Schrei nach Liebe

"Schrei nach Liebe"
Single by Die Ärzte
from the album Die Bestie in Menschengestalt
Released 10 September 1993
Genre Punk rock
Length 4:13
Label Metronome Musik GmbH
Writer(s) Dirk Felsenheimer & Farin Urlaub
Producer(s) Uwe Hoffmann & Die Ärzte
Die Ärzte singles chronology
"Bitte bitte"
(1989)		 "Schrei nach Liebe"
(1993)		 "Mach die Augen zu"
(1993)

"Schrei nach Liebe" ("Scream for love") is a punk song by Die Ärzte. It is the second track and the first single from their 1993 album Die Bestie in Menschengestalt. It is one of the best known political anthems and anti-fascist songs in Germany and was made in the context of the Riot of Hoyerswerda.

Content and music style

The verses tell the story of a fictional right-wing extremist, who gets insulted. Excerpts from the songs lyrics (with English translation):

German: „Du bist wirklich saudumm […] Alles muss man dir erklären, weil du wirklich gar nichts weißt…“
English: "You are really stupid […] Everything has to be explained to you, because you really don't know anything…"

In the chorus the insults go further:

German: „Deine Gewalt ist nur ein stummer Schrei nach Liebe […] Du hast nie gelernt dich zu artikulieren. Deine Eltern hatten niemals für dich Zeit“.
English: "Your violence is just a silent scream for love […] You never learned to express yourself. Your parents never had time for you".

The chorus ends with "Arschloch", which is German for Asshole.

Commercial success

Originally the song was chosen by the band as their first single after a five years break in September 1993. Before the release the band had to convince its music company Metronome which found the single hard to marketing due to the significant use of the term "Arschloch" (arsehole). After its release lot of radio stations denied radio airplay as well but Lidia Antonini of Hessischer Rundfunk. In an open letter she requested for playing the song which was widely followed. As a result, the song became the first top 10 hit for the band in Germany.

In 2015 music teacher Gerhard Torges started his "Aktion Arschloch" as a social media action. He called to buy the song as a sign of solidarity with refugees and to act against xenophobic riots in Germany. After a week the song re-entered the official singles charts and became number 1 in September 2015. Die Ärzte support the action by donating all gains of sale and performing to refugees advocacy organization Pro Asyl.

Music video

In the beginning three men wielding a chainsaw, an axe and something on a chain, with evil glints in their eyes, walk towards a church. Two children, one of them dark-skinned, run inside the church and hide under coffins. The weapon-wielding men find two old women and a man (Rod) sitting inside the church as Farin and Bela B. rise from the coffins and start to read the fascist morals. The three men are stunned by what they are told and their tough exterior shell breaks. In the end of the song, the two children who had run in to find sanctuary in the church clean their faces, removing the make-up which had ringed their eyes.

Track listing

  1. "Wenn es Abend wird" (Farin Urlaub) - 6:30
  2. "Schrei nach Liebe" (Felsenheimer, Farin Urlaub) - 4:13

Maxi

  1. "Wenn es Abend wird" (Farin Urlaub) - 6:30
  2. "Schrei nach Liebe" (Felsenheimer, Farin Urlaub) - 4:13
  3. "Felicita" (De Stefanie, Gino, Farina, Dario/Minellono, Christiano) - 0:52
  4. "Ja (Demo)" (Farin Urlaub) - 2:38

B-sides

Scala & Kolacny Brothers cover

Belgian women's choir Scala & Kolacny Brothers covered the song in 2004 and was released as a single.

Toten Hosen cover

German Punk Band Die Toten Hosen covered the song in 2012 on the second disc of their anniversary album Ballast der Republik.

Charts

Year Country Position
1993 Austria 6
2015 Austria 1
1993 Germany 9
2015 Germany 1
2015 Switzerland 2
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