Das Narrenschiff English translation
von Reinhard Mey

The mercury is falling, the signs point to a storm
Only stupid giggling and yelling from the conning tower
And a dull grinding rumbles from the engine
And rolling and pitching and heavy seas
The ship's band plays: Humbatätärä
And a mad laugh comes from the latrine
The cargo is rotten, the papers are fake
The bilge pumps are leaking and the bulkheads are blocked
The hatches are wide open and all the alarm bells are ringing
The waves are hitting the hold as high as a man
And St. Elmo's fire is licking from the loading boom
But no one on board can interpret the signs
The helmsman is lying, the captain is drunk
And the engineer is sunk in dull lethargy
The crew are all perjured scoundrels
The radio operator is too cowardly to send an SOS
Klabautermann leads the ship of fools
Full speed ahead and heading for the reef
On the horizon, lightning: the signs of the times
Meanness and Greed and vanity


The bridge is full of idiots and idiots
The sharp-toothed shark fishes in the murky waters
Brings its catch to dry land, past the helm
On the sandbank near the well-known Treasure Island
The other money launderers and pimps are already waiting
Brothel king, slot machine baron
In the bright light, no one has to hide in the dark
In the banana republic where even the president
Has lost his shame and has no scruples
To adorn himself with the tax thief in his entourage
The helmsman is lying, the captain is drunk
And the engineer has sunk into dull lethargy
The crew are all perjured scoundrels
The radio operator is too cowardly to send out an SOS
Klabautermann leads the ship of fools
Full speed ahead and heading for the reef
They have smoothed themselves over, they have come to terms
All the high ideals have been wrecked
And the great Rebel who never tired of fighting
Mutates into a servile, poisonous gnome
And sings meekly like a lamb in front of the evil old man in Rome
His songs, indeed! Times are changing

Once young wild ones are docile, pious and tame
Bought, drugged and wingless
Exchanging velvet paws for the once so sharp claws
And vain old men present themselves boldly
With women who are always far too young on the upper deck
Who warm their limp limbs and chew their food for them
The helmsman lies, the captain is drunk
And the engineer is sunk in dull lethargy
The crew are all perjured scoundrels
The radio operator is too cowardly to send an SOS
Klabautermann leads the ship of fools
Full speed ahead and heading for the reef
They are arming themselves against the enemy, but the enemy has long been here
He has his hand on your throat, he is behind you
Under the protection of the paragraphs he shuffles the marked cards
Everyone can see it, but everyone looks away
And the dark man comes out of his hiding place
And deals in front of the kindergarten in full view

The lookout calls from the highest mast: "The end of time is in sight"

But they are petrified and they do not hear him

They move like lemmings in mindless hordes

It is as if everyone has lost their minds

Conspired to decline and decay

And a will-o'-the-wisp has become their beacon

The helmsman is lying, the captain is drunk

And the engineer is sunk in dull lethargy

The crew are all perjured scoundrels
The radio operator is too cowardly to send out an SOS
Klabautermann leads the ship of fools
Full speed ahead and heading for the reef

La la la, la la la la la la
La la la la la la la, la la la la la
La la la, la la la la la la
La la la, la la la la la la

La la la la la la la, la la la la la

The helmsman is lying, the captain is drunk

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