American Reacts To German Music | Willst Du By Alligatoah

[@tosa2522]

"Let's go down the river" is a German saying. The beautiful image of going down the river with someone actually means the opposite. When something goes down the river, it describes a deteriorating situation that indicates decay. A relationship that goes down the river won't last long.

[@SethinBerlin]

Oh that makes sense. We could say it goes downhill

[@tosa2522]

@@SethinBerlin If you want to use this saying, you have to take care to use the word "Bach" for brook/creek. For example: "Mit dem Unternehmen NOKIA geht es seit 10 Jahren den Bach runter (/bergab)."

[@hannajung7512]

@@SethinBerlin exactly taken the english turn of phrase into this line it would translate into: "Let's go together... down the hill, because a wreck is a place were treasures are hiddden"

[@fabianglathe6131]

I think “going down the drain” is also a good translation for “den Bach runter gehen”

[@CoL_Drake]

Alligatoah's songs are pretty deep.

[@tomitiustritus6672]

"Because a wreck is where a treasures lays" Best line of that song.

[@1112-m6p]

The whole going down the river/wreck and treasure part of the song is so good and it's a shame that it can't really be translated into english without loosing some of its impact

[@fabienneliesch7276]

I don't say I am right, since Alligatoah's songs are usually pretty deep. He also normally faces an extreme of a problem that exists in a lighter form in our world. I sometimes listen to his songs, but sincs I am not too deep in his fandome, I wanna make clear, I could be wrong. In my opinion he talks about how people get their education from movies and shows, since that is also what he says at the beginning: "Zum Glück gibt es Film und Fernsehen, da wo ich meine Bildung her nehm" this is also why he makes a lot of connections to movies and shows in his song, to emplying that his character saw this ideas of a relationship in the cinema/tv. Every time the listener thinks he kinda knows where this might lead, for example when he says "Ich hol aus meiner Tasche eine kleine Schachtel und du weißt was ab geht" if the character in this song would be a 'normal' romantic, he would have a ring in the box and would propose, but it's not a ring. The character in this song is bad educated about the real world. Also in german when something is going wrong or gets destroyed it "goes down the river" (geht den Bach runter) so it becomes a "(ship) wreck", it is broken. But the character in the song knows "ein Wrack das ist ein Ort an dem ein Schatz schlummert".

[@SethinBerlin]

This is very insightful! I think he is open to a lot of interpretations. Yours sounds good to me

[@malvinafis6907]

I don't know if that got lost in translation but there are some references to a proposal, with "Willst du" being the start of the sentence "Willst du mich heiraten?" or "Will you marry me?" Also the "kleine Schachtel" after falling on the knee.

[@tillposer]

OK, disclosure here: I was introduced to this particular album by my stepson. This song is from the album "Triebwerke", which I unreservedly reccomend. "Triebwerke" ostensibly means jet engine, however it should, in this case translated as "(sex) drive opus". The whole album is incredibly tounge-in-cheek and extremely cynical. As you alluded to, Alligatoah uses multilevel wordplay and cultural allusion, which makes it incredibly difficult for non-Germanophones to decipher. This indeed is clearly a very empathetic anti-drug song, which pokes bitter fun at all the teenage-rebellion and teenage-angst rationalizations for drug use (daddy didn't come to the school theater, so there!) and cleverly deconstructs the romanticism around drugs with juxtapositioning it with the grimy reality of drug use. The hook is quite clever, "let's go down hill / down the river together", a phrase which is quite unglamourus, "and a wreck is a place where a treasure may slumber" with the connotation that that notion is quite fatuous. For an encore from the same album, I recommend both "Amnesie" and "Dann duck ihn doch!".

[@ZombieMiezz]

Alligatoah - lyrical genius

[@admerin6961]

There should be no problem with you using Alligatoah's videos, last year he announced that anyone (except racists) who wants to use his music has his blessing. I am glad you are giving the Man another shot. Alligatoah is awesome.

[@admerin6961]

"Holy crap, some of these words!" Famous last words of every German learner. 🤣 Have you come across Swiss und die Anderen yet?

[@technix1411]

Hi Seth, I like your videos :) I think Alligatoah is really hard stuff to understand for a non native speaker. In his songs are many messages, hints and sarcasm. But you are doing a good job :D

[@SethinBerlin]

Thank you! I really enjoy his music!

[@Luthien4497]

Alligatoah is one of my Favorits artist I think some years ago his Songs are part of the german lessons like poetry Analyse , He is amazing you can react to more of his Songs :D KZbin have to watch him Performance live in kenia ! :D

[@stefanpdreid1364]

It is not translated „going down the river“ it is more like going down the drain, at least this is the meaning of „Den Bach runtergehen“

[@cptmetal1995]

The video of „Willst du“ is actually a parody of Cro‘s „Du“ Video 😊

[@lordvader7624]

It´s an anti drug song. And for what I have ssen you did connect with it. I hope the best for you and your fam.

[@breziwill]

going down the river is like going down the drain

[@outdooralex8158]

Ur German is not bad keep going and it will being better most us guys doesn’t can speak German good out but keep going

[@flolind475]

Please react to "Die grüne Regenrinne" and/or "Mein Gott hat den Längsten"

[@rickyratte5643]

XD

[@an-an]

Next artist to react: Sarah Connor (not from Terminator)!! 😁😁😁😁😁 For US maybe known from: Enrique Iglesias - Takin' Back My Love (feat. Sarah Connor). Very catchy pop song. And she is much better than Ciara form the US version! 😉 But now she have a lot of poular german songs.

[@uwerieger9793]

Sarah´s best song: "Kommst Du mir ihr - live in Hamburg"

[@lizcywen6245]

"vincent" is a great song by sarah connor ♥

[@an-an]

@@lizcywen6245 Yes. Perfect to react to.