I really like this German artist too. I like the tone of Alex’s voice, the melody, and the way that the poetic verses seem to erupt from the sombre acoustic riffs. I also appreciate how Knappe chooses to sing in English, despite his strange accent, and how experimental he is with his lyrics.
The song obviously tells the tragic tale of a long-suffering addict, possibly with tourette’s, whose mind forever craves just one more hit (of ‘K’ from a ‘snake’). Obviously in an emotionally-charged state, the protagonist dismisses casually the fact that the product he is using is from an unreliable source (having been stolen from hicks). His hands tremble and his relationships with women (Johanna, and Ellis the Fin) seem complex and fraught with pain. Stylistically, the rambling, stream-of-consciousness nature of the verses enables Knappe to accurately portray the disjointed and tampered-with quality of reality as perceived through the drug-addled mind of an addict.
And at first you know,
Your hand is silver, and zen.
It isn’t in my hands,
Container, huh?
Lessons fleeting.
That’s some spade.
Yes, your hands may well be silver. They may be beautiful in the moonlight. They may be zen-like, tranquil, and at peace. But if they are empty, if in time all hands are replaced by containers, then what lessons can be learned? Are we to be left digging? With a spade into the soil of life?
Everything is inverting, the world is turning turn-toe. Seemingly unrelated objects surround you. Butter, viber, toes, oats, ham. A new man emerges. But will the lessons be free? Are they ever?
(Lyrics)
Alexander Knappe – K and a Snake (Orig. Ohne Dich)
Me hand was fuck it,
Johanna’s smile began.
If forearm shfarts, butter, strarse and bum,
And viber..
And that hand.
Is it an off container?
My toes and toy and my oat.
For the old,
Sit allah’s sphere.
Feel like they’re off.
And at first you know,
Your hand is silver, and zen.
It isn’t in my hands,
Container, huh?
Lessons fleeting.
That’s some spade.
Oh.. I want to take,
K,
K hick-nicked.
Don’t invert.
Don’t get it no more til…
Oh.. I want to take,
K,
K and a snake.
You won’t invert.
Don’t get us no more til…
Me hand was fuck it,
Woman, Ellis, love.
Feel like she’s all asleep.
Tan and a ham, Finnish, Goddamn.
They told themselves to ring her,
Your heart isn’t touched in rain.
Worse than that, they tiefed some time…
and cake.
And at first you know,
your turning turn-toe.
As a new man hurts,
In time and hurt,
Oh lessons free, lessons free.
Oh.. I want to take
K,
K hick-nicked.
Don’t invert.
Don’t get it no more til…
Oh.. I want to take,
K,
K and a snake.
You won’t invert.
Don’t get us no more til…
Don’t get us no more til…
woooo.
Oh.. I want to take,
K,
K hick-nicked.
Don’t invert.
Don’t get it no more til…
Oh.. I want to take,
K,
K and a snake.
You won’t invert.
Don’t get us no more til…
Don’t get us no more til…
woooo.
On a day, on a a day, on a day.
K and a snake, K and a snake, K and a snake.
K and a snake, K and a snake, K and a snake.
Finish.
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