Meaning of 'Eigentlich unglaublich, daß ihnen das immer wieder gelingt ...'

by Franz Josef Degenhardt

Interpretation

The song lyrics "Eigentlich unglaublich, daß ihnen das immer wieder gelingt ..." by Franz Josef Degenhardt deal with the manipulation and deception of people by governments in the context of wars. The song discusses three generations of men who go to war for supposedly noble goals.

In the first part of the song, the great-grandfather is mentioned, who fights for his homeland and is severely injured. The lyrics say: "Shrapnel in the legs and head, in front of Verdun." It is clear that the great-grandfather blindly believed in the good of war, but only experienced suffering and wounds.

In the second part, the grandfather is mentioned, who fights against "Slavic hordes" and is also severely injured. The lyrics say: "Shot in the belly and a crazy head, in front of Stalingrad." Once again, it is emphasized that the grandfather believed in the noble cause of the war, but only experienced pain and destruction.

In the third part of the song, the father is mentioned, who fights for "human rights" and "peace". The lyrics express that the father also blindly believes in the government's supposed good intentions. It is suggested that he will probably suffer as well, and the question is raised where the war will take place this time.

The song "Eigentlich unglaublich, daß ihnen das immer wieder gelingt ..." criticizes the manipulation of people, which leads them to go to war for supposedly noble goals and only experience suffering and destruction. It is made clear that this deception succeeds time and time again and that people fall for it over and over again.