Eisbär

"Eisbär" (German for polar bear) is a 1980 "cult" song^[2] composed by the Swiss Neue Deutsche Welle band Grauzone.^[3] It first appeared on the 1980 compilation album Swiss Wave - The Album.^[4] The shorter single version was later collected on the Grauzone album Die Sunrise Tapes (1998).^[5]

The song features a man singing he wants to be "a polar bear in the cold polar", because by being one he "wouldn't have to cry any longer and everything would be fine." The instrumental arrangement also evokes an Arctic atmosphere.

Grauzone recorded in 1982 an English-language version (Polar Bear) of the song, which was first released in 2010 on the double CD Grauzone 1980-1982 Remastered.^[6]

The song is post-punk performed with guitar, drums and synthesizers.^[7]

Track listing

7" single (1981): A "Eisbär" (4:17); B "Ich lieb sie" (3:18)

12" single (1981): A "Eisbär" (4:17); B1 "Ich lieb sie" (3:18); B2 "Film 2" (3:35)

Chart performance

Chart (1980)	Peak position
Austrian Singles Chart^[8]	10
German Singles Chart	12

Covers

In 1990, Polar Pop (feat. Mc Grzimek) released a house version of the song.^[9]
In 1993, Prisonshake released a cover version on the B-side of their "Two Sisters" single.^[10]
In 1996, Scholle (ohne Schwester C.) produced a dance version on the compilation NDD - New German Dancefloor Stufe 3.^[11]
In 1997, The Belgian hard house discjockey Frédéric de Backer released a cover of the song under the pseudonym GrooveZone.^[12] It was released in 24 countries and sold over 300,000 copies.
In 2001, The Austrian Neue Deutsche Härte band Stahlhammer covered this song, it appears on the album Eisenherz (2006).^[13]
In 2003, Knorkator feat. Holger Klein interpreted the song.^[14]
In 2004, The German Neue Deutsche Härte band Oomph! released their version of the song as a B-side on the single "Augen Auf!", and on a limited edition version of Wahrheit oder Pflicht.^[15]
In 2006, The French band Nouvelle Vague recorded a version of the song for their album Bande à Part^[16]
The Dresden Dolls has covered the song in live concerts.^[17]

References

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