Song Meaning

This track plunges into a brutal, desperate narrative, opening with a violent takeover. The initial lines paint a grim picture of conquest: "Mit Gewalt sind wir an Bord gegangen / Haben den alten Mann gleich aufgehangen." This immediate savagery sets a tone of ruthless survival, where power is seized through force and old orders are brutally extinguished. The subsequent actions, throwing sons into the sea and assaulting their wives, underscore a complete breakdown of humanity and morality in the pursuit of dominance. The core of the song seems to be the corrosive effect of extreme hardship and isolation. After only 40 days, the initial fervor of conquest has devolved into a primal struggle for survival. "Angst und Hunger schlechte Träume / Schlugen um in blanken Hass" captures this descent, where fear and hunger breed pure hatred. The narrator's group now fights with rats for scraps, a stark image of their degraded state, even identifying the rats as "unsre Brüdern" – a chilling comparison highlighting their shared desperation. The mention of the "Mutter aller Ratten" carrying the plague further emphasizes the pervasive decay and impending doom. The recurring chorus, "Und der Regen fällt / So wie nie vorher / Das Wasser steht uns bis zum Hals / Und steigt immer mehr," acts as a constant, oppressive force. This relentless downpour isn't just weather; it's an overwhelming, inescapable catastrophe that mirrors the internal drowning of hope and humanity. The rising water level signifies an encroaching, insurmountable threat, pushing the characters further into their grim reality. The lyrics depict a complete loss of purpose and a descent into madness. The desperate acts of eating a dog and planning to eat a iguana, coupled with "Unsre Augen sind so rot / Vom Blutrausch und vom Fieberwahn," suggest a state of delirium, driven by both violence and sickness. The reference to "Tannenholz, 300 Ellen" evokes a biblical ark, but without direction or destination, "Keine Richtung und kein Ziel." This creates a profound sense of aimlessness, where each day is a burden, "Jeder neue Tag ist uns ein Tag zuviel." The final stanza offers a bleak conclusion, twisting the Noah's Ark imagery into a final testament to despair. Noah's dove, a symbol of hope and salvation, "kehrt nicht wieder." There's no sanctuary, "Kein Fels ragt aus dem Meer heraus." The empty ship, soon to be the last vessel, will be captained by the last survivor who "macht die Lichter aus" – extinguishing the final spark of life and leaving only darkness. The song's effectiveness lies in its unflinching portrayal of utter desolation, where acts of violence breed only further suffering, and the only certainty is an encroaching, all-consuming end.