We pronunce it the same way in Hungarian too, but that can be a German influence. Actually, I heard more languages saying it this way compared to the English way.
You are pretty much on track with the meaning. West Germany was essentially watched over by the British and America whilst East Germany was overseen by Russia. Russia ruled with an iron fist. Any radio from the west was banned. They only had approved old traditional German radio. Likewise with TV and publications. All Rammstein members are from East Germany. It was a way of life though and some liked it, same with Soviet Union. I believe Flake has always said he misses it. Outside influence can be both bad and good in some cases i suppose
@@EngelinZivilBO He is missing some aspects of the GDR. Just because it was a oppressive af doesn't mean that there weren't aspects that were, or felt, good forsome citizens. Flake wasn't really on their 'bad side' even if he was a punk playing illegal music. Till also has stated several times that he misses the 'cameradrie, familiarity and culture' from the GDR and that it's a shame that the eastern parts of Germany are being 'westernized' by our West. It's a bigger deal for Till to miss it so much because his current lifestyle is completely opposite to what was allowed back then. The Stasi and state ruined his life completely after kicking him out of olympic training for fraternizing with westerners in a training camp. He had a good education (his parents were well-respected in the GDR, Mom was state journalist, dad was author and poet), but was only able to get jobs as a basket-weaver or day-to-day worker. He was certainly aware that they did that to him intentionally, yet he misses many parts of that life. He even somewhat misses collecting roadkill by the train tracks because there wasn't enough food :D
It's not just about the DDR. For some reason, many people do not notice the flags of the European Union, which are painted red. Rammstein has never been big fans of capitalism and American values that are imposed on all over Europe
The song describes secretly listening in on western Radio when living in the Soviet-controlled east-germany. Something quite a lot of people did in various ways (like hiding antennas in their chimneys). If you got caught there were severe consequences. People did the same thing with TV, but there were traps set for that (like asking kids in Kindergarten to draw the "Sandman", and then see which kid draws the one from west-german TV). On a trivia-note, some of the "police"-costumes from this video were given to Rammstein's stage crew on the following tour, making for quite the neat look for "unseen" people. Also Flake's suit was a REAL preserved tux from like 1920.
Hi, I'm from Germany! Till's makeup is from the cabarets of the Berlin of the roaring 20's. If you know the movie "Cabaret" then you know where his makeup is coming from (especially in the scene with the song "Welcome"). The roaring 20's had the reputation to be especially kinky and decadent with a lot of orgies, crossdressers and homosexual activities. Especially in Berlin. The rest is a mixture of Third Reich and GDR (DDR), because both dictatorships restricted the receiving of radio waves from foreign countries with foreign ideas and foreign music. If you were caught listening to foreign (enemy) radio stations in the Third Reich this could be your end. In the DDR you were thrown in prison and / or your life was ruined by the secret service (Stasi). So you were allowed to listen to the radio and watch TV under both regimes...but you were NOT allowed to listen to FOREIGN radio stations and TV stations. In both states the radio was the life line of the people for listening to modern western music that was forbidden in both dictatorships. Despite of those threats the most people in the GDR watched west-TV and listened to west-radio. There was an area in the east, where no western TV and radio waves were getting to. That area was called "Tal der Ahnungslosen" (valley of the clueless) by the east Germans. The women protesting and going over the top with bare breasts and the women turning over the car were part of the women's rights movements. Then they had written on posters and their body in the 1960's & 1970's the slogan "My body belongs to me" (part of the pro abortion movement inside the womens rights movement of the 1960's and 70's). In the video they had written on posters and bodies "My Radio belongs to me". In the same women's rights direction goes the scene with the complaining man (about the food) and the woman throws him to the ground. But to be honest: I don't know, why they brought up that women's rights stuff in the context with their song about the radio. Maybe the radio helped spreading those political ideas back then, too. The music was in big parts a homage to the sound of the band "Kraftwerk" and their songs about radio waves and the radio itself (partly integrated into songs like "Autobahn"). My recommendation: The band "Kraftwerk" and their song "Autobahn". If possible, take one of the latest versions. If possible from one of their latest life events with the 3D animation of the German highway in the background. Greetings Mega 👋😇👋
Ich sehe dich echt häufig unter Rammstein-Reactions und finde deine Kommentare meistens ebenfalls echt gut. ;) Meine Interpretationen sind oft sehr ähnlich zu deinen oder du gibst dann doch nochmal echt gute Denkanstöße in eine andere Richtung. Vor allem das finde ich aber auch so toll daran, in Kommentaren unter den Reactions die Gedanken Anderer zu den Texten/Videos von Rammstein zu lesen. Ich mag es echt, dass sie den Hörern so viel eigenen Interpretationsfreiraum lassen. :D Zu dem Detail mit der Frauenbewegung, denke ich sie haben das mit ins Video gebracht, weil die Frauen sich für Gleichberechtigung und Selbstbestimmung einsetzten und Rammstein in dem Video dadurch eine Parallele ziehen. Sprich, die Frauen setzen sich hier für die Gleichberechtigung und Selbstbestimmung bezogen auf das Radio ein. Also gleichberechtigt zu sein, all das zu hören, was die Menschen außerhalb hören können und selbstbestimmt zu wählen, welchen Sender die Menschen beispielsweise einschalten wollen. Und ich glaube dass Rammstein gleichzeitig, mehr oder weniger indirekt durch die Wahl der Szene, ein Zeichen für die Gleichberechtigung der Frauen in der heutigen Zeit setzten. Ist ja noch immer ein sehr aktuelles und wichtiges Thema. So habe ich zumindest den Teil das Videos aufgefasst. Bei einem anderen Detail habe ich allerdings, für mich, irgendwie noch keine richtige Erklärung gefunden die mir plausibel erscheint. Dazu habe ich bisher auch nur selten etwas in den Kommentaren gelesen, weil es den meisten glaube ich garnicht auffällt. Und zwar meine ich die EU-Flaggen vor dem „Radio Berlin“-Gebäude. Während das Video schwarz-weiß ist, denkt man die Fahnen wären ganz normal blau-gelb. Nachdem die Band aber am Ende das Gebäude verlässt (in Farbe) sieht man, dass die Flaggen rot mit gelben Sternen sind. Bei rot-gelben Flaggen denke ich da zuerst an kommunistische Länder (z.B. ehem. UdSSR, oder auch China noch heute)… Vielleicht soll es bedeuten, dass den Menschen damals, vor allem in der DDR vorgegaukelt wurde, sie wären frei (keine Grenzen gesetzt, wie es in der EU zwischen den (meisten) Ländern quasi wirklich, auch wortwörtlich so ist). Aber wenn man richtig hinsieht (die wahren „Farben“ erkennt), sieht und spürt man, dass es eben nicht so ist. Deswegen sind die EU-Flaggen in dem Video in rot- statt blau-gelb. Die Menschen waren\sind in den kommunistischen Systemen (DDR damals, China noch heute) eben nicht wirklich frei. Wenn du verstehst was ich meine. Bin mir da aber wie gesagt selbst noch nicht schlüssig, was das angeht. Fest steht, sie müssen sich ja was dabei gedacht und nicht versehentlich rote EU-Fahnen aufgehängt haben. XD Vielleicht hast du ja noch eine andere Idee, was es bedeuten könnte. Würde mich jedenfalls interessieren. ;) So, dass wärs dann auch. Sorry für den Roman. XD
@@mel1one Danke für den netten Kommentar. Falls das mit den EU-Flaggen Absicht war, dann glaube ich ganz bestimmt, daß Rammstein den diktatorisch-bürokratisch-antifreiheitlichen Sozialismus-Charakter der EU erkannt haben. All die Gemeinsamkeiten der EU mit der ehemaligen UdSSR und all den anderen Sozialistischen Diktaturen. Wie den schädlichen Zentralismus und die antidemokratische Natur der EU, zum Beispiel. Zensur im Internet mit neuen EU-Zensurgesetzen etc, etc, etc. Rammstein waren schon immer nicht leicht zu beherrschen und in eine Box zu packen. Vielleicht haben sie auch hier wieder erkannt, wie schädlich, undemokratisch und antifreiheitlich die EU wirklich ist...und wie sie immer mehr den ehemaligen Ostblockdiktaturen zu ähneln beginnt...und zwar nicht erst seit gestern.
@@megatwingo Hey, danke für deine Antwort. :) Hmm... Also ich finde jetzt nicht im geringsten dass die EU Antidemokratisch ist und sehe auch nicht wirklich Gemeinsamkeiten zur damaligen UdSSR usw. Auch glaube ich tatsächlich nicht, dass Rammstein DAS damit sagen wollen. Natürlich gibt es aber ebenfalls an der EU genügend Kritikpunkte. Beispielsweise die Sache mit Artikel 13 bzw. 17 (ich denke dass du das mit "Zensurgesetzen" im Internet meinst). Ist ein guter Punkt. Dabei kann ich mir schon deutlich eher vorstellen, dass sie diesen Aspekt hier kritisieren. Würde auch passen, da diese unausgereiften Systeme der Uploadfilter technisch garnicht so funktionieren können wie sie sollten. Weshalb sie dann tatsächlich sehr anfällig und leichter zu missbrauchen wären, was Zensur angeht. Vielleicht mahnen Rammstein davor, dass man so der Gefahr von Zensur des wichtigsten Mediums (heute Internet) näher kommt. Mit dem Beispiel von damals, wo u.a. das Radio tatsächlich Zensiert wurde.
My take on the meaning: All the members are from East Germany, and back then all foreign media was banned, but sometimes you could catch signals from West German with your radio and then listen to the music that they were broadcasting, and to those people, that was a window to the outside world. "My ears become eyes [...] I hear what I can't see"
The Kraftwek influence is really clear on Radio but there's also a hint of Killing Joke's Love like Blood in the guitars. The use of holograms in the video is really clever-no matter how you try, you can't destroy art or Rammstein. The announcement at the start of the video is a re-enactment of the actual announcement of that time. Really love this song, I've bopped around in my kitchen to this many a time. Lost a few mugs and plates along the way as a result as well! Thanks, yet again, guys. Great choice.
Hello you crazy two Finally you comment on this ingenious song with an absolute killer riff one of the best songs on the album and you can clearly hear the influences of the German electro pioneers "Kraftwerk" who especially Flake admires ... And it would be great if you one day Song "Donaukinder comments this song will blow you away thanks and greetings from Germany 🤟🤟🇩🇪🇩🇪
@Mat and Chels React : During the GDR era, when Germany was divided, the East was not allowed to hear certain songs and the West was allowed and the radio was worth a lot in the East. All Rolling Stones records were banned - and the music of many Western bands that was not officially on the index was hardly available in the GDR. I come from Germany .
Chels! I like, how you sang the two words "mein Radio"! Are you a singer? We Germans don't have much to be proud of, but we have RAMMSTEIN! Music, lyrics, videos, stage show, outfits: Everything is so unique! Could you react to "Nebel" please? If possible, no live version. Keep up your great work!
I live in north west Indiana near Chicago, a radio station played this ONCE... Only once and never heard it again i was soo stoked! I loved this song and was so surprised to hear it on that station. For whatever reason though they decided to not air it anymore..
Yet another great reaction to one of, I think, Rammstein's more underrated songs! I knew you guys would love this one, too! It is very definitely one of my favorites of the Band! You guys take care! Love ya!
Y’all are so funny I love your reaction😆😆 This song is just amazing it’s one of my favorite songs off the last album…& you got the meaning of it there Mat.
by the way, there is a reference in this song to the french revolution, to sort of match the theme of banned things and sexual liberation : the scene when a topless woman is brandishing a flag is a reference to a 1830 painting by Eugene Delacroix called "Liberty Guiding The People", depicting the French revolution and currently exposed at The Louvre.
one little detail yall didnt notice, the radios before topless flag waving girl, all had surnames of band members on them, "Landers and Schneider" for example
Always reminds me on that old bavarian joke about the invention of the Yodeling: Two bavarian farmers meet with their dung truck on a meadow. One said: Do lad I o, The other one: Do lad i a o.
Radio is pronounced like that in Sweden more or less. The song is of course about forbidden listening to western broadcast behind the iron curtain in East Germany. There was national radio too but they didn't play "depraved western rock music" then... that spread underground. The members of Rammstein played in rock and punk bands while still living in the east.
6:08 can you imagine 70000 people start clapping their hands in Berlin Olympiastadium? GOOSBUMP GARANTEE! You said you have tickets? This will be THE concert to be.
6:10 Reminds me of the end of Escape from LA: "He's not even here! He's a hologram!" Can't stop the signal. *Freedom* thundering through Soviet Germany from the West. Foo Fighters did something _very_ similar with The Pretender, only they used a shockwave and glass/water/blood? to blow away the fascist thugs. It also symbolized music and defiance though.
That song is 100% my favorite song from that album. I also just saw them live in Philly and completely lost it when they played it. I went way harder than anyone my age should ever go. 😅
Radio, besides Deutschland und Auslaender, from the last album are songs who have German history as their primary topic. Radio is about the censorship that happend during 3rd Reich and the GDR. And the way Till pronounces the word radio, is the German way :)
In addition to the ban on watching Western media in the GDR, he uses the style of the 1920s and the term world receiver to point out the ban on listening to foreign broadcasts under Hitler and what significance this had for the people.
Hah, I don't know why you bothered editing over the nudity Mat, the video is already on RU-vid after all in its unedited form. Like a true repressed American you were fine with the violence (cutting an ear off), but god forbid there is anything sexual :P It isn't like the ones you've seen that are too graphic for RU-vid.
Official music artist channels can get away with nudity, independant creators can not. Not without sacrificing their monetisation. One day, we might see a body as just a body, one day...
Your pretty close with your guess of the meaning. In East germany every western radio siganls were forbidden to receive and/or to hear. And at the end of the video Rammstein gets translucent because as much as the government of the GDR would have punched and banned the music of the west, you cant punch radio waves. I love this reference.
Hello! Just a thought about the scene when the guy gets his ear cut off, maybe that’s what’s going to happen if you listen to forbidden things? Have a great day!
the style of this song issss "verrrry Kraftwerrrrrk with their typical electronic sound ...... I loved it in the 70tys!!!!!! And then came "Depeche Mode!" :-)
I love the real history behind the songs of Rammstein... litte fact who knows everey EAST-German citizen, The radio was the only thing that could be received from the west in the GDR to hear what the other side of Berlin say. In the near of Berlin we have see in the TV the West Channels (that was forbidden in the DDR) (GDR). But you also had to hear or see it secretly, with closed curtains. Songs in the GDR always had to be censored. Rammstein write the songs like this stil to hide the information in his songs. And this song describes exactly that situation. Stillen, heimlich Fernesweh´´Secretly quiet, distant pain.´´ Stillen (german)´´ (Breastfeeding) is another word for feeding a baby ;). Even in the GDR you were not allowed to travel to other Western countries and certainly not to West Berlin. And now, i think u see this song with other eys. The radio open your mind, your fantasys an was the only way for many citizens in the GDR to travel in other countrys (Music Stiles). greetz from a Guy from Königs-Wusterhausen born there :) thank for reaction.. radio is one of my favorite Songs.
