☝️ Key Points
- The comrades of Horsti Schmandhoff have experienced disappointments in their lives and have lost their goals and dreams.
- They feel trapped in their small living environment and no longer have big dreams or ambitions.
- They work on their artistic skills, but it's just become a habit without real passion or achievements.
- The comrades are the cardboard companions of German history and have been fooled several times.
- They have given up their dreams and goals and lead a bleak life without prospects for change or fulfillment.
Interpretation
The song lyrics "Die Kumpanen von Horsti Schmandhoff" by
Franz Josef Degenhardt describe the life of a group of people who meet regularly and apparently haven't achieved much. The comrades, or friends, of Horsti Schmandhoff have experienced a lot of disappointments in their lives. They have been divorced once or twice and have lost their goals and dreams.
The images of the past, or the memories of better times, fade away and even the whisky they drink no longer brings them fulfillment. They are simply numbed in their small environment and no longer have big dreams or ambitions.
The fight for advancement is over and they have won it, but all that's left is the fight against their weight. They continue to knit their skills, but it's just a habit now, without real passion or achievements.
The children call them idiots and they agree with them, laughing. They participate again, but only out of habit, just like with sex, which is only asthmatic for them.
The comrades are the cardboard companions of German history. They have been fooled once, twice, and three times and have achieved nothing. They haven't progressed over the decades and wonder where they have gone.
Overall, the song lyrics express a certain resignation. The comrades have given up their dreams and goals and lead a rather bleak life. They are trapped in their habits and have no prospects for change or fulfillment.