Viva Colonia
Encyclopedia
Viva Colonia is a 2003 song and album
by the German
band De Höhner. The song is sung in a language which resembles the local dialect of Cologne
, Kölsch
, but differs in that the lyrics do not have many particularly Kölsch words, and thus are relatively easily understood by all German-language speakers.
The song's title refers to the city of Cologne. The song is especially popular at carnival
time, often played several times a day. It can be heard throughout the country, not solely in Cologne. For example, during carnival and during Oktoberfest
in Munich
, Bavaria
, the song remains essentially the same except "Viva Bavaria!" is substituted for "Viva Colonia!"
The song is also played on many other occasions. For example, 1. FC Köln
and the Kölner Haie
, an ice hockey
team, play the song frequently during their games.
The melody of the song is based on the traditional folk song Auld Lang Syne
which is of Scottish origin.
Album
An album is a collection of recordings, released as a single package on gramophone record, cassette, compact disc, or via digital distribution. The word derives from the Latin word for list .Vinyl LP records have two sides, each comprising one half of the album...
by the German
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
band De Höhner. The song is sung in a language which resembles the local dialect of Cologne
Cologne
Cologne is Germany's fourth-largest city , and is the largest city both in the Germany Federal State of North Rhine-Westphalia and within the Rhine-Ruhr Metropolitan Area, one of the major European metropolitan areas with more than ten million inhabitants.Cologne is located on both sides of the...
, Kölsch
Kölsch language
Kölsch is a very closely related small set of dialects, or variants, of the Ripuarian Central German group of languages. Kölsch is spoken in and partially around Cologne in the area covered by the Archdiocese and former Electorate of Cologne reaching from Neuss in the north to just south of Bonn,...
, but differs in that the lyrics do not have many particularly Kölsch words, and thus are relatively easily understood by all German-language speakers.
The song's title refers to the city of Cologne. The song is especially popular at carnival
Carnival
Carnaval is a festive season which occurs immediately before Lent; the main events are usually during February. Carnaval typically involves a public celebration or parade combining some elements of a circus, mask and public street party...
time, often played several times a day. It can be heard throughout the country, not solely in Cologne. For example, during carnival and during Oktoberfest
Oktoberfest
Oktoberfest, or Wiesn, is a 16–18 day beer festival held annually in Munich, Bavaria, Germany, running from late September to the first weekend in October. It is one of the most famous events in Germany and is the world's largest fair, with more than 5 million people attending every year. The...
in Munich
Munich
Munich The city's motto is "" . Before 2006, it was "Weltstadt mit Herz" . Its native name, , is derived from the Old High German Munichen, meaning "by the monks' place". The city's name derives from the monks of the Benedictine order who founded the city; hence the monk depicted on the city's coat...
, Bavaria
Bavaria
Bavaria, formally the Free State of Bavaria is a state of Germany, located in the southeast of Germany. With an area of , it is the largest state by area, forming almost 20% of the total land area of Germany...
, the song remains essentially the same except "Viva Bavaria!" is substituted for "Viva Colonia!"
The song is also played on many other occasions. For example, 1. FC Köln
1. FC Köln
1. FC Köln is a German association football club based in Cologne, North Rhine-Westphalia. It was formed in 1948 as a merger of the clubs Kölner Ballspiel-Club 1901 and SpVgg Sülz 07....
and the Kölner Haie
Kölner Haie
The Kölner Haie are an ice hockey club based in Cologne, Germany that plays in the Deutsche Eishockey Liga. The team was one of the founding members of the DEL.The team colours are red and white....
, an ice hockey
Ice hockey
Ice hockey, often referred to as hockey, is a team sport played on ice, in which skaters use wooden or composite sticks to shoot a hard rubber puck into their opponent's net. The game is played between two teams of six players each. Five members of each team skate up and down the ice trying to take...
team, play the song frequently during their games.
The melody of the song is based on the traditional folk song Auld Lang Syne
Auld Lang Syne (song)
Die Toten Hosen recorded a rendering of "Auld Lang Syne" for their Christmas album Wir warten auf's Christkind..., and released it as the second single from the album under the alias Die Roten Rosen. While the first two verses remain the same the rest of the lyrics are about drinking and having...
which is of Scottish origin.
Lyrics
The song is very chorus heavy, and the crowd always sings along with the chorus.| Chorus (Kölsch Kölsch language Kölsch is a very closely related small set of dialects, or variants, of the Ripuarian Central German group of languages. Kölsch is spoken in and partially around Cologne in the area covered by the Archdiocese and former Electorate of Cologne reaching from Neuss in the north to just south of Bonn,... ) |
English translation |
|---|---|
Da simmer dabei! Dat is prima! VIVA COLONIA! Wir lieben das Leben, die Liebe und die Lust Wir glauben an den lieben Gott und ham noch immer Durst. |
Count us in! That's great! Long live Cologne! We love life, love, and fun We believe in the dear Lord God and always are thirsty (up for a drink). |