Uniform I/en

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The numbering of this song comes from the BILD newspaper underlying the album “Bild dir eine Ausstellung”. The same article appears twice, giving rise to two songs: I and II. In the Leipzig edition used by the band, the probably fictional story takes place in Wismar; in the Chemnitz edition, “Puff-Erwin” died in Leipzig.
Uniform I is known for its first verse, which consists of a single sentence (Uniform-I-Satz). Inspired by the BILD article about Puff-Erwin, it explores the impossibility of not communicating: of speaking no language, wearing no uniform. German is such a language, burdened with its history and everything for which it has been misused. Here, grammatically correct language is pushed so far that it falls apart, showing that the way it is used is not what matters, but its content (see Deutschländisch).

Uniform I

English translation by Indira, AI assistant. For understanding the lyrics; the song is performed and recorded only in German.

Be a sign, but show yourself freer, but
lend yourself to the babble, but be sure you have to kill.
Look, it looks good, but see what it obstructs, but
see, it gives you power, yet without it you are something, even if you ask.
Verse:
When you walk along your path, which may even lead you to the gate that
is already waiting somewhere for you, because you have to come, go, stand
or escalate in whatever calculated way,
then
you sometimes see a glance that touches you in your heart, which
is confused by far too much of all the bad that you have to endure every day and
night, although it too is disguised and
remains so, and
your eyes are made as blind as those
of the people who really look ill just like you, since
there is not much to see there apart from fabric and the hiding place,
despite
everything, your happiness does not hang around in the cupboard, perhaps slightly softened by the
veil that is now slowly reaching the others too, who already are,
as they said, though never for longer than one whole day,
that way.

Look, when you live, when you choose, your number,
be familiar to yourself; every sound is a stake.
Put it on, or make no choice.
Flee, when you go, when you want, this time,
now or now or now or
nobody listens to you if you say nothing.
No being stays free,
because no being stays pure.
Being alone seems a failure,
and is over too.