☝️ Key Points
- The song was created for the children's book series 'Jim Button and Luke the Engine Driver' and describes the fictional island of Lummerland.
- The presence of 'four tunnels and tracks' and 'railway traffic' points to the role of Luke, the engine driver, and his locomotive Emma.
- A 'photo studio' and a working 'long-distance telephone' represent the technology and communication on the island.
- 'Mrs. Waas' shop' is another well-known feature of the island, where everything the inhabitants need can be found.
- The Lummerland song invites children to let their imagination run wild and enter the humorous world of Jim Button and Luke the Engine Driver.
Interpretation
The Lummerland song is the main theme of the popular children's book series 'Jim Button and Luke the Engine Driver' by Michael Ende, made famous by the
Augsburger Puppenkiste puppet theater.
The lyrics describe Lummerland, an island with two mountains surrounded by a 'deep, wide sea'. On this island, there are 'four tunnels and tracks' and 'railway traffic', which indicate the central role of Luke, the engine driver, and his locomotive Emma.
The 'photo studio' and the 'long-distance telephone' are other features of the island. They represent the technology and communication on the island. In the verse 'If you choose the right number, the connection will work too', the possibility and also the difficulties of communication are humorously portrayed.
The verse 'And Mrs. Waas' shop' describes another important place in Lummerland. Mrs. Waas runs a small shop that sells everything the island's residents could need, from 'cough drops' and 'universal glue' to 'cuckoo clocks'.
Overall, the Lummerland song is a loving and humorous description of a fictional island that, despite its smallness, offers a variety of amenities and adventures. It invites children to let their imagination run wild and dream themselves into the world of Jim Button and Luke the Engine Driver.