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Popular Culture Review
artists grew up and still live, God is still in the process of dying. Although on the
one hand the band’s young members cannot wait to get rid of him (“Leave me
alone, God, Let me be free”) (from the song “Keimzeit”), on the other hand,
they are in shock about the concomitant loss of values, meaning, and
transcendence that accompany his demise. In dark, expressionist images and
passionate music, the songs try to articulate their deep confusion and anger in
cries for help.
In contrast to its adaptation of expressionist poetry, Das Ich’s interpretation
of Friedrich Nietzsche’s ideas does not consist in setting parts of his texts to
music, but in quoting single words or thoughts and reflecting on them via their
lyrics and music. The lyrics of their song “Gott ist tot” from their early single
Die Propheten read as follows:
God’s Death
black spreads out in my swollen head the light of my eyes
disintegrates the heart it cremates in white nothing and
nevertheless life will my body is quarried in rock in the deep
maelstrom of eternity that time passes I missed out on and
nevertheless life will go on God is dead incarcerated in the
forest of madness dark being sowed in my hand dusty thinking
in my skull but life will my mind lacerates the daylight the
burning heat in my throat ends without hold my flesh decays
and nevertheless life will go on God is dead my brain is
becoming a prison a small sting paralyzed me the scream in
me is silent but life will a breath of my soul the lightening
gulps down my sweet blood is rotting in the sand my sense to
live in spac