Interpretation
The song lyrics 'Wie's früher mal war' by
Franz Josef Degenhardt are about the longing for past times and the search for the feeling of community and belonging. The protagonist of the song, Arno Blöcker, is an old man who yearns for the old times when life was simpler and carefree.
The song describes how people used to sit together at long tables, eating, drinking, crying, and laughing. They danced, loved, and also fought, but despite it all, life was fulfilling and vibrant. The lines 'Da hat man getanzt, sich geliebt und verkracht, und zwischendurch hat man auch Kinder gemacht' show that life back then was diverse and intense.
Arno Blöcker, the old man, expressed his love for his homeland by buying land and creating an amusement park. He wanted this park to be preserved as a museum for future generations and animated every month with a traditional celebration. The condition was that the party had to be like in the past, to revive the true feeling of those times.
Over time, the amusement park becomes commercialized and loses its original purpose. A manager is hired who transforms the park into a Disneyland fairytale land. The parties become popular and beloved, but the original feeling of community and authenticity is lost.
The lyrics criticize the commercialization and the loss of the original meaning. However, at the end of the song, a folk version of the song is mentioned, in which the Mühl-Tal-Terzett brings the past back to life with old rock stars and costumes. People celebrate, drink, laugh, and dance like in the past.
The song lyrics 'Wie's früher mal war' express the longing for past times when life was simpler and community was stronger. They criticize the commercialization and loss of authenticity. At the same time, the lyrics show that it is possible to revive the feeling of the past and celebrate together if we reconnect with it.