☝️ Key Points
- The song 'Als ich fortging' is about farewell, separation, and change
- The song lyrics address the difficulty and pain of leaving
- There is expressed hope that the person who remains finds comfort and healing
- The song emphasizes the transience of life and all things
- Finally, the lyrics address the hope for lightness and strength in the future
Interpretation
The lyrics of 'Als ich fortging' by
Dirk Michaelis are about farewell, separation, and change. In the first two verses 'When I left, the road was steep. Turn back. Share in her sorrow, make her whole.' and 'When I left, the asphalt was hot. Turn back. Tell her everything she knows, at any cost.', the singer talks about the pain and difficulty of leaving, and the hope that the person left behind can find comfort and healing.
In the chorus 'Nothing is infinite, so realize that. I know you want to be infinite, weak and small. Fire burns out when no one feeds it. I know what you're going through today.', the transience of life and all things is emphasized. It is an invitation to accept the reality of transience and recognize that everything, including pain and sadness, passes.
In the last two verses 'When I left, the arms were empty. Turn back. Make it easier for her, not so difficult.' and 'When I left, a wind so weak came. It didn't knock me down. Under her roof of tears, I was weak.', he speaks again about the emptiness and pain that the farewell brings, but also about the hope for lightness and strength in the future.
In summary, 'Als ich fortging' is a song about leaving, which expresses both the difficulty and pain of farewell and the hope for healing and change.