☝️ Key Points
- Humorous depiction of complaints and hardships while hiking through physical ailments.
- Use of exaggerations and humor to emphasize the difficulties in the hike.
- Consistent theme of physical discomforts the hiker experiences on their journey.
- Despite all the difficulties and complaints, the hiker's perseverance and determination are emphasized.
- The text serves not only to entertain, but also to highlight the lightness and humor despite the hardships of hiking.
Interpretation
The lyrics of the song 'Wenn ich auf Wanderschaft geh' by
Volkslieder are a humorous song that depicts the difficulties and complaints of a hiker on his journey. Each verse describes a different physical discomfort that the hiker experiences, starting with the toe and moving on to other body parts like the heel, calf, heart, neck, thigh, knee, head, stomach, hair, and chest. This slight exaggeration serves to humorously portray the rigors of hiking.
For example, in the lines 'Wenn ich auf Wanderschaft geh', ja geh', Tut mir der Zeh so weh.' and 'Ja, die Hacke macht Attacke, Und der Zeh tut mir weh', the singer describes the pains in the feet caused by constant walking.
In the subsequent verses, this humorous exaggeration continues as the hiker describes various physical discomforts like 'Das Herz / voller Schmerz' (The heart full of pain), 'Der Hals / voller Schmalz' (The throat full of grease), and 'Die Haare / voll Pomade' (The hair full of pomade). These lines serve to humorously exaggerate the difficulties and complaints of hiking while also emphasizing the persistence and determination of the hiker who continues to hike despite all these discomforts.
Overall, the lyrics of the song are a humorous depiction of hiking and the associated complaints, serving to highlight the light-heartedness and humor with which the hiker approaches his journey.