Die Welt war Elefantastisch 🐘
The world was elephantastic – "Elefantastisch" by Basti Stein
From a child’s perspective, being an adult may seem enviable – I mean, how much better can it get than staying up late and eating whatever we choose, right? However, the responsibilities and overwhelm of the adult Alltag (everyday life) seem to quickly outweigh the perks of Erwachsensein (being an adult), and many of us are left pining for the simplicity of childhood, when the world still felt magical and uncomplicated.
Basti Stein, another relative newcomer to the German pop music scene, creatively evokes this sentimentality towards the wonder of Kindheit (childhood) in his recent single “Elefantastisch”. The song’s title and opening melody pay homage to a popular German Kindersendung (children’s television program) of the same name, and the song itself is filled with references to many beloved German children’s series (check out the full list below). The music video is also filmed inside a German Kindertagesstätte, or Kita (daycare/preschool).
While the song is clearly intended for an audience familiar with the various television references, the general sentiment rings true across cultures. Though the carefree days of childhood may feel far away, Basti still holds out hope for us grown-up children as he suggests that “nicht alle Märchen sind gelogen” (not all fairy tales are lies).
Die Welt war elefantastisch, sie war wunderschön
The world was “elephantastic”, it was beautiful.
Langsam werd' ich erwachsen, ich wär gern wieder zehn
I’m slowly growing up, I wish I were ten again.
Here’s the full list of children’s shows referenced in “Elefantastisch”, if you want to check them out!
Elefantastisch
Lauras Stern
Sendung mit der Maus / Die große Maus-Show
Benjamin Blümchen
Der kleine Prinz
Die Wilden Kerle
Die Pfefferkörner
1, 2 oder 3
What television show makes you nostalgic for your childhood? For me, if would have to be Arthur or Zoom!
Liebe Grüße,
Jessica
P.S. – If you enjoyed this post, please consider clicking “like” and/or sharing it with someone else who may be interested in German music, language, and culture! And comment or reply to share your own German music recommendations with me! Ganz lieben Dank!
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Check out Sprachmelodie's Spotify and Youtube accounts for playlists of all songs featured so far on the blog.
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