13 (Die Ärzte album)

Untitled

13 is the eighth studio album by Die Ärzte, counting "Debil" as the first, released on May 25, 1998. It is their most successful album. The 13th track, "Männer sind Schweine", is their most successful single.

The CD version of the album features a hidden track in the pregap of the first song. This technique was later used frequently - on Geräusch, Jazz ist anders, Farin Urlaub's Am Ende der Sonne and Bela B.'s Bingo. On vinyl versions of Jazz ist anders and Am Ende der Sonne though, the hidden tracks are not lost, but put after the last track.

The album features a large amount of film and TV samples. Samples are used on tracks 1, 4, 5, 8, 10, 12, 13, 16 and on the hidden track.

A promotional single titled "Eine Botschaft von Die Ärzte - In Stereoooooooh!" was released in 1998. The title track "Eine Botschaft von Die Ärzte" (A message from Die Ärzte) is a kind of a commercial for 13. It also features "Goldenes Handwerk" as the B-side.

"Nie wieder Krieg, nie mehr Las Vegas!" also goes by the title "Hütchenspiel" (Shell game). "Nie gesagt" was initially titled "Du fehlst mir" (roughly I miss you).

Track listing

No.	Title	Lyrics	Music	Length
1.	"Punk ist..." ("Punk is...")	Felsenheimer	Felsenheimer	3:42
2.	"Ein Lied für dich" ("A song for you")	Urlaub	Urlaub	2:43
3.	"Goldenes Handwerk" ("Golden handicraft")	Felsenheimer	Felsenheimer	3:34
4.	"Meine Freunde" ("My friends")	Urlaub	Urlaub	1:47
5.	"Party stinkt" ("Party stinks")	Felsenheimer	Felsenheimer	3:26
6.	"1/2 Lovesong"	Felsenheimer, Gonzalez	Gonzalez	3:52
7.	"Ignorama" (contains a prelude to "Nie wieder Krieg, nie mehr Las Vegas!")	Felsenheimer	Felsenheimer, Gonzalez	2:46
8.	"Nie wieder Krieg, nie mehr Las Vegas!" ("No more war, no more Las Vegas!")	Urlaub	Urlaub	2:36
9.	"Rebell" ("Rebel")	Urlaub	Urlaub	3:51
10.	"Der Graf" ("The count")	Felsenheimer	Felsenheimer	3:44
11.	"Grau" ("Gray")	Urlaub	Urlaub	2:45
12.	"Angeber" ("Show-off"; contains a prelude to "Männer sind Schweine")	Urlaub	Urlaub	2:58
13.	"Männer sind Schweine" ("Men are pigs")	Urlaub	Urlaub	4:17
14.	"Liebe und Schmerz" ("Love and sorrow")	Felsenheimer	Felsenheimer	3:52
15.	"Nie gesagt" ("Never said")	Urlaub	Urlaub	4:57
16.	"Der Infant" ("The infant")	Felsenheimer	Felsenheimer	3:05
17.	"Grotesksong" (roughly "Grotesque song")	Urlaub	Urlaub	3:40

Hidden track

The song "Lady" is hidden in the pregap of "Punk ist...". It was composed by Gonzalez with lyrics by Gonzalez and Felsenheimer. To hear it, one has to rewind the record from the first track to -3:55.

Lyrical meaning

Punk ist...

A slow jazz number with Bela and Farin recounting what they're being told by an unknown person about what punk really is. While they agree a lot, they reply that the person should do what he wants, but must also be responsible for it as well as let other people do what they want. The Song kicks up in a fast punk song at the very end.

Ein Lied für Dich

An ode to the fans and critics of the band, as well as the consumers of their merchandise. The band ironically thanks them for the money they spend which subsequently funds the band.

Goldenes Handwerk

A country song sung by Bela, lamenting his lack of intelligence but noting that he's still useful as the drummer of the band.

Meine Freunde

Farin questioning whether or not the practices attributed in the song to Bela and Rod (homosexuality, BDSM, satanism) are allowable or legal. The song drifts into a metal song during the 3rd verse about satanism, including a Death growl layered under Farin's vocals.

Party stinkt

Bela complains about the lack of fun, low quality of beverages, etc. at a party he is about to leave. The song contains samples from the German version of The Simpsons episode The War of the Simpsons at the beginning and end.

1/2 Lovesong

A lovesong sung by Rod about a romance which is about to be spoilt by the lovers inevitable break-up.

Ignorama

A song about a man who is obsessed with his lover and swears to ignore any and all social evils and problems in the world as long as she is in a relationship with him. The last chorus contains a pun concerning the word "hart" (hard), with the singer promising to remain hard (meaning both in his stance to ignore the world around him, as well as his penis) as long as the woman remains sitting on him. The song also indicates that the other person is appalled with the singer shutting himself off from the world, or possibly his obsession.

Nie wieder Krieg, nie mehr Las Vegas

A song sung from the viewpoint of a gambling addict who has lost all his money and woke up naked and hung-over in the gutter. The person swears to get rid of his gambling vice.

Rebell

A song about the self-identification as a rebell against society and conformity, with the singer directly confronting the accusations made against him, as well as the disgust and rejection he is confronted by due to his refusal to conform.

Der Graf

Bela sings from the viewpoint of Dracula who has trouble finding useful blood due to the spread of HIV.

Grau

The singer describes his frustration with the world around him and airs his desire to leave and get out of his current environment.

Angeber

The singer lists the problems he has with a local show-off.

Männer sind Schweine

A warning to women about men who are simply trying to get sex by appearing polite and well-groomed before reverting to their true selves, disgusting pigs, after getting into a relationship.

Liebe und Schmerz

A lover contemplating the pain that will be caused if the couple were to break-up.

Nie gesagt

The singer declaring that he has no desire to a return to the relationship after a break-up, masking his craving to do so.

Der Infant

A very childish man describing the desires he is now fulfilling himself after legally becoming an adult. These desires are largely banal or extremely dangerous, (ranging from eating fishsticks with porridge to building bombs) and were subsequently forbidden to him when he was a child and under the care of his parents. The song begins with an allusion to Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap and ends with Bela screaming "I'm on a Highway to Hell", both references to songs by AC/DC.

Grotesksong

A protest song in which the singer laments protest movements, particularly of environmental organizations such as Greenpeace. The singer swears revenge by causing pollution and killing wildlife.

Lady

The singer describes an encounter with a woman during a vacation on the Maldives.

Personnel

• Farin Urlaub – guitar, vocals
• Bela Felsenheimer – drums, vocals
• Rodrigo González – bass guitar, vocals

Charts

Country	Chart position
Germany	1
Austria	2
Switzerland	1