Rammstein: Moskau
[purchase]
Reveling in gritty imagery, fiery demonstrations of power, and constantly overt sexuality, Rammstein are no strangers to mixed messages. Vocalist Till Lindemann loves allusion. In the song "Dalai Lama," for instance, the old Danish folk tale "Erlkönigs Tochter"is commingled with the Dalai Lama's fear of flying. In the lyrics of "Moskau," the recontextualization happens between the city and the appearance of a prostitute.
Lindemann's gravelly, German vocals are contrasted by the sharp, crisp Russian chirps of Viktoria Fersh, who sings "Это песня о самом красивом городе в мире. Москва!"("This song is about the most beautiful city in the world. Moscow!") while Lindemann adds "Sie schläft mit mir doch nur für Geld / Ist doch die schönste Stadt der Welt" ("She sleeps with me but only for money / It's still the most beautiful city in the world"). (full translation from Herzeleid.com)
Russia's notorious political favoritism, cronyism, and nepotism suffered no diminishment during the recent Winter Olympics, an apt reminder of Lindemann's fitting commentary from the 2004 album Reise, Reise.
