Der nette Mann


Der nette Mann is the debut album of German hard rock band Böhse Onkelz. It was released in 1984. Der nette Mann is considered the first album of the German skinhead subculture.
Six of its 14 tracks are deemed to either promote violence, nazi-ideology or pornography by the German Bundesprüfstelle für jugendgefährdende Schriften. Therefore not only the whole album is put on the index. Shortly after the Indizierung, the album was additionally embargoed due to purported "glorification of violence" in its lyrics, making it altogether illegal to sell the album in Germany.
As of today, this decision ceased to come into effect, the Indizierung still stands.
Original copies of the album are regarded as rarities and have a value of more than 350€.

Track listing

  1. Frankreich '84 '
  2. Fußball + Gewalt '
  3. Der nette Mann '
  4. Deutschland '
  5. Singen und Tanzen '
  6. Mädchen '
  7. Tanz auf deinem Grab '
  8. Dr. Martens Beat '
  9. Vereint '
  10. Freibier '
  11. Stolz '
  12. Freitag Nacht '
  13. Böhse Onkelz
  14. Alkohol

    Track notes

Frankreich '84'

This song's theme is the 1984 European Soccer Championship in France. The band indeed had tickets to some of the games, but got into trouble with the French border police.
"Frankreich '84" was one of the tracks, because of which the whole album was embargoed. The term "Frankreichüberfall", is reminiscent of the German attack on France in World War II. The Bundesprüfstelle für jugendgefährdende Schriften concluded that "Frankreich '84 is forcing violence and glorifying the Nazi regime" and is demeaning to the French national team and supports Nazi tendencies.

Fußball + Gewalt

This song is about the battles between football hooligans.

Der nette Mann

This track is concerned with child abuse, told from the perspective of the criminal himself. "Ich bin der nette Mann von nebenan, und jeder könnt' es sein. Schaut mich an, schaut mich an, ich bin das perverse Schwein." . Although the band intended the song as a statement against child molesters, the Bundesprüfstelle reached the conclusion, that its lyrics propagate violence towards children. Nevertheless, the band performed this song until their dissolution on several concerts, deliberately facing paying hefty fines each time.

Deutschland

This is an over-patriotic song. The Böhse Onkelz were - so they say - unpolitical skinheads at this time. "Deutschland" begins with the lines "Auch zwölf dunkle Jahre in deiner Geschichte macht unsre Verbundenheit mit dir nicht zunichte. Es gibt kein Land frei von Dreck und Scherben, hier sind wir geboren, hier wollen wir sterben" . Critics state, that this is in fact a deliberate belittlement of the Nazi years.
At a concert in Lübeck in 1985 singer Kevin changed the lyrics to "Schwarz-Weiß-Rot wir stehn zu Dir" instead of "Schwarz-Rot-Gold wir stehn zu Dir", with the former being the colours of the banned Reichskriegsflagge as opposed to the official federal German flag. The rest of the band allegedly distanced itself from the singer and the changed lyrics after the concert.

Mädchen

This was deemed a sexistic song. "Mädchen, Mädchen, komm und spreiz die Beine / Mädchen, Mädchen, du weißt schon, was ich meine" ' and "Mädchen, Mädchen, nimm ihn in den Mund" ' are some examples. "Mädchen" was another factor in the embargo because of the "pornographic content" of these lyrics.

Dr. Martens Beat

Also a contributing factor to the album being embargoed. According to the Bundesprüfstelle the song supports and propagates violence. Doc Martens are shoes with steel caps, mostly worn by skinheads by this time. One example of this song's lyrics: "Dr. Martens Beat, Dr. Martens Beat / Der Klang einer Stahlkappe, die dich in der Fresse trifft."

Stolz

The song describes the subculture of the skinheads and the living with it.

Böhse Onkelz

The band says, with this song they wanted to glorify themselves. "Wir trinken mit links und herrschen mit der rechten / Wir sind die Herrscher Frankfurts, Könige der Nacht" ' Because of the line "Wir sind Böhse Onkelz und machen, was uns gefällt / Heute gehört uns Deutschland, morgen die ganze Welt ' this song was a contributing factor to the album being embargoed. The Bundesprüfstelle detected a glorification of Nazi-ideology.