☝️ Key Points
- The song 'The Ancient Germans' is a humorous beer-drinking song that parodies the drinking habits of the ancient Germans
- The lyrics describe a scene where the Germans drink beer, have fun, and gamble for their women
- A young Roman, identified as the historian Tacitus, joins in the drinking revelry
- After drinking, the Roman writes about his experiences in his work 'Germania', a well-known work about the Germans
- Although the singers are not Germans, they practice the 'ancient custom' of drinking and express their drinking philosophy: 'No one has died early, who has drunk until old age'.
Interpretation
The song 'Die alten Germanen' by
Landeshymne is a humorous beer drinker's song that parodies the alleged drinking habits of the ancient Germanic tribes. The lyrics describe a scene where the Germanic people are sitting by the Rhine, drinking beer and having fun. A young Roman, identified as the historian Tacitus, joins the group. Tacitus is known for his writings about the Germanic people, and the song humorously plays on this historical element. Despite the language barrier, the Germanic people warmly welcome the young Roman and continue their drinking spree by drinking mead and gambling for their women. They mix a strong drink for the Roman, which he drinks until he falls to the ground. The Germanic people laugh and continue to celebrate, letting the Roman drink 'One glass and still another'. The next morning, the hungover Roman writes about his experiences in his 'Germania', a well-known work by Tacitus about the Germanic people. The song ends with the statement that the singers, although not Germanic themselves, practice the 'ancient custom' of drinking, but not gambling for their women. The final line expresses their drinking philosophy: 'No one has died early, who has drunk until old age'. Overall, the song is a funny homage to drinking and the culture of celebration, humorously mixed with historical references.