☝️ Key Points
- The first verse depicts a frozen, cold environment where even drinks intended for warming up in this cold become useless
- The second verse criticizes excessive consumption and environmental pollution during the Christmas season
- The repeated line 'It's winter time, it's winter time, it's winter time in Vienna' shows resignation and acceptance of the described conditions
- The third verse portrays a scene in which a horse-drawn carriage passes over vomit, which is presented as a metaphor for the negative aspects of tourism in Vienna
- The fourth verse conveys a social critique message addressing the difficulties of life for older and weaker people during the cold season
Interpretation
'Winter(s)zeit in Wienzeit' by
Hape Kerkeling is a humorous but also sarcastic and cynical portrayal of the Viennese winter. The song's lyrics paint a raw, unfiltered picture of the cold season in Vienna, breaking with the romantic notion of snowy streets and cozy mulled wine drinking.
The first verse describes a frozen, cold environment where even the wine is covered in frost. The line 'Konn's ka' guada Tropfen sein' suggests that even the wine, which usually serves as a source of warmth, becomes useless in this cold.
The second verse focuses on the everyday life in winter in Vienna, portrayed in a grotesque manner with lines like 'Aus dem Gully dompft die Scheissn' and 'Erbroch'na Glühwein am Straßenrand'. These lines could be a critique of excessive consumption and the resulting pollution during the Christmas season.
The repeated line 'Es is Winterzeit, es is Winterzeit, es is Winterzeit in Wien' conveys a kind of resigned acceptance of the described conditions.
The third verse describes a scene where a fiaker (horse-drawn carriage) runs over vomit, which then splashes in all directions. This could be interpreted as a metaphor for the downsides of tourism in Vienna.
In the fourth verse, the singer tells the story of his mother who dies in the cold season because she can't make it to the 'B'rater hin' (roast chicken place). This verse could contain a social critique message, pointing out the hardships of life for older and weaker people during the cold season.
Overall, 'Winter(s)zeit in Wienzeit' is a song that humorously and sarcastically portrays the less pleasant aspects of winter in Vienna.