Du hast
Encyclopedia
"Du hast" German
, "You have", whose title is a play on the homophones "hast" and "hasst" ("have" and "hate"), is a song by German industrial metal
band Rammstein
. It was released as the second single from their second album Sehnsucht
(1997). It has appeared on numerous soundtracks for films, most notably The Matrix
: Music from the Motion Picture
, and is featured in the music video games Guitar Hero 5
and Rock Band 3
.
The main guitar riff of the song shows a strong resemblance to Ministry
's song "Just One Fix
"; the band themselves have cited Ministry as one of their primary influences.
between the German verbs haben (to have), and, hassen (to hate), in the original song. When conjugated
in the second person singular form (i.e. "you"), the verbs haben and hassen become respectively hast and hasst. There is no phonetic difference between these two words. Due to the translational impossibility of retaining the homophone in English, the English version was changed from Du hast, meaning "you have," to Du hasst, meaning "you hate." The song is a play on German marriage vows
.
The refrain
"Willst du bis der Tod euch scheidet, treu ihr sein für alle Tage?" translates to "Do you[singular] want, until death separates you[plural], to be faithful to her for all time?" Instead of answering with "ja" (yes), the singer says "nein" (no), finally breaking his silence earlier in the song: "Du hast mich gefragt, und ich hab' nichts gesagt." This is in the present perfect and transliterates to "You have asked me, and I have said nothing," but is usually translated in the past tense
to, "You asked me, and I said nothing."
One time in the song, the refrain is sung with different words ("Willst du bis zum Tod, der scheide, sie lieben auch in schlechten Tagen?"). This translates as "Do you[singular] want, until the death that divides, to love her even in bad days?". Again, the singer responds with "Nein!".
and actress Astrid Meyerfeldt arriving in a Volga
GAZ-21
car near a desolate nondescript small warehouse in the countryside. Schneider reaches into the backseat to get a bag and takes out a handgun, tucking it into the back of his pants as he walks into the building. Inside, the rest of the band are standing around wearing Cupid masks, cut off below the nose. The band take off their masks seeming pleased to see Schneider and start drinking
, but the mood turns negative as evidenced by Lindemann hitting Schneider's character from a camera view. A shot showing a syringe
being administered seems to be the reason for slurred views of the band's faces, all emphasizing the song chorus to the face of Schneider's character, presumed to be lying on the ground. A match is lit, lighting up a gasoline
trail and a standing human figure is engulfed in flames. The entire band then walks outside, including Schneider completely unscathed as seen by Meyerfeldt waiting by the car. Schneider glances at Meyerfeldt, checks his watch and the car explodes behind the band walking in a line, unfazed by the explosion and not looking back.
, The Netherlands. Over the years, several stunts have been used during the live performances of "Du hast", ranging from the dildo
used in "Bück dich
", to the bow used in "Du riechst so gut
". In their Reise, Reise
and Liebe ist für alle da
tour, flames shoot several feet into the air and Till Lindemann
shot with a different bow into the air, "starting" a chain reaction that fired rockets over the audience. Being a fan favorite, it has been played in almost every concert to date since its initial performance.
German language
German is a West Germanic language, related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. With an estimated 90 – 98 million native speakers, German is one of the world's major languages and is the most widely-spoken first language in the European Union....
, "You have", whose title is a play on the homophones "hast" and "hasst" ("have" and "hate"), is a song by German industrial metal
Industrial metal
Industrial metal is a musical genre that draws from industrial music and many different types of heavy metal, using repeating metal guitar riffs, sampling, synthesizer or sequencer lines, and distorted vocals. Founding industrial metal acts include Ministry, Godflesh, and KMFDM.Industrial metal's...
band Rammstein
Rammstein
Rammstein is a German Neue Deutsche Härte band from Berlin, formed in 1994. The band consists of members Till Lindemann , Richard Z. Kruspe , Paul H. Landers , Oliver "Ollie" Riedel , Christoph "Doom" Schneider and Christian "Flake" Lorenz...
. It was released as the second single from their second album Sehnsucht
Sehnsucht (Rammstein album)
-Chart positions:- Personnel :*Till Lindemann – Vocals*Richard Z. Kruspe – Lead guitars, backing vocals*Paul Landers – Rhythm guitars*Oliver Riedel – Bass guitar*Christoph Schneider – Drums*Christian "Flake" Lorenz – Keyboards*Bobo – Additional female vocals...
(1997). It has appeared on numerous soundtracks for films, most notably The Matrix
The Matrix
The Matrix is a 1999 science fiction-action film written and directed by Larry and Andy Wachowski, starring Keanu Reeves, Laurence Fishburne, Carrie-Anne Moss, Joe Pantoliano, and Hugo Weaving...
: Music from the Motion Picture
The Matrix: Music from the Motion Picture
The Matrix: Music from the Motion Picture is one of the two 1999 soundtrack albums from the blockbuster film, The Matrix ....
, and is featured in the music video games Guitar Hero 5
Guitar Hero 5
Guitar Hero 5 is a music video game and the fifth main entry in the Guitar Hero series. The game was developed by Neversoft and published by RedOctane and Activision, and released internationally in September 2009 for the Xbox 360, PlayStation 2, 3 and Wii consoles...
and Rock Band 3
Rock Band 3
Rock Band 3 is a music video game, developed by Harmonix Music Systems. The game was initially published and distributed by MTV Games and Electronic Arts, respectively, with Mad Catz taking over both roles a year later. It is the third main game in the Rock Band series...
.
The main guitar riff of the song shows a strong resemblance to Ministry
Ministry (band)
Ministry is an American industrial metal band founded by lead singer Al Jourgensen in 1981. Originally a synthpop outfit, Ministry changed its style to industrial metal in the late 1980s. Ministry found mainstream success in the early 1990s with its most successful album Psalm 69: The Way to...
's song "Just One Fix
Just One Fix
-Ministry:*Al Jourgensen – vocals , guitar, programming, production*Paul Barker – bass guitar, programming, production-Additional Personnel:*Bill Rieflin – drums*Mike Scaccia – guitar*Michael Balch – programming*William S...
"; the band themselves have cited Ministry as one of their primary influences.
Overview
There are two versions of the song: the original version completely in German, and a second version partially in English. In the second version, the first chorus and the verses are in English and the last chorus is in German. The lyrics to the English version are not a direct translation from the German due to the use of a homonymHomonym
In linguistics, a homonym is, in the strict sense, one of a group of words that often but not necessarily share the same spelling and the same pronunciation but have different meanings...
between the German verbs haben (to have), and, hassen (to hate), in the original song. When conjugated
Grammatical conjugation
In linguistics, conjugation is the creation of derived forms of a verb from its principal parts by inflection . Conjugation may be affected by person, number, gender, tense, aspect, mood, voice, or other grammatical categories...
in the second person singular form (i.e. "you"), the verbs haben and hassen become respectively hast and hasst. There is no phonetic difference between these two words. Due to the translational impossibility of retaining the homophone in English, the English version was changed from Du hast, meaning "you have," to Du hasst, meaning "you hate." The song is a play on German marriage vows
Marriage vows
Marriage vows are promises each partner in a couple makes to the other during a wedding ceremony. Marriage customs have developed over history and keep changing as human society develops.-Background:...
.
The refrain
Refrain
A refrain is the line or lines that are repeated in music or in verse; the "chorus" of a song...
"Willst du bis der Tod euch scheidet, treu ihr sein für alle Tage?" translates to "Do you[singular] want, until death separates you[plural], to be faithful to her for all time?" Instead of answering with "ja" (yes), the singer says "nein" (no), finally breaking his silence earlier in the song: "Du hast mich gefragt, und ich hab' nichts gesagt." This is in the present perfect and transliterates to "You have asked me, and I have said nothing," but is usually translated in the past tense
Past tense
The past tense is a grammatical tense that places an action or situation in the past of the current moment , or prior to some specified time that may be in the speaker's past, present, or future...
to, "You asked me, and I said nothing."
One time in the song, the refrain is sung with different words ("Willst du bis zum Tod, der scheide, sie lieben auch in schlechten Tagen?"). This translates as "Do you[singular] want, until the death that divides, to love her even in bad days?". Again, the singer responds with "Nein!".
Music video
The video begins with Christoph SchneiderChristoph Schneider
Christoph "Doom" Schneider is a German musician. He is the drummer of the German Neue Deutsche Härte band Rammstein.-Early life:...
and actress Astrid Meyerfeldt arriving in a Volga
Volga (automobile)
Volga is an automobile brand that originated in the Soviet Union to replace the venerated GAZ-M20 Pobeda in 1956. Modern in design, it became a symbol of higher status in the Soviet nomenklatura...
GAZ-21
GAZ-21
The GAZ M21 Volga, the first car to carry the Volga name, was developed in the early 1950s. Volgas were built to last in the harsh climate and rough roads of the Soviet Union, with high ground clearance , rugged suspension, strong and forgiving engine, and rustproofing on a...
car near a desolate nondescript small warehouse in the countryside. Schneider reaches into the backseat to get a bag and takes out a handgun, tucking it into the back of his pants as he walks into the building. Inside, the rest of the band are standing around wearing Cupid masks, cut off below the nose. The band take off their masks seeming pleased to see Schneider and start drinking
Alcohol consumption
Alcohol consumption may refer to:* Alcohol consumption by youth in the United States* Alcoholic beverage* Legal drinking age* List of countries by alcohol consumption* Long-term effects of alcohol* Short-term effects of alcohol...
, but the mood turns negative as evidenced by Lindemann hitting Schneider's character from a camera view. A shot showing a syringe
Syringe
A syringe is a simple pump consisting of a plunger that fits tightly in a tube. The plunger can be pulled and pushed along inside a cylindrical tube , allowing the syringe to take in and expel a liquid or gas through an orifice at the open end of the tube...
being administered seems to be the reason for slurred views of the band's faces, all emphasizing the song chorus to the face of Schneider's character, presumed to be lying on the ground. A match is lit, lighting up a gasoline
Gasoline
Gasoline , or petrol , is a toxic, translucent, petroleum-derived liquid that is primarily used as a fuel in internal combustion engines. It consists mostly of organic compounds obtained by the fractional distillation of petroleum, enhanced with a variety of additives. Some gasolines also contain...
trail and a standing human figure is engulfed in flames. The entire band then walks outside, including Schneider completely unscathed as seen by Meyerfeldt waiting by the car. Schneider glances at Meyerfeldt, checks his watch and the car explodes behind the band walking in a line, unfazed by the explosion and not looking back.
Live performances
The first known performance of the song dates from 15 May 1997 in AmsterdamAmsterdam
Amsterdam is the largest city and the capital of the Netherlands. The current position of Amsterdam as capital city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands is governed by the constitution of August 24, 1815 and its successors. Amsterdam has a population of 783,364 within city limits, an urban population...
, The Netherlands. Over the years, several stunts have been used during the live performances of "Du hast", ranging from the dildo
Dildo
A dildo is a sex toy, often explicitly phallic in appearance, intended for bodily penetration during masturbation or sex with partners.- Description and uses :...
used in "Bück dich
Bück dich
"Bück dich" is a song by the Neue Deutsche Härte band Rammstein that first appeared on their second full-length album, Sehnsucht. The lyrics refer to sodomy.-Live performance and controversy:...
", to the bow used in "Du riechst so gut
Du riechst so gut
Du riechst so gut is a song by the German Neue Deutsche Härte band Rammstein. It was the band's first single and was released on its first album, Herzeleid. It describes the inner thoughts of a predator hunting his prey...
". In their Reise, Reise
Reise, Reise
Reise, Reise is Neue Deutsche Härte band Rammstein's fourth studio album. It was released on 27 September 2004 in Germany and followed shortly by its release across Europe. It was released in North America on 16 November 2004...
and Liebe ist für alle da
Liebe ist für alle da
Liebe ist für alle da is the sixth studio album by German Neue Deutsche Härte band Rammstein, which was released in most of Europe on 16 October 2009, the United Kingdom on 19 October 2009 and the United States on 20 October 2009.- History :The album title was confirmed on 1 September 2009, in a...
tour, flames shoot several feet into the air and Till Lindemann
Till Lindemann
Till Lindemann is a German musician, actor and poet who is the frontman for the German Neue Deutsche Härte band Rammstein.-Biography:...
shot with a different bow into the air, "starting" a chain reaction that fired rockets over the audience. Being a fan favorite, it has been played in almost every concert to date since its initial performance.
Track listing
- The UK version of the single does not include "Bück dich".
Covers
- Heavy metal band Black Warrant covered the song in which appeared on their 2006 release Recover II.
- Ukrainian popPop musicPop music is usually understood to be commercially recorded music, often oriented toward a youth market, usually consisting of relatively short, simple songs utilizing technological innovations to produce new variations on existing themes.- Definitions :David Hatch and Stephen Millward define pop...
singer Verka SerduchkaVerka SerduchkaAndriy Mykhailovych Danylko , better known as his drag character Verka Serduchka , is a Ukrainian comedian and pop and dance singer. In the role of Serduchka, he represented Ukraine in the Eurovision Song Contest 2007 and finished in second place...
covered the song in 2007 for UkrainianUkraineUkraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It has an area of 603,628 km², making it the second largest contiguous country on the European continent, after Russia...
TV. - Hannibal performed "Du hast" live at the first Scorpions Festival 2007 (18 June 2007) at Karaiskaki Stadium, Piraeus, AthensAthensAthens , is the capital and largest city of Greece. Athens dominates the Attica region and is one of the world's oldest cities, as its recorded history spans around 3,400 years. Classical Athens was a powerful city-state...
. - Turkish rap rockRap rockRap rock is a cross-genre fusing vocal and instrumental elements of hip hop with various forms of rock. Rap rock is often confused with rap metal and rapcore, subgenres that include heavy metal-oriented and hardcore punk-oriented bands, respectively....
band Manga performed the song live in IstanbulIstanbulIstanbul , historically known as Byzantium and Constantinople , is the largest city of Turkey. Istanbul metropolitan province had 13.26 million people living in it as of December, 2010, which is 18% of Turkey's population and the 3rd largest metropolitan area in Europe after London and...
in 2006. - Battery did a cover of the song, which is found on the Feuer Frei!Feuer frei!"Feuer frei!" is a song by German Industrial Metal band Rammstein. The song is released as the fifth single from their third album Mutter...
single. - Viva Vox Choir, Serbia, Belgrade did a live non-instrumental voice cover on May 11, 2011.
In popular culture
- Featured in The Matrix: Music from the Motion PictureThe Matrix: Music from the Motion PictureThe Matrix: Music from the Motion Picture is one of the two 1999 soundtrack albums from the blockbuster film, The Matrix ....
. - Featured in the 2001 film for How HighHow HighHow High is a 2001 stoner comedy starring Method Man and Redman, written by Dustin Lee Abraham, and director Jesse Dylan's debut feature film. Entertainment Weekly rated it third in their "Best Stoner Movie" top ten list...
. - Appeared in Gilmore GirlsGilmore GirlsGilmore Girls is an American family comedy-drama series created by Amy Sherman-Palladino, starring Lauren Graham and Alexis Bledel. On October 5, 2000, the series debuted on The WB and was cancelled in its seventh season, ending on May 15, 2007 on The CW...
(TV Series, 2001) 2x06 'Presenting Lorelai Gilmore' - Appeared in Bam Margeras CKY2K movie.
- Appeared in an episode of the HBO series Entourage, in reference to character Ari Gold on a warpath.
- Featured in Harmonix's game Rock Band 3Rock Band 3Rock Band 3 is a music video game, developed by Harmonix Music Systems. The game was initially published and distributed by MTV Games and Electronic Arts, respectively, with Mad Catz taking over both roles a year later. It is the third main game in the Rock Band series...
- Appeared in an episode of the MTVMTVMTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs....
series DariaDariaDaria is an American animated television series produced by Paramount Television, and created by Glenn Eichler and Susie Lewis Lynn for MTV. The series focuses on Daria Morgendorffer, a smart, acerbic, and somewhat misanthropic teenage girl who observes the world around her...
, Episode 301 "Through a Lens Darkly", just the intro of the song is played
Chart performance
"Du hast" hit #20 on the Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks chart in the United States. It is the highest charting German language song in the history of that chart.| Chart (1997) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| German Singles Chart | 5 |
| Austrian Singles Chart Ö3 Austria Top 40 Ö3 Austria Top 40 is the name of the official Austrian singles chart, as well as the radio show which presents it, aired Fridays on Hitradio Ö3. The show presents the Austrian singles, ringtones and downloads chart. It premiered on 26 November 1968 as Disc Parade and was presented by Ernst Grissemann... |
10 |
| Canadian RPM Alternative 30 RPM (magazine) RPM was a Canadian music industry publication that featured song and album charts for Canada. The publication was founded by Walt Grealis in February 1964, supported through its existence by record label owner Stan Klees. RPM ceased publication in November 2000.RPM stood for "Records, Promotion,... |
2 |
| Swiss Singles Chart Swiss Music Charts The Swiss Music Charts are Switzerland's main music sales charts. The charts are a record of the highest-selling singles and albums in various genres in Switzerland.The Swiss Charts include:* Singles Top 75... |
33 |
| UK Singles Chart UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ... |
186 |
| US Billboard Mainstream Rock Tracks | 20 |