Die Gedanken Sind Frei

Album: German Folk Songs (1229)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • "Die Gedanken Sind Frei" is a very famous German folk song that is fairly well-known in English, and due to the similarity of the two languages poses few challenges to non-German speakers, in sentiment if not in detail.

    The idea that "thoughts are free" is of course one that can be traced to the very beginnings of philosophy in the ancient world, although this particular song - in 3/4 time - can be dated more accurately.
  • Walther von der Vogelweide (c1170-1230) composed the song "Joch Sint Iedoch Gedanke Fri," but because his music was not written down we cannot know how much if anything the modern song owes to it melodically.

    Dietmar von Aist (presumably) had composed the song "Gedanke Die Sint Ledic Vri" - "Only Thoughts Are Free." About 1229, Freidank wrote: "Diu Bant Mac Nieman Vinden, Diu Mîne Gedanke Binden" - "This Band May No One Twine, That Will My Thoughts Confine."
  • Unsurprisingly, "Die Gedanken Sind Frei" has been a popular protest song in Germany; just as unsurprisingly it was banned by the Hitler régime.
  • There are at least two English translations which are consistent with the German original, including one by Tom Potter. The song is often sung in a mixture of both languages by English-speaking performers, whose ranks have included (predictably) Pete Seeger. >>>
    Suggestion credit:
    Alexander Baron - London, England, for all above

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

Curt Kirkwood of Meat Puppets

Curt Kirkwood of Meat PuppetsSongwriter Interviews

The (Meat)puppetmaster takes us through songs like "Lake Of Fire" and "Backwater," and talks about performing with Kurt Cobain on MTV Unplugged.

Paul Stanley of Kiss, Soul Station

Paul Stanley of Kiss, Soul StationSongwriter Interviews

Paul Stanley on his soul music project, the Kiss songs with the biggest soul influence, and the non-make-up era of the band.

80s Music Quiz 1

80s Music Quiz 1Music Quiz

MTV, a popular TV theme song and Madonna all show up in this '80s music quiz.

Keith Reid of Procol Harum

Keith Reid of Procol HarumSongwriter Interviews

As Procol Harum's lyricist, Keith wrote the words to "A Whiter Shade Of Pale." We delve into that song and find out how you can form a band when you don't sing or play an instrument.

Bible Lyrics

Bible LyricsMusic Quiz

Rockers, rappers and pop stars have been known to quote the Bible in their songs. See if you match the artist to the biblical lyric.

Don Dokken

Don DokkenSongwriter Interviews

Dokken frontman Don Dokken explains what broke up the band at the height of their success in the late '80s, and talks about the botched surgery that paralyzed his right arm.