Three years after their last untitled album, German rock band Rammstein released a new single called „Zeit“ on March 10, 2022. The song will be part of the album of the same name, which will be released on April 29, 2022.
„Zeit“ is german und and means „time“ in english.
The song „Zeit“ was written by the whole band and produced by Olsen Involtini. The music video for the single was produced by Kreisfilm. It was directed by actor and musician Robert Gwisdek.
About „Zeit“: Rammstein song, content
In the first act of the music video, time runs backwards. At first, the band members can be seen in a sea. They seem to be drowning in the process. You can see that they were on a small boat before, which is overturned by a figure with a black cape. Later, the band is seen in a battle in the forest. The uniforms are reminiscent of the Second World War. The perspective changes from soldiers at war to children playing with sticks in the forest. Again, the scene is accompanied by figures in black cloaks.
In the chorus, the video changes to a giant hourglass. Next to the Sandstrom are several pregnant women who are giving birth to their children. The band members assist the women in giving birth.
In the next scene, the scene changes to a field where a farmer is lingering with his daughter. At this moment, the figure appears again, whereupon the daughter runs to it. The figure takes the daughter and reappears through the stream of sand from the chorus. Meanwhile, the farmer carries the lifeless body of his daughter from the field. In the final scene, the daughter becomes one with the sand.
Rammstein Zeit: meaning of the lyrics and video
In general, the song deals with the theme of death and the transience of life. These motifs are expressed within the video through various images and metaphors.
In the beginning, when the band members are drowning in the sea, Lindemann sings about the river of time in which all people are trapped. This metaphor is visualized by the drowning in the video.
In the war scene, where children first play war and later a battle actually takes place, the band sings about the lack of possibility to stop the future: „Zukunft kann man nicht beschwören’n, Duldet keinen Aufenthalt“. In the same place where the children used to play, they now die in the war. The song expresses the wish that the beautiful moments as children should always last.
The women who give birth to their child at the sand stream represent the cycle of time. In the same place where later the dead daughter will appear, children will be born.
The farmer and his daughter are separated at a moment that actually seemed perfect for them. The father tries to stop his daughter, but does not succeed. Accordingly, he mourns the moment. The figure in the video is clearly recognizable as Death by the black cape. However, the video also equates him with the concept of time, since the passage of time means that everyone must die at some point.
Referring to the band, some fans and journalists suggest that Zeit could be Rammstein’s last album, which could be another meaning of the album and song name.
Reception: „Zeit“ by Rammstein
On Youtube, the song already reached over six million clicks after five days and has 400,000 thumbs up.
The trade press received the song mostly positively. Particular praise was given to the aspect that Rammstein shows a different side of himself through the melancholic mood.