Rammstein Liese lyric with English translation

Sick. Just sick.

To everyone trying to find ways around this song being about a rape: Perhaps they think it’s forceful because the song says “he wants to force her”, and then (paraphrasing) “there will be blood if you’re not friendly to me”. Pay attention to the next movie that shows a female character being threatened sexually by one or more male characters. The dialogue will include something along the lines of “Well that’s not very friendly of you. I think we should teach you a lesson.” It’s such a well-known use of the word “friendly” that it’s a Hollywood cliche! The song also says Liese is a child unless I’m misunderstanding their use of the word “child”. This is hardly the first song of theirs about rape. I don’t think they’re endorsing it or singing about it in a positive light. To me, Till sounds pretty pissed off at several points during the song, most notably on the lines (in English) “he has infected Liese” and the second iteration of “the scythe is rusty from the blood”. The word “infected” is also not a positive word, or a romantic word in ANY context. If you have to go through this level of complicated second guessing and flimsy justification then your hypothesis is wrong.

I really love this song my girlfriend tried to dedicate it to me though…

@Lily

“Irregardless” isn’t a word.

Lily, I don’t care if you’re a cunt or not or just pretending to be one. Your sarcasm, grammar and vocabulary rock! And I meant that as a compliment. ^^

As for the song, I have no idea. I just sit back and enjoy the music.

Ok, another interpretation:
What if Jakob is a violent husband? Just the violent kind of guy and, in a flash of violent desire, ends up hurting his wife (Liese) in the act? His threats fits with the violent husband kind to me? It would explain his threatening and her “consensual” response

That’s just what went through my mind 🙂
(Excuse any bad grammar)

I like Liese better than Roter Sand. Roter sand seems to be missing a lot of the bass that liese had.

“Sichel & Sense”, think penis, “bist du freundlicht nicht zu mir” means “why are you nice to everyone but me”, “anstecken” can also mean “to penetrate”, literally, to stick. To taste like pear, well, (what woman wouldn’t like to taste like fruit down there, sweet, juicy, it would be a real showstopper right ?) could mean she will taste nice ‘cos no one has been there before him, ever, and what’s more innocent than a girl who ‘s a geese keeper in a meadow in Germany ?
The blood is explained before, some, not all, some, women bleed when having sex for the first time.

Now, as it is kind of weird to sing about a guy running towards you with his dick in his hand, this is a more poetic way to describe that act.
It’s like a Grimm’s fairytale, or Andersens’ perhaps, in a more graphic form. Read some of those tales.

To make a long story even longer, it’s about seduction, not rape in the criminal way, set in a time a while, or long ago, when candles, wine and dine and foreplay weren’t described to you in Cosmo or FHM yet.

Ofcourse mind you, this is my interpretation and I could be, or probably am, wrong.

German is a beautiful language and with that, Rammstein (or herr Lindemann) use every part of it, be it old, east or poetic. It’s use sets them on higher ground, a lonely, unique spot at the top, in music.

From Holland, greetings,

Maria

I was so excited when I saw Rammstein made a song with the same name as me. The lyrics are fucking delightful; they have a pleasant romance about them. ^^

@ smoke/sonne

maybe rotersand was writin to explain why she was unwilling
and the story of why this happened?

You bet he infected her. With his PENIS!!! Mwahahahaha!!!

Hello people,

I can definitely see how heated up things have got and I want to throw some more oil in the fire!

What if the song correlates with “Mein Teil”? The sexual inclination is obvious, but what if there is no metaphor here at all? Have you thought about the gruesomeness of this aspect? That Jacob could have liked Liese’s taste and could have decided he wanted to check out how she tastes on the inside? Forget about necrophilia, I’m talking about straight-up cannibalism here 😀

I know that I’m not doing myself a favour with this post (and will most probably get flamed for it), but for the sake of the argument, nobody has even MENTIONED this potential perspective.

@Smoke Good guess! I like it:) But there is one thing, well, according to CinnamonRevenge Liese was written before Roter Sand…

By the way, Lily ironic is very good thing but you are using your ironic in offensive and rude way. Just try to respect others.

I’ve been wondering if Jakob is the man who killed the subject of Roter Sand, and is now trying to claim the dead man’s love, but finding her unwilling, is resorting to rape because he feels he has earned her.

@EVERYONE WHO DEBATES LOGICALLY: I absolutely love this song and most of you really do know what your talking about. And if anyone wants to know the best translation, I think it is probably Micha’s (Don’t quote me on that). This song is beautiful.

@Charismatic Engima yeah but what do you think about the “you are not friendly to me” sentence thats what confuses me is he saying that she is not being nice to him? ..geez i feel dumb right now.

I note how a lot of people seem to think that, just because “the scythe is rusty”, that means the sex was forceful. Even the most well-intentioned first sexual encounter for a lot of girls involves bleeding — it’s just how the parts work down there.

Also, @Lily — that WAS extremely rude. Insulting your opponent is not a form of logical argument.

I note how a lot of people seem to think that, just because “the scythe is rusty”, that means the sex was forceful. Even the most well-intentioned first sexual encounter for a lot of girls involves bleeding — it’s just how the parts work down there.

@Feursquare With a Canadian IP
Meh… First of all I must say thank you for seeing the good in me – I thought that I Am actually a “cunt” but according to you I’m just “pretending” to be one so what the hell – I’m gonna wholeheartedly trust your expert view on me.

@Feursquare With an American IP
While it’s quite true that the song has certain folklore & fairy-tale allusions as you rightly pointed out, they are by no means biblical:
Biblical = folktalish/ fairy-talish –> O_o –> in error –> my suggestion about reading the (Un)Holy Book to get an idea what really is biblical.
These two words are not even remotely the same.

Also, I’ve kindly answered your question about whether it’s biblical or not… you surely did realize that my answer was ironical ‘cause the adverb “sure” and the hyperbole “idiot” are in an antithetical relation to each other, therefore express the opposite of that which was outwardly stated.
“Also, “embarrass yourself on the Internet” is an oxymoron.” – 🙂 True. I was in the wrong on this bit. (:

@ Lily There is no need to be like that. You’re not a very pleasant indivdual. xD C’mon doesn’t Rammstein make you want to spread the love? Turn that ( ever permanent) frown upside down! xD

“I’m Sewwy” that I offended you. Some of the lyrics do sound biblical, or at least folktale-ish, as do the names (it’s not like they came up with Jakob and Elizabeth at random). It’s the sort of thing Rammstein would use for ideas.

I haven’t read the Bible, nor am I required to, nor will I in the near future. Really, you could’ve just answered my question.
Also, “embarrass yourself on the Internet” is an oxymoron.

By the way, the guy above my post is not me…he’s from Canada…don’t know what his idea was.

@Lily..
LOL. Does it turn you on to “pretend” to be such a cunt?
Go ahead, you like to answer questions, don’t you?
:*

@Feuersquare
“By any chance, is there a Jacob/Elizabeth story in the Bible? Probably a long shot…but doesn’t hurt to try.”

Sure. Idiot.

P.S. Maybe you should actually read the Bible sometime. You know, just for general knowledge – not to embarrass yourself on the Internet and not to sound like a total moron… just a suggestion.

The special edition of Liebe Ist für Alle Da contained a song at the end called ‘Liese’ that was essentially ‘Roter Sand’ with different instrumentation and entirely different lyrics. What is the connection between the two songs?

Landers: The simple answer is that ‘Roter Sand’ is a result of the band’s continued development of ‘Liese.’ ‘Liese’ was the original song, and it was something that Ollie, Till and Flake came up with after a bottle of red wine. It took them a grand total of about eight minutes to come up with it, and ‘Roter Sand’ was the result of the band working on it and developing it. It’s like the brother song to ‘Liese.’ Some of the band members said, ‘No, leave it. “Liese” is the better one,’ and another fraction said, ‘No, the new version is much better,’ so the only choice was to put both versions on there.

http://www.regenmag.com/Interviews-307-Rammstein.html

By any chance, is there a Jacob/Elizabeth story in the Bible? Probably a long shot…but doesn’t hurt to try.

You know what… It’s just a song. I reckon you’ve all spent a lot more time interpreting meanings in this than Rammstein did writing it. With their habit of vague lyrics – I think interpretations are more based on what people WANT the song to mean. Thanks for the insight into your minds people.

Most of you have already said what’s important, but the translation hasn’t been edited yet :/
c’mon, fix it…

I’ll point up some things again:
by ELGORE:
1) Goldflut must be seen in relation to Weizenfeld because wheatfields are golden. It’s not a a metaphor for the womb.
2) “-chen” is the diminutive suffix” – Right, but not a metaphor for her genitalia. It is just meant as belittlement.

by EDRANA:
“bist Du freundlich nicht zu mir” is just an old poetic way to say “if you are not nice to me”

by SILARIAL:
Liese is a german female name. But yes it’s also oldschool. It’s often used in Old german fairy tales, the girl who looks after the geese is very often called “Gänse-Liese” It is a short form from Elisabeth, which was a popular name in the past.

MY VERSION, but since English isn’t my mother tongue, I’m not sure if it’s all correct:

Sunday at the Meadow Bunting
Liese shepherds (over) Geese upright
That’s when Jakob comes up running
holding a scythe in his hand

Which he slips now and then
under Liesie’s* skirt and corset [“Liese-junior”, for God sake, fix it]
He wants to taste her, wants to force her
and at the same time the lad will sing

Dear Liese, let the geese be
I want to try (off) your skin
Blood will turn the scythe rusty
if you are not nice to me

Jakob is allowed to lick from Liese
and she will taste like pear
Small hairs making goose bumps (??)
as they hurry to the wheatfield

In the gold flood hidden well
He has infected Liese
He held her till the evening tightly
and sung into the child

Dear Liese, let the geese be
I want to try (off) your skin
Blood will turn the scythe rusty
if you are not nice to me

Dear Liese, let the geese be
I want to try (off) your skin
Blood will turn the scythe rusty
if you are not nice to me

I think if the “scythe” metaphor had been replaced with something more obiously phallic, I would interpret the song as being about underage sex.

However, the scythe imagery is formidable, not to mention the “rusty with blood” extension. I am not sure it refers to rape (“he is allowed to lick Lieschen”).

If we were to continue the interpretation that this is being told as if a children’s story, then the scythe metaphor could be one of those “cautionary tale” things where it is implied that messing around with a “Jakob’s scythe” is very very dangerous.

Mieder I think means bodice but I may be wrong

Liese translates to the German form of Elizabeth btw

@Scott
“Vom Blute rostig ist die Sense, bist du freundlich nicht zu mir” is likely to be punctuated this way because it sounds so intonationally, and not like a question & answer “Bist du freundlich? Nicht zu mir”. I might be wrong, but that’s how it sounds to my ear. Could we throw some light on the issue by looking into the album’s booklet with the lyrics where it’s written properly? I don’t have it so you could do that to make sure. 🙂 And well, irregardless of the punctuation marks here, I guess you’re right about the idea. On having listened to it for several times, I think it Is probably about rape – that Vom-Blute-rostig-ist-die-Sense thingy is too conspicuous for it to be consensual sex. I just like to see the good in people, you see. 😛
But as an afterthought on your remark that it’s inconsistent for him to threaten her if they are doing it by mutual consent. What if he hadn’t had a girlfriend before and didn’t know how to approach her so he started off by intimidating her? Just a possibility. 🙂

@Levi
I hope that you’re pretending to be this absolutely lost and challenged fellow (notice my political correctness) to assume that I assume that I am the only one right here. In which case, it’s kind of funny, I suppose, though not extremely, as it reminds me of the existence of those that aren’t faking it… As I was saying, it’s open to interpretation and my inference is purely arbitrary. I’m just allergic to bullshit, so I had to say that. Of course, everyone has the right to interpret this in his own way, however it doesn’t take away the fact that you’re an idiot if you come to a such stupid conclusion as necrophilia, just as, for example, your interpretion that the TV talks because someone sits inside of it would not speak in favour of your “geniosity” either. And you know, your saying that you should’ve not complained because it’s just retarded, yet then doing precisely this. Um… What does it make you then? Anyway, I admire your courage to publicly declare your mental state.

Dear Lily. Please – go fuck yourself. There are endless possibilities to interpret any song out there, and I think everybody deserves the right to interpret this in their own way, may it be far out of the box. Talking about keeping opinions to yourself while puking out some of your own is plain stupid.

Not that I should talk – complaining about complaints – on the internet. That’s just retarded. I should probably shut up and go to bed.

On the subject, my interpretation is that the song is about rape or loss of virginity in a painfull way. Or maybe screwed-up-talker-kind-of-love. It also sounds to me like the people are young. It is sung/told like a childrens story i feel by Till’s voice. Also having the characters named feels like a typical childrens-story. Notice how the songs about adults often are told in first or second person, with no names to them. That makes this feel kind of “childish” in the storytelling (with fucked up content though). My two cents. Peace.

Don’t forget that Fritzl’s daughter, was named Elisabeth…

@Lily,

About the last lines of the chorus; “Vom Blute rostig ist die Sense, bist du freundlich nicht zu mir” does it not matter how it’s written? We’ve assumed that it is written and punctuated this way, but it could be something like “Vom Blute rostig ist die Sense. Bist du freundlich? Nicht zu mir”. Listening to the song, to me it feels like Till isn’t intending the two lines to be related. It would be a contradiction if he were threatening to rape her when they are having consensual sex. Whilst “Bist du freundlich? Nicht zu mir” might not be grammatically accurate, it wouldn’t be the first time Till has manipulated words to rhyme, “make sense” etc. As you say, open to interpretation. Just a thought…

The translation does have a couple of inaccuracies, but it’s quite decent. The comments on the lyrics, on the contrary, make me wonder whether I should just laugh or… well, I’ll just laugh. It’s utterly stunning what an amount of people who listen to Rammstein just happen to be total retards. While the overall content and metaphors are quite open to interpretation, like if the song has anything to do with a rape or not, though it’s quite evident if you look carefully into it that it just concerns a boy badly desiring a girl, trying to talk her into having sex with him and eventually succeeding (by mutual consent), but necrophilia? Are you nuts? Have you ever heard of metaphor? Seriously, if some people out there seem so lost and mentally-challenged, you’d better stick to listening to something adequate of your intellectual level, Ke$ha, Britney Spears etc., or else please, please, please keep your insightful opinion to yourself because it makes me cringe and offends my brain that such gross idiotic implications can be drawn from this lyrics.

*Elgore & Edrana are completely right. “Vom Blute rostig ist die Sense,
bist du freundlich nicht zu mir” = “Blood will turn the Sickle rusty,
if you are not nice to me.” It’s just a simple first conditional sentence with omitted “if”, which causes inversion, equivalent, for example, to saying “We would have had much fun, had it been not for the rain.” Lies+chen – with ‘chen’ being just an affectionate diminuition here. And “Miede” is indeed something of the corset type garments, not panties.

Think this is about underage rape…

I agree with James.

and about the pear, this could be a metaphor for the penis. She’s gonna taste the pear (and not she tastes LIKE pear) which means oral sex or just penetration. what do you think?

“Sense” is not “sickle”, but “scythe” technically speaking. Which makes it even more probable that it is a metaphor for a penis.

“Probieren”, cf “to probe” (I don’t mean that “probieren” literally means “to penetrate”, just a hint as to what nuances are in the word “probieren”).

“Goldflut” could obviously be sperm.

I believe Jakob at first forces him onto her, but after he licks her, her hairs stand on end (=she is aroused) and she follows him to the wheat fields.

That she tastes like pears is probably just a way to say that Jakob thought it was a pleasant experience to lick her, with the pear representing something good and sweet.

“Freundlich” could be the contrast between being a “friend” or something more.

“Das Kind” is mentioned in relation to the “Goldflut” and might have something to do with that he has impregnated her.

“kleine Härchen aufgestellt” > Herchen aufgestellt?

little gentlemen erectet> refers to….you now what…
Or am i twisted?

Is this song about underage sex?

I also am thinking this is about the deflowering of a virgin.

He is being forceful but she is willing.

I think freundlich is being mistranslated here. I think it is intended to mean something far closer to innocent than friendly (but unschuldig wouldn’t really work in the line).

The whistling also is the same as on Roter Sand which has me wondering if the girl talked about in that song is the same as the one in this song.

now that`s my kind of lyrics

Doesn’t it seem more fitting to conceive of this song as a deflowering of a virgin? His “sycthe” being his penis and the “blood” from her rent maidenhead. “Cutting” her implies the seduction.

I also do believe this is seduction, not rape. He wants to force himself upon her, but she runs willingly with him into the wheat fields.

Liese is a german female name. But yes it’s also oldschool. It’s often used in Old german fairy tales, the girl who looks after the geese is very often called “Gänse-Liese” It is a short form from Elisabeth, which was a popular name in the past. I would see this song as a story from old times, also because nowadays noone uses a scythe. 😉

@ramm stein: no “liebe Liese” does not mean gentle love. “liebe” is more like “dear” and Liese is just her name (see above)

@Thuthut: i think this is just meant like, women taste sweet. ;), it would have suited better if they used plum, because in german plum also stands for female genitalia.

Wouldnt Leibe Leise
mean “Gentle Love”
Because I beleive that Leise does mean Gentle.
and it would also be ironic that the boy in this song is singing “Gentle Love” to the girl he is forcing to have relations with him.

i just want to ask one question, Liese is the girl’s name right? is that a popular german name? also its pronounced “Leezuh” more or less, right?

Whats meant with “und sie wird nach Birne schmecken”? why pear??

So, my mother tongue is german 🙂

“angesteckt” means just infected or contaminated.

and in fact there is nor childish language in this song, it’s just a little bit old school (ancient) and poetic. Some would never speak like this in the every day life, but Rammstein sometimes use this way of speaking in their songs.

I got a new interpretation on the sentence: “hat er die Liese angesteckt”
Angestecken might mean something like ”connect to”. “Ein gesteck” is the same as a “connection”, as connecting a cable.
So it probably means that he is penetration her. Thus the song might be about necrophilia, if Liese is dead after his former “waving” with the scythe. Perhaps that’s a form af his final “subduing” her.

The whole song is sung as to children: “Da kommt Jakob angerannt” is somewhat a childish grammar, as well as saying “der Jakob”, as a noun.

By the way, the melody, including the whistle accompaniment, is identical to Roter Sand’s, so it gives an interesting different angle of what may be one situation; when Roter Sand is sung from the view of an adult who fought over his lover and Liese – from a view of some twisted affection.

(again)
One might think about the sentence “Are you friendly not to my”, not as “poetic” but as someone speaking in bad grammar, as to a little child.
I could be a part of his “subduing her”.

Neither English, nor German, is my mother’s tongue (in fact it’s Swedish), but I’ve tried to do a translation of my own (using a very old German-Swedish dictionary and the faint memory from my school years).
From this Swedish translation I made one to English.

“Sunday at the field by Ammer
(Ammer is a lake, but might also denote a fruit or a bird)
The good Liese watches over the geese
Then comes Jacob a-running
Holding a scythe in the hand

With this he waves there and again
Little Liese under skirt and girdle (I’m not really sure how, in fact, Jakob is “waving”. Perhaps he waves in front of her face first, then cuts off her cloths, and then cuts her)
Ha wants to taste her, wants to subdue her
And the scoundrel meanwhile begins to sing:

Dear Liese, forget about the geese
I want to taste your skin
Rusty from blood is scythe
Are you friendly not to me
(I can’t fully appreciate this last sentence – but perhaps Jacob is trying to make Liese feel ashamed about making the scythe “dirty”)

Jakob may then lick little Liese
And she is going to have the flavour of a pear
Small fluff will be standing straight
And they hurry to the field of wheat

In the golden river, well hidden
He has stuck Liese down/up
(perhaps with the scythe?)
Holds her tightly wrapped until evening (with his arms or whatever, but probably with his arms)
And has sung to the child: (note the switch in tempus from present to past)

…
“

“bist Du freundlich nicht zu mir” is just an old poetic way to say “if you are not nice to me”

Liebe Liese, lass die Gänse,
ich will von deiner Haut probieren
Vom Blute rostig ist die Sense,
bist du freundlich nicht zu mir

Oh Dear Liese, leave the geese,
I want to taste of your skin.
Blood will turn the Sickle rusty,
if you are not nice to me.

Also, this song is an alternative version of “Roter Sand”

Also, “bist du freundlich nicht zu mir” is a question. “Are you not friendly to me?”

Just to touch up Micha’s translation:

On a Sunday in the meadows,
Liese sheppards Geese,
Thats when Jakob comes up running,
holding a sickle in his hand

He nudges it now and then
beneath little Lieses skirt and korsett
He wants to taste her, wants to force her,
and the boy will sing…

Dear Liese, let the geese be,
I want to have the taste of your skin
Blood has turned this Sickle rusty,
You aren’t friendly to me

Jakob’s allowed to lick little Liese
and she will taste just like a pear
As the hairs stand on their skin,
they hurry off to the wheat field.

In fields of gold, well hidden
he has infected Liese
He holds her tightly into the evening, embracing her
and sang to the child:

Dear Liese, let the geese be,
I want to have the taste of your skin
Blood has turned this Sickle rusty,
You aren’t friendly to me

Dear Liese, let the geese be,
I want to have the taste of your skin
Blood has turned this Sickle rusty,
You aren’t friendly to me

Alternate Translation… (Key difference: I think by “Angesteckt” he means make a cut on an artery like you would an animal whos blood you have to drain, he then embraces and holds her until later evening).

——–

On a Sunday in the meadows,
Liese sheppards over geese,
Thats when Jakob comes up running,
holds a sickle in his hand

This he nudges now and then
beneath little Lieses skirt and korsett
He wants to try her, wants to force her,
and the boy will sing…

Oh Dear Liese, leave the geese,
I want to taste of your skin.
Blood has turned Sickle rusty,
are you friendly? Not to me.

Jakob’s allowed to lick little Liese
and she will taste just like a pear
As the hairs stand on their skin,
they hurry off to the wheat field.

In fields of gold, well hidden
he has opened (cut) Liese up
He holds her tight till late evening
and sang into the child:

Oh Dear Liese, leave the geese,
I want to taste of your skin.
Blood has turned Sickle rusty,
are you friendly? Not to me.

Oh Dear Liese, leave the geese,
I want to taste of your skin.
Blood has turned Sickle rusty,
are you friendly? Not to me.

1) Goldflut must be seen in relation to Weizenfeld because wheatfields are golden. It’s not a a metaphor for the womb.
2) ““-chen” is the diminutive suffix” – Right, but not a metaphor for her genitalia. It is just meant as belittlement.