Herbert Grönemeyer - Der Weg Live 2003 Mensch Tour (Gelsenkirchen) (Reaction) 

After his brother and his wife died within a few days of each other, Grönemeyer took a long break and wrote the album "Mensch" to cope with his grief. He dedicated the single Der Weg to his wife, who died of complications from breast cancer. In my opinion, Herbert Grönemeyer is one of the greatest German modern poets.

I'm German. And as such, I find it sad that the German language alone is associated with a criminal regime. The truth is that the German language is almost unique in its depth, precision and emotionality. It is not for nothing that it was German romantics, writers and philosophers who shaped world history for centuries. In this song and these lyrics you can see another example of this...

"Ich trag dich bei mir, bis der Vorhang fällt." (I'll carry you with me until the curtain falls.) In the final sentence Grönemeyer uses a theater metaphore. His wife Anna Henkel was a theater actress and they met when Grönemeyer was working as a composer and musician in the same theater.

I remember the whole german nation was grieving with him about his loss of wife and brother within a week. He played this song on the biggest german tv show Wetten das and when he finished the whole audience incl celebrities, politicians was giving standing ovation to show their support. He is very respected in Germany for his lyrics and his personal opinions on many things

This song makes me cry every single time.

So now imagine, that these lyrics flow completely differently in German and he has the gift to make words rhyme without it sounding stilted or weird. The parts, that are already emotional in English tear brutally on our heartstrings in German. As a German, even listening to it for the first time, you kinda sense and feel what's coming up just cause of the rhyme. Does that make any sense? Your hear the heartstring word in your own mind, before he even sings it. And all of a sudden your heart expands and you feel all that love 💕 It's gruesomely beautiful.

Herbert is an institution in Germany❤

Herbert plays and sings this song at every one of his live performances. And no matter how often you hear the song, most listeners have tears in their eyes and it seems as if the world stands still for a moment. A sad song, but one that gives comfort, hope and confidence at the same time. In a few days' time, I will be a guest again at a Herbert Grönemeyer concert. Crying included.

Imagine beeing on a big festival.. and Herbert Grönemeyer is due to play... ' he has some good songs.. let's check him out' .... and than he plays this.🤯 Emotions hit hard! And you look at your left you see a big big man, covered in tattoos crying.. you look to your right people are hugging eachother (even stranders) Not many artists have hit me that intense. With this song.. and "Mensch" and "Halt mich" aswell. But also his happy-songs.. it is all about true-energy. This man is an artist in the purest way.

He wrote this song for his wife who died of breast-cancer. Herber Grönemeyer truly is a national treasure here in germany! This Song came out one year after i've lost my mum to damn breast-cancer. It will always mean alot to me.

"Ich bin viel zu träge um aufzugeben." -------> "I'm too lazy to give up." This is the line that makes me cry every time.

I love that your reaction videos always come across as really genuine. Some more background info. There are several allusions to film and theatre in the lyrics. The reason for that is that his wife, Anna Henkel, was an actress. They even met on a filmset. Herbert Grönemeyer first became known in Germany as an actor. He was in "Das Boot" (1981), which became a huge international success (it was nominated for 6 Oscars). After that he mostly concentrated on his music.

Herbert is a national treasure and the most popular and successful german artist. He has the aura and nostalgia in his voice that touches you even without knowing the lyrics. But he is a true poet and this one, "Der Weg" goes deep. It brings you to tears, especially knowing the tragic story behind it. This song is about his first wife who he lost due to cancer.

I am very sorry for your loss. I am very thankful that you react so honestly to this song and you share your story. Regarding the song: I think it is an art to write a song like this. Although he is taking his personal tragedy as a reference, it is more about the idea of losing a loved one and the grief. By shying away from direct descriptions, it gives the song something universal making it possible for each listener to connect on an individual level with it.

This song with so much power, so much emotion I think many people know people who have passed away too soon and can therefore understand the emotions involved

Thanx Walter for showing your emotions. This is not sadness, this is a bright looking forward (with a little bit rain in your eyes). I wish a good Father Day tomorrow.

Thank you for the great reaction. Herbert has a lot of uplifting songs as well. You might want to check out "Männer" ('Men' in English, a funny song about the expectancy projected on men) or "Alkohol" (quite self-explanatory 😅 ).

Ist a song of love and hope. Carry on. Thank you.

Many Poetic lines... hes genius, her wife muscial actor who loved Shakespear, so many lines of her favorite parts... in Rome x Juliet and Midgnightsummer Dream... "Danced the movie In a silvery room From the golden balcony Admired the infinity Hopelessly lost in thought, drunken And everything was allowed Together in a time lapse Midsummer Night's Dream"

First I heard in Radio on the way home from this time on I have to crie in every time I hear the first notes, thank you Herbert

I have never listened to this song until today but it's so powerful, so sad and in a strange way joyful, you can feel his pain and suffering and you can also relate to it.

little somethig to add to you german music list: for the feels: Reihard Mey - Nein, Meine Söhne geb ich nicht for comic relief: Knorkator - Ganz besonderer Mann 😉 keep up the great work!

Within only one week herbert lost his wife and his brother to cancer. After a long break he came back. With this song.

I like your soulful reactions!

Wunderschön das ist Liebe ❤😢 Greetings from Germany

He sings another very moving song to his mother who is senile, and lives in her own reality, "Deiner Zeit" Your time - very beautiful

Great reaction! Very sad and emotional song😥

He composed the song "Bochum"..I studied there..never has one song captured the soul of people who live in a region more than this. Although I have to add..the greatest German song of the last century is Dein is mein ganzes Herz by Heinz Rudolf Kunze.....

that line hit you very hard, could feel it!....😢

"müde" is not "lazy" ... but "tired"

You really should listen to Maxim - Meine Soldaten. Would be straight up your alley and move you to tears, I bet. Preferably the live version on TV Noir.

The whole album "Mensch" is about loss, grief and finding a way to go on after bearing the loss of two loved ones in five days (his wife and his brother). Listen to the title song "Mensch" as well (that's how the concert continues, but you don't need tissues because it is much more positive, although the verse "telephone, gas, electricity, unpaid, that works, too" refers to the fact, that after the loss of his wife of cancer, for whom he wrote "Der Weg", he wasn't able to think about everyday matters). And at the time of the concert he was a single father of two kids. I post the link (I think it is also subtitled in English). Watch the video to the very end (when the song is over there will be four minutes left, but that four minutes are well worth watching): ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-OEbMoYOpfeY.html

Herbert is a true poet!

Thx!

With the death of Grönemeyer's brother Wilhelm on November 1st, 1998 and four days later his wife Anna. Herbert suffered two severe blows of fate. It took Grönemeyer over a year to become artistically active again. He dedicated the song “Der Weg” to his wife Anna.

I like your videos so much! I recommend "als ich fortging" ("when I left") from Karussell, a GDR Song really touching.

❤

The english translation is very accurate, but sometimes it misses the meanings of german words. "You never betrayed your plan for happines." In german it's "Du hast ihn nie verraten, deinen Plan vom Glück." Verraten means to betray, but also to reveal something. And both meanings would fit. Grönemeyer often does this in his lyrics. He also did an english version of this song. Maybe you could look up the lyrics online.

The whole song is such a poet

4:11 Considering that you liked the line "Stück vom Himmel" (piece of heaven), you might like to check out this song by Grönemeyer with exactly this title :)

Dear Walter, it's a pleasure to follow you. You asked for special songs - believe us, these are beautiful songs whose beauty you understand and hear immediately in the first lines....trust us... Glashaus - Kraft Glashaus - Fühlt sich wie sterben an Glashaus - Haltet die Welt an Xavier Naidoo - 20.000 Meilen Maxime - Soldaten Clueso - Gewinner These are beautiful songs ...❤

Pleease react to "Reinhard mey & Freunde - nein meine Söhne geb ich nicht (offizielles Video). It has english subtitles and is a song with an important message

🌻

You defined your destiny, in this order it makes more sense for english listeners

the maybe most emotional german song

And not one damn' Smartphone disturbs this very moment

Mit englischen Untertitlen zum ersten mal alles verstanden 😬

The song is about his wife who died of cancer.

@walterooski Its about lost. Herberts Wife died on breast cancer. The days before his brother passed aways :/

This should be watched in combination with the following song 'Mensch' which symbolizes coping with grief! Only then you get the full impact! It is said that his young daughter kicked his ass and made him go back on stage bc Papa let himself go!

Man! you feel it genuine.....👍👍

Dear Walter, thank you very much for your videos. I really like your emotional reactions and the way you look at things. Thanks a lot! If I can express a wish: Please make a reaction video to the song "Viertel vor Sieben" by Reinhard Mey. One of my all-time favorite songs. For example here: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-61PL3KJFPss.htmlsi=xAreJJsWXH5Jpe2K However, you would have to translate the text into English. Thank you for your videos. Stay as you are. Warm greetings from Europe!

thx walter i love your reactions ... you have ask for other german bands or song, this here is my favored song from the german punk band "Die Toten Hosen" ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-j09hpp3AxIE.html "Tage wie diese" ("days like these") this is a happy song full of energy and these guys are around since decades

Emotionally pretty much on the same level is "Zeit" from Rammstein! I know, most people think of Rammstein only as a hard rock band, but they also have a soft and emotional side and Till Lindemann's voice is just beautiful in this. Additionally, their music videos are masterpieces in cinematography! So maybe check out the official video of "Zeit". Unfortunately, there are no subtitles. But you can activate auto-translated subtitles in the settings, which work fine.

Herbert is famous for being hard to understand at times, but i really think he says "Und ich lobe" (And i praise) instead of Nordisch Nobel (Nordic noble) here and all the lyric sites are copying it wrong from each other. Or maybe there's a reason for Nordisch Nobel and it does make sense after all?

🫶😢🫶

Now emagine your a native speaker

Please react more to German music, it's noticeable that you are really interested in the complicated German lyrics, hardly any German understands them, there are so many good lyrics in German music. One of my wishes is simple poetry, but beautiful. Lea - Wenn du mich lässt. So now I have to look further and see what you have already responded to. Good luck

Another suggestion for goosebumps in German: "Nein, meine Söhne geb ich nicht" by Reinhard Mey und Freunde. ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-1q-Ga3myTP4.htmlsi=DX4fWEx1o_RuhuMD

You are so dicht in my opinion, mit us a Dongle absolut grieve in general, even if the source for Herbert G. Had been his Personal loses, mit is mir linke Grieve forged into lyrisch and Song. Not for the First time crying when listening to it.

Don't you suspect anything or don't you notice anything? He sings about his deceased wife. Note he also lost his brother days before. Yes, you can't know, but then find out more about a React video before you upload it. I find something like that disrespectful.

Sorry Left Antifa man,sorry he is a differend Person !!! Nice Musiker but ,,,show yourself !!! Nice but angry!

Sorry but i stopped watching your Video when u said u liked his keyboard....YOU have not even understand his Message till then......good luck with the Rest...but without me