☝️ Key Points
- The song 'Welcome' is an emotional welcome to an unborn child who 'floats gently beneath their mother's heart'
- The singer reflects on the different conditions in which the child could grow up and asks questions about the child's material and emotional conditions, such as whether they are loved, have enough to eat, and whether they have a proper name or just a number
- The song addresses and questions the social and political environments in which the child could grow up
- Each verse ends with a loving greeting and a wish for the child to lead a happy life, regardless of the circumstances of their birth and upbringing
Interpretation
The song 'Sei willkommen' by
Gerhard Schöne is a heartfelt welcome and a profound reflection on the life that awaits an unborn child on Earth. The singer addresses the unborn child directly, who 'floats gently beneath mother's heart'. The 'difficult journey' that will soon begin is birth and life itself.
The singer wonders under what conditions the child will grow up: 'Where will you enter the world, will you be laid on pillows, will you sleep in cardboard boxes covered with a newspaper?' He asks questions about the child's material and emotional conditions: will it be loved and respected, will it have enough to eat, will it be given a number or a nickname?
The song also questions the societal expectations and the environment in which the child will grow up: 'Are you destined for the battlefield or will you give orders yourself? Will you stand up against injustice or silently tolerate it?' These lines could refer to political, social, or even familial circumstances.
Each verse ends with the message 'Have you received the signal, little being? Be welcome, be welcome here on Earth, you shall become happy.' This is a loving welcome and a wish for the child to lead a happy life, regardless of the circumstances of its birth and upbringing.