America (song)

This article deals with a song by the German music group Rammstein; for the song America by the English-Swedish band Razorlight see America (song) .

America
Rammstein
publication	September 6, 2004
length	3:46
Genre (s)	New German Hardness
Author (s)	Rammstein
Label	Universal Music
album	Journey, journey

America is a song by the German new German hardship band Rammstein from their fourth studio album Reise, Reise . The song was released as the second single on the album on September 6, 2004 in Germany, Austria and Switzerland. The song was produced by Jacob Hellner and by Rammstein himself, under the Motor Music label . America also appeared in the best-of album Made in Germany 1995-2011 .

background

Scenes like this served as a template for the moon scenes in the music video

The chorus of the song is taken from a song by The Sounds called Living in America . America was recorded in 2003 at Nectar Studios in Mexico City and El Cortijo Studio in Málaga . America criticizes the Americanization process in a satirical form and accuses the USA of cultural imperialism and "cultural arrogance". The two stanzas are sung in German, the refrain mostly in English (“We're all living in America, America is wonderful, We're all living in America, America, America.”) Wonderbra , Coca-Cola and Micky are mentioned Mouse . According to the lyrics, the latter “stands” in front of Paris , an allusion to Euro Disney . The line “this is not a love song” from the Bridge is a borrowing from the song of the same name by Public Image Ltd. , which is also critical of America . from 1983.

According to Rammstein bassist Oliver Riedel , the lyrics had initially led to discussions within the band, as the musicians had completely dispensed with political statements in their pieces. However, the song was written after September 11, 2001 during the time of the Iraq war , in the context of which the band members found the US's demanding global political behavior to be problematic. In order to avoid a raised index finger, it was decided to keep the text ironic.

reception

The site darkweb.de wrote: “In terms of music,“ America ”is typically Rammstein and could also be included on the last album“ Mutter ”. But in terms of text, a clear progress can be seen: "America" ​​is characterized by irony, a bitterly angry "homage" to the USA, but without lapsing into flat anti-Americanism . "

The following in-depth interpretation approach can be found in a blog on song text interpretations: “Presumably, Rammstein does not want to offer a pure US criticism, but rather to encourage people to reflect on their own and foreign cultures, to consciously perceive them and also to live and thereby to integrate the foreign, if this fits with your own life plan. However, this must be done voluntarily and willingly. It is reprehensible, however, if the spread of one's own culture with political and economic calculation and based on the conviction of being the most superior country is enforced, if necessary by force of arms. "

Music video

The video shows the band in space suits on the moon. At the end of the video, however, the band is revealed to be in a film studio, a nod to conspiracy theories that Americans were never on the moon . You can see an Indian lighting a Lucky Strike or young Buddhist monks eating hamburgers . From August 6, 2004, it was shot in the ruins of the former VEB Chemiewerk Coswig in Rüdersdorf near Berlin under the direction of Joern Heitmann within two days. The shooting took place from 5 p.m. to 5 a.m. 240 tons of ash sand were used to transform the set into a moon-like landscape. The spacesuits for the moon scenes were on loan from Hollywood. In order to be able to show the lower gravity on the moon, the film recording and the playback were realized at double the speed. The video premiered on August 20, 2004.

Chart positions and awards

Chart placements Charts Top ranking Weeks Chart placements  Germany (GfK) 2 (13 weeks) 13  Austria (Ö3) 3 (21 weeks) 21st  Switzerland (IFPI) 5 (13 weeks) 13  United Kingdom (OCC) 38 (2 weeks) 2

Annual charts Charts (2004) placement Annual charts (2004)  Germany (GfK) 31  Austria (Ö3) 54  Switzerland (IFPI) 86

America received a gold record in 2018 for more than 150,000 units sold in Germany . Besides Engel , the song is the only Rammstein song to have received a commercial award.

Country / Region	Award	Sales
Awards for music sales (country / region, Award, Sales)
Germany (BVMI)	gold	150,000
All in all	1 × gold	150,000

Main article: Rammstein / Awards for Music Sales

Web links

• Rammstein - America (Official Video)
• Rammstein - America (Official Making Of)

Individual evidence

1. ↑ http://www.releasemagazine.net/spotlightrammstein.htm
2. ↑ Michael Pilz: Rock: Rammstein are Germany's most successful lyric poets. In: welt.de . September 27, 2004, accessed October 7, 2018 . 
3. ↑ ^{a b c} http://www.gothm.de/reviews/cds/95-rammstein- Amerika  ( page no longer available , search in web archives )  Info: The link was automatically marked as defective. Please check the link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.  
4. ↑ evolver.at: Rammstein Interview: Travel Guide , September 27, 2004, accessed on October 4, 2017
5. ↑ Quoted from Jan Hurta: https://deutschelieder.wordpress.com/2016/11/22/rammstein- Amerika/ November 22, 2016, accessed on February 19, 2017.
6. ↑ ruedersdorf.de: The former Rüdersdorf chemical plant from October 28, 2016 , accessed on March 30, 2019
7. ↑ rammstein.de: History , accessed on May 27, 2018
8. ↑ Making of "Amerika" , Rammstein.de, online, accessed on February 9, 2015
9. ↑ rammstein.de: History , accessed on May 27, 2018
10. ↑ ^{a b c d} Chart sources: DE AT CH UK
11. ↑ German annual charts 2004
12. ↑ Austrian annual charts 2004
13. ↑ Swiss annual charts 2004
14. ↑ DE: Gold