Alligatoah - Du bist schön

ACHTUNG! This song is rated (PG) for briefly touching on child labor and suggesting anorexia. The video is rated (G).

Title: Du bist schön
Artist: Alligatoah
Album: Musik ist keine Lösung
Year: 2015

Alligatoah is one of Germany's most high-profile musicians right now. His lyrics are exceptionally sophisticated, both in their subject matter and their wordplay. This makes his songs difficult to translate. If there's anything that still doesn't make sense, leave a comment!

"Du bist schön" is about a beautiful person who - according to his/her "mirror, mirror" - can't do anything else. It touches on the following themes: people that focus heavily on their own appearance (at the expense of intellectual development), pressure on these people to stay attractive, and child labor (especially in the textile industry).

Deutsch "Du bist schön"

English "You're pretty"

Intro/Outro: gib mir ein schlaues Buch ich mache die Augen zu Schönheitsschlaf zeig mir den Staub im Flur ich mache die Augen zu Schönheitsschlaf *1 DJ Deagle Guten Morgen der feine Herr Gatoah ich bin ein Phänomen ich bin 10 von 10 geometrisch perfekt wie ein LEGO-Face ich habe den YouTuber-Look wie im Buch und gedruckt *2 jeden Tag fresse ich ein neues Beautyprodukt ich schütze mich denn ich lese nie die Preisschilder sie dulden keine negativen.. ..Weibsbilder und sie dulden keine Gesichtsfalten Michael Jackson Style *3 ich muss Schritt halten also trage ich noch mehr Schichten auf *4 wer will schon^ 'ne ehrliche Haut? mein Lieblingsrohstoff (eyyy) Botox ich hole alle Preise *5 sie nennen mich Hohl-kopf ey yo, Spieglein, Spieglein im Handy sag mir: bin ich der King? der Spiegel zögert verlegen dann beginnt er zu singen Hook: du bist schön *6 aber dafür kannst du nichts weder Lesen, noch Schreiben noch was anderes du bist schön aber dafür kannst du nichts du kannst nicht mal was dafür dafür kannst du nichts Bridge: *7 im Frühling denkt das Röslein "wer nicht leiden will muss schön sein" Strophe 2: das verstehe ich nicht dabei gebe ich mir doch^ Mühe jede Luxus-Modemesse gibt mir Komplimente *8 schöne Benutzeroberfläche und sie machen mir ein Angebot das Freude weckt 99% reduziert... auf mein Äußeres ich muss in die Sachen passen habe ich Hunger *9 gibt es Kochwäsche manche tragen nur.. ..dieselben Schrottfetzen ich trag' jeden Tag was anderes *10 Stoffwechsel frag nicht, wie alt die sind die meine Kleider nähen auf einer Skala von eins bis zehn *11 tja, denn Kleider machen Leute doch die Leute, die die Kleider machen leisten sich bis heute.. ..leider weniger Designerjacken Ich schweife ab Spieglein im Handy: Bin ich der King? der Spiegel zögert verlegen dann beginnt er zu singen (Hook) (Bridge) ich hab' mich wohl verhört, wie bitte? (Hook (Intro/Outro)

Intro/Outro: give me an intelligent book I close my eyes beauty sleep show me the dust in the hallway I close my eyes beauty sleep DJ Deagle Good morning the fine Mr.Gatoah I’m a phenomenon I’m 10 out of 10 geometrically perfect like a Lego face I have the youtuber-look like it’s printed in the book every day I consume a new beauty product I protect myself ‘cause I never read price tags they don’t tolerate any negative.. ..female images & they don’t tolerate facial wrinkles Michael Jackson style I have to keep up so I put on more layers who wants an honest person? my favorite raw material? Botox I get all the prizes they call me idiot ey yo, mirror mirror in my phone tell me: am I the king? the mirror hesitates sheepishly then it begins to sing Hook: you’re pretty but in return you can’t do anything neither read, nor write nor anything else you’re pretty but in return you can’t do anything you can’t even do anything about it in return, you can’t do anything Bridge: in spring, the little rose thinks: “he who doesn’t want to suffer.. ..must be pretty” Verse 2: I don’t understand that and yet I make an effort every luxury fashion fair gives me compliments nice user interface and they make me an offer that brings joy 99% reduced...to my appearance I have to fit in my things if I’m hungry there’s boiled laundry many wear just.. ..the same scraps I wear something different each day metabolism don’t ask how old they are.. ..they who stitch my clothes on a scale of one to ten well, ‘cause clothes make the man but the people that make the clothes unfortunately are still affording.. ..fewer designer jackets I digress mirror in the phone: am I the king? the mirror hesitates sheepishly then it begins to sing (Hook) (Bridge) I think I misheard that, excuse me? (Hook) (Intro/Outro)

*1 
REFERENCE: "DJ Deagle"
Alligatoah was originally presented as a band with two members: Kaliba 69 and DJ Deagle, both of whom were played by Lukas Strobel himself. While it’s long clear that Alligatoah is one person, Lukas still refers to the characters every once in awhile.

*2
"jeden Tag fresse ich"
The verb "fressen" is usually only used when non-human beings are eating. When it's used with a human, it has the connotation of "consuming" or "gobbling up."

*3
WORDPLAY/REFERENCE/IDIOM: "ich muss Schritt halten"
= I have to keep up
=literally= I have to hold step/crotch
Schritt = step OR crotch 
A reference to Michael Jackson's signature move, where he would grab his crotch. Apparently the protagonist is too dumb to know that they are supposed to "keep up," not grab at their private parts.

*4
WORDPLAY: "eine ehrliche Haut"
= an honest person
=literally= an honest skin
The joke here is that the protagonist has used so many beauty products that their skin is fake, or "dishonest." The German idiom "eine ehrliche Haut" means an honest person, suggesting that the protagonist - along with other stereotypical beauty-obsessed people - is not honest.

*5
WORDPLAY: "ich hole alle Preise, sie nennen mich Hohlkopf"
Hohlkopf = idiot
Hohl+kopf =literally= hollow+head

holen = get, obtain
"Hol'" and "hohl" are pronounced the same. People call the protagonist "Hohlkopf," a German insult, but they're dumb they think it's because they "get" all the prizes.

*6

WORDPLAY: "du bist schön, aber dafür kannst du nicht"

= "you're pretty, but in return you can't do anything" 

OR = "you're pretty, but you can't do anything about it"

The key word here is "dafür" which has multiple meanings. If you listen to just the first sentence of the hook, it's completely ambiguous which meaning is the correct one. The next line then elaborates ("neither reading nor writing.."), which means that the 1st meaning is the correct one. The hook then continues to focus on the 2nd meaning as well.

*7
REFERENCE: "wer nicht leiden will, muss schön sein"

A twist on the German proverb "wer schön sein will, muss leiden"

*8
WORDPLAY: "Benutzeroberfläche"
= desktop (as in: computer desktop)

=literally= "user surface"

Referencing the protagonist's focus on her "surface" appearance. Also suggests the protagonist is just being "used" for her appearance.

*9
WORDPLAY: "habe ich Hunger, gibt es Kochwäsche"

Kochwäsche = textiles that are cleaned or reshaped by boiling them

Koch+Wäsche =literally= cook+laundry

The protagonist either thinks that Kochwäsche is some sort of food or she is boiling her clothes to make them smaller (suggesting that she starves herself and loses weight).

*10

WORDPLAY: "ich trage jeden Tag was anderes: Stoffwechsel"

Stoffwechsel = metabolism

Stoff+Wechsel =literally= material+change (as in: clothing material)

Could also be a reference to many beauty queens' obsession with their own metabolism.

*11

REFERENCE: "Kleider machen Leute"

= "clothes make the man"

=literally= clothes make people

German proverb that's pretty much the same as in English