☝️ Key Points
- The bar Don Pedros is a shady place where dangerous characters meet.
- The man with the harmonica plays for the corrupted Monika, who is only interested in her own pleasure.
- There are many suspicious characters in the bar, including Jack the thief and the captive wardrobe woman.
- There is a dangerous atmosphere in the bar and paying the bill is not fun.
- The song lyrics describe a dark and dangerous world where people have no real feelings or connections to each other.
Interpretation
In the song 'Und der Mann mit der Harmonika' by
Hildegard Knef, it is about a shady bar called Don Pedros Nachtlokal, which is located seven streets behind the canal. In this bar, shady characters meet and there is a dangerous atmosphere. The foxes bid each other good night, which means that criminals gather here to plan their business.
In the bar, works Jack the Long Finger, who occasionally lets something go. The cloakroom woman is a prisoner, with the number 704. It seems that she is serving her sentence in the bar and has to work as a cloakroom woman.
The man with the harmonica plays a tango for Monika, but Monika is a degenerate subject. She doesn't love the man with the harmonica, but only raspberry brandy and champagne. It becomes clear here that Monika has no real feelings for the man, but is only interested in her own pleasure.
It is also mentioned that in life, it is lucky if the bar owner is not in prison. The ladies he lets into the bar are supposedly not ladies. It seems that in this bar, nothing is as it seems, and many shady characters come and go here.
It is also pointed out that in the bar, there is no joking around when it comes to paying. If someone doesn't pay their bill, they may end up floating in cold water. This shows how dangerous and ruthless it is in this bar.
Overall, the lyrics of the song 'Und der Mann mit der Harmonika' describe a dark and dangerous world where people pursue their own interests and have no real feelings or connections to each other. It is a world where pleasure and self-interest come first.