Friday, August 27, 2010

Operamania 101: Rock Me Falco

Today is our last summer Friday here at work so let's go out with a bang.

Remember Austrian musician Falco from the 80s? He gave the world such memorable hits as Der Kommissar, Vienna Calling and of course, Rock Me Amadeus, which he was inspired to write after watching the 1984 biopic, Amadeus, starring Tom Hulce and F. Murray Abraham.

Rock Me Amadeus became a #1 hit all over the world, even though the song was sung in German.

Like Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Falco was a child prodigy. When he auditioned for the Vienna Music Academy at the age of 5, it was discovered that the wunderkind had perfect pitch.

Similarly like Mozart, Falco met his untimely end way too soon. In 1998, just weeks before his 41st birthday, Falco was involved in a fatal bus collision in the Dominican Republic. Mozart was just 35 when he died.

However, their music lives on, so here's something to kick-start the weekend.

Before the internet came along, unless you were German, you may not have understood what Falco was singing about, save for the "Rock Me Amadeus" part. (I know I didn't)

So here's the English translation of the song about Mozart, his "punk-rock rebelness" and the effect he had on the world.



Rock me rock me rock me rock me Amadeus
Rock me all the time to the top

He was a Punker
And he lived in the big city
It was Vienna, was Vienna
Where he did everything
He had debts, for he drank
But all the women loved him
And each one shouted:
Come on and rock me Amadeus

He was Superstar
He was so popular
He was so eccentric
Because he had flair
He was a virtuoso
Was a rock idol
And everyone shouted:
Come on and rock me Amadeus

Amadeus Amadeus, Amadeus
Amadeus Amadeus, Amadeus
Amadeus Amadeus, oh oh oh Amadeus

Come on and rock me Amadeus
Amadeus Amadeus, Amadeus
Amadeus Amadeus, Amadeus
Amadeus Amadeus, oh oh oh Amadeus

It was around 1780
And it was in Vienna
No plastic money anymore
The banks against him
Everybody knew
Where the liabilities came from
He was a man of women
Women loved his punk

He was Superstar
He was so popular
He was so eccentric
Because he had flair
He was a virtuoso
Was a rock idol
And everyone shouted:
Come on and rock me Amadeus

Amadeus Amadeus, Amadeus
Amadeus Amadeus, Amadeus
Amadeus Amadeus, oh oh oh Amadeus

Come and rock me Amadeus...

Have a great weekend everybody!

~ Ling Chan, Social Media Manager

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