You shrug off my embrace
    With a smile on your face
    We should be sleeping in seperate beds
    
    Give me my heart back now
    It's half broken anyway
    Give me my heart back now
    I beg you to go away
    The sooner you walk out the door
    The sooner I pick myself up from the floor
    
    You use me up
    Like a pack of cigarettes
    Then crush me and cast me aside
    You talk like it's a duty
    Looking for your own beauty
    While pretending to gaze in my eyes
    You're never there
    When I'm gasping for air
    And the airplanes all explode
    Lifting off from the runway
    Oh, this traffic is one-way
    And we've come to the end of the road
    
    Give me my heart back now
    It's half broken anyway
    Give me my heart back now
    I beg you to go away
    The sooner you walk out the door
    The sooner I pick myself up from the floor
    
    You're giving me nothing
    You've taken my all
    And I feel like an empty shell
    Airplanes in my head
    Drown the words that we've said
    And if you stay you'll just put me through hell
    
    Give me my heart back now
    It's half broken anyway
    Give me my heart back now
    I beg you to go away
    The sooner you walk out the door
    The sooner I pick myself up from the floor
    

    Alcohol

    Full moon, I'm drunk as a skunk
    So mad about her, you can see the depths to which I've sunk
    Can't stand the days, at night I call her name
    Prowl around the neighbourhood, the hunter captured by the game
    I've been trying to steal her heart for so long
    
    She's stubborn but so am I
    I want her more as each and every day goes by
    Be my ally, conquer her pride
    We two together could besiege her heart from every side
    Be my friend, don't let her slip through my hands
    
    Cast your spell upon her, I'll stalk through her dreams
    So I can find her there defenceless, surrendering her love to me
    And if you do this for me . oh what delight
    I'll turn into a werewolf then and howl to you throughout the night
    
    Full moon, shine down your light on me
    Full moon, make me her lunacy
    You know she doesn't want me but you can turn the tide
    I can't go on without her so quickly, make her mine
    Full moon, hear my lonely cry
    
    You're so pale, I'm deathly white
    If nothing happens soon I don't think I can last the night
    From up in heaven you stare down on us serene
    I'm in desperation, and I'm begging you to rescue me
    Do something now, tomorrow will be too late
    
    My last hope's in your power, listen to my plea
    And help me now to win her heart or it'll be the end of me
    I'm drowning in the tears that all true lovers shed
    Don't leave me in this limbo, moon
    Don't leave me in this loneliness
    
    Full moon, shine down your light on me
    Full moon, make me her lunacy
    You know she doesn't want me but you can turn the tide
    I can't go on without her so quickly, make her mine
    Full moon, hear my lonely cry
    
    Come and make her want me the man of her dreams
    So I can find her there defenceless surrendering her love to me
    And if you do this for me . oh what delight
    I'll turn into a werewolf then and howl to you throughout the night
    
    Full moon, shine down your light on me
    Full moon, make me her lunacy
    You know she doesn't want me but you can turn the tide
    I can't go on without her so quickly, make her mine
    Full moon, hear my lonely cry
    

    Angst

    Afraid of the past, afraid you might fall 
    Retreating inside yourself in cold funk at it all 
    
    Afraid of any freedom, of looking a fool 
    You skate on the surface 
    Afraid of the depth of the pool 
    
    Fear that you.ll become nothing 
    And that time's running out 
    So afraid of getting used to things 
    Only fear remains beyond doubt 
    Fear that you'll become nothing 
    And the thought makes you numb 
    Angst makes you tiny 
    Angst strikes you dumb 
    
    Fear needs an armory, afraid of your foes 
    Oh, but angst won't remind you, most enemies are ghosts 
    So scared to be beaten, so scared to compete 
    Scared of stupidity, so smart on the streets 
    Fear gets employed as a system, intimidation as control 
    Fear shuts up you, eats the soul 
    
    Fear of each other, too scared to connect 
    We won't meet each other's eyes, all "I"'s we suspect 
    
    Afraid of emotion, scared of tenderness 
    Afraid that experience only leads to distress 
    
    Fear that you.ll become nothing
    Fear of manipulation, of being left in the cold 
    Scared you don't do right by everyone, 
    Fear eats the soul 
    
    Scared to defend ourselves, 
    Scared and lonely we weep 
    So scared of being scared 
    so scared we're asleep 
    So scared of being scared 
    We go to sleep 
    

    So Far Away

    Another telephone call
    We talk again for hours
    And still so much remains unspoken
    Long-distance love is all we get
    I feel so far away, so weary
    I want to see your face and hold you close
    I only want to have you near me
    
    I need you here with me
    I want you to be with me
    I want you to want me
    Just come here...
    Wish you understood how I need your magic touch
    Believe me when I tell you how much
    I miss you
    
    I lie awake at night
    You're running round my head
    And fight it as I might it won't get better
    I'm cracking up without you
    Alone here, it feels like a sentence in hell
    And I want you more than I could ever tell
    More than I can ever explain
    
    I need you here with me
    I want you to be with me
    I want you to want me
    Just come here...
    Wish you understood how I need your magic touch
    Believe me when I tell you how much
    I miss you
    
    I miss your head next to mine
    The soft smell of your body
    I miss your sweet talk in my ear
    Our heartbeats locked together
    I miss all the things you make me feel...
    A love that lasts forever
    
    I need you here with me
    I want you to be with me
    I want you to want me
    Just come here...
    Wish you understood how I need your magic touch
    Believe me when I tell you how much
    I miss you
    

    Men

    Men will open their arms
    Men assure security
    Men will cry in their beer
    If you don't treat them tenderly
    So vulnerable, here are the men
    Whatever in the world
    Would the world become without them?
    
    Men do deals and favours
    Men think a woman can be owned
    Men will always hustle
    Men tell lies on the telephone
    
    Men are all primed for action
    Wallets full of credit cards the main attraction
    
    Men consider themselves with pride
    Men are macho, but so soft inside
    Men need help, 'cause they can't decide
    What makes a man a man
    When is a a man a man?
    What makes a man a man?
    
    Men have rippling muscels
    Men can carry heavy sacks...
    Men who've seen it all
    Men who'll have many heart attacks
    
    Men bash their heads on brick walls
    Men who think that only men make any sense at all
    
    Men consider themselves with pride
    Men are macho, but so soft inside
    Men need help, 'cause they can't decide
    What makes a man a man
    When is a a man a man?
    What makes a man a man?
    
    Men get drunk with style
    Men go out to pick a fight
    Men read morning papers
    Men watch TV late at night
    Men are building missiles
    Men do each and every single damn right thing
    When is a man a man?
    What makes a man a man?
    
    Men can never have babies
    Men are going bald on top
    Men just want to be human
    But they're programmed to be men, they cannot stop
    So vulnerable, here are the men
    Whatever in the world
    Would the world become without them?
    Men were glasses to cover their eyes
    Men go off into corners to cry
    Men need help, 'cause they can't decide
    What makes a man a man
    When is a man a man?
    What makes a man a man?
    
    Hey mama, hey papa, how can I be a man?
    

    White Arrogance

    There's a shiver in the air
    It's all too clear
    It's a lament for all the world
    No-one wants to hear
    Behind unshakeable faith in god
    In isolation
    Safe behind the barricades
    They call it homeland
    
    White arrogance
    The only yardstick
    White arrogance
    All men are equal
    But the whites are somehow better
    
    And in the camps they cry with rage
    The white yoke cuts deep
    And we just watch in on TV
    What can we do?
    We see the truncheons, the black blood
    The silent cries
    They live their lives down in the mud
    We, too, are to blame
    
    White arrogance
    The only yardstick
    White arrogance
    All men are equal
    But the whites are somehow better
    
    Too cowardly to do a thing
    Too cowardly to boycott
    Too cowardly to do a thing
    Too cowardly to boycott
    Holding men in contempt
    Shipping men like cattle
    Holding men in contempt
    Shipping men like cattle
    
    With brown eyes and black hair
    It's difficult life
    Here as much as there
    There are different shades of white
    We see the slogans on the walls
    Cash changing hands
    Be good to all your fellow men
    Who gives a damn?
    
    White arrogance
    The only yardstick
    White arrogance
    All men are equal
    But the whites are somehow better
    

    Bochum

    Sun still fighting
    Through smoke and steam
    Life here's better
    Than you could ever dream
    Life here's better
    Life here's better
    
    I know you're no beauty
    For work's lined your face
    You don't like wearing make-up
    You're an honest place
    Where the human race
    Isn't always in competition
    
    Your heartbeat's of metal
    It hammers out through the night
    The foundation of prosperity
    You're a working town
    Don't let them put you down
    You bloom in your own way
    
    Bochum, I call you home
    Bochum, you're in my bones
    Oh, Gluck auf, Bochum
    
    You're not a neon playground
    There are no fashion shows here
    You're not a postcard for the tourists
    Here it's the heart that counts
    Not the size of bank accounts
    You've never sold yourself away
    
    Bochum, I call you home
    Bochum, you're in my bones
    Oh, Gluck auf, Bochum
    
    May your smile shine on forever
    Through the cold dust it gleams
    Be proud of your tiny gardens
    Proud of your traffic lights
    Proud of your chimney-stacks
    Proud of your football team
    
    Bochum, I call you home
    Bochum, you're in my bones
    Oh, Gluck auf
    Bochum, I call you home
    Bochum, you're in my bones
    Oh, Gluck auf
    Oh, Gluck auf
    Oh, Gluck auf, Bochum 
    

    Hold Me

    You've made my dreams seem like real life
    Everyone comes true
    Reality's unfocused, I've lost myself in you
    Warm me with tender whispers
    Oh, now enfold me in your arms
    
    Hold me these few moments just until sleep comes
    
    I feel so safe beside you, your heart next to mine
    I want to enjoy this moment till the end of time
    So good to feel you by me, good fortune overflows
    I willingly surrender, find comfort in your arms
    
    I'm beside myself with joy
    Feel I could float away with you
    Weightless, carefree, deep in love, it's ecstasy
    
    Rain on me your kiss of fire
    Call up the storm
    The night's so short
    Take me, I want to be overwhelmed by you
    So good to have you here
    
    Come and tell me all there is to know
    I'll never tire of listening
    Never let you go
    
    Breathe life into my body and drown me in your arms
    Hold me these sweet moments just until sleep comes
    Hold me just until sleep comes
    

    Airplanes In My Head (version 2012 from I Walk)

    Shatter me with your pain and smile
    It's so clear you're not here anymore
    Your caresses are machines
    That are painful to feel
    I can't tell when we started to fall
    
    Everything hurts
    Every move, every word
    And the airplanes in my head
    Are lost and confused 
    Oh, empty and bruised
    As we come to the end
    As we come to the end of it all
    
    Give me back my heart 
    It's breaking more every day
    Give me back my heart
    It's taking my life away
    The minute you walk out the door
    Is the minute I pick myself up off the floor
    
    You're never there
    When I'm gasping for air
    And the airplanes all explode
    Kisses of duty
    Are lost in their beauty
    Walking down your glittering road
    
    You're giving me nothing
    You've taken my all
    Now I'm here in an empty shell
    Airplanes in my head
    Drown the words that we've said
    And if you stay you'll just put me 
    You'll just put me through hell
    
    Give me back my heart 
    It's breaking more every day
    Give me back my heart
    You're taking my life away
    The minute you walk out the door
    Is the minute I pick myself up off the floor
    Is the minute
    
    You're giving me nothing
    You've taken my all
    Now I'm here in an empty shell
    Airplanes in my head
    Drown the words that we've said
    And if you stay you'll just put me 
    You'll just put me through hell
    
    Give me back my heart 
    It's breaking more every day
    Give me back my heart
    It's taking my life away
    The minute you walk out the door
    Is the minute I pick myself up off the floor
    I will get myself
    Get myself up off the floor
    I'll pick myself up
    



Russian Peter Hammill / Van der Graaf Generator Page
Sergey Petrushanko hammillru@mail.ru, 1998-2024