Song Meaning

The lyrics for "Wir zwei" open with a wistful, almost melancholic question: "Wie lange ist es her" (How long has it been)? It immediately evokes a past filled with shared musical intimacy, where a piano awakened a "sleeping feeling" and dreams were "hell und intensiv" (bright and intense). This sets a tone of deep nostalgia for a lost connection. The emotional tension quickly broadens beyond just the two individuals. The narrator questions how long it's been since they were good friends to others, sharing their sorrows and making time for them. This suggests a shared retreat from communal life, implying that their focus on "Wir zwei" might have led to a neglect of their wider social responsibilities. The chorus, "Wir zwei," acts as a stark, almost jarring, intervention. The phrase itself takes on a loaded meaning, described as sounding like "Pech und Schwefel" (pitch and sulfur) – an idiom suggesting an intense, perhaps volatile, bond. Their hearts are depicted as "voller Sturm und hart am Wind" (full of storm and hard against the wind), vividly portraying internal turmoil. This raw self-assessment culminates in a powerful plea: "Komm laß uns niemals vergessen / Daß die Rechte der andern / Auch uns're Pflichten sind" (Come let us never forget / That the rights of others / Are also our duties). The lyrics' effectiveness lies in this sharp contrast. They weave together vivid, almost sensual memories of a passionate past – "Champagner auf der Haut zerfloß" (champagne melted on the skin), "einander tranken" (drank each other) – with the urgent, present-tense call for moral accountability. The cyclical questioning of "Wie lange ist es her" builds a profound sense of yearning, only to be confronted by the stark reality of their current state and the pressing need to reconnect with their obligations.