Feuer Frei!

Bang bang – Feuer frei! 

Probably one of the most popular songs from my lovely boys, apart from Du Hast. One of their most extreme live-performances as well, having massive pillars of flames shooting out just a few inches from their face. Insane, but that’s how I love them.  The songs popularity may possibly have been boosted by the fact that it was the theme song of xXx movie with Vin Diesel.

What could be as simple as a tribute to pyro technique, I’ve always viewed as something a lot gloomier. A lot of bottled up anger can come from certain situations and upbringings, which is what I believe this song is about. The entire Mutter album seems to have its focus on childhood themes, Mein Herz Brennt and Mutter being beautiful examples. 

For me, this song can expose how all the anger you’ve kept inside sometimes can overflow and overwhelm a person. How people who have experienced something traumatic in life are a lot sturdier than people who haven’t, have the power to fight and bite back if they feel treated disrespectfully. An aggressive upbringing can easily cause aggressive behavior, which can make people fear them. 

From the people I know personally, I would have to admit that there is a lot more character to those who have felt how roughly life can treat you.
“Getadelt wird wer Schmerzen kennt, vom Feuer das die Haut verbrennt Ich werf ein Licht in mein Gesicht - Ein heisser Screi - Feuer Frei!"  Whoever knows pain becomes criticized from the fire that burned up the skin. I throw a light in my face - A hot cry - Fire freely! 

To me this explains how physical mistreatment can mark you substantially. How a person can come to terms with what has happened, the damage that has been dealt, and finally standing up to the rest of the world, acknowledging the situation, ready to fight on. “Feuer Frei” is sort of a battle-cry that Till shouts out to ready himself, ready the world for the new mindset.
”Gefährlich ist wer Schmerzen kennt vom Feuer das den Geist verbrennt.” Same concept as above, except it portrays mental abuse and the aftermath. 

Somehow the song has a very retribution-like theme, both in rendered in the hard beat of the drums and guitar synchronizing, but also in the lyrics, in between the lines. Fire is, after all, the most used metaphor for hatred and anger; an image of how those two emotions can destroy and burn out everything in its path.