Lieber Wolke vier mit dir

I’d rather be on Cloud 4 with you – "Wolke 4" by Philipp Dittberner

You’re likely familiar with the English expression “to be on cloud nine” – to be in a state of extreme happiness, elation, or bliss. Did you know this idiom exists in German as well, but with a slight difference? The full phrase in German is “auf Wolke sieben sein”, or to be on cloud seven.

While the reason for the alternate cloud numbering isn’t fully clear (maybe English speakers have unreasonably high expectations for happiness while Germans are a bit more realistic?), the meaning of the phrases is virtually identical in both languages.

Bringing yet another numbered cloud into the mix is the song “Wolke 4” (“Cloud 4”) by German singer-songwriter Philipp Dittberner, created together with DJ and producer Marv. Philipp sings about finding contentment with someone on “cloud four” instead of seeking the emotional high of “cloud seven” (or nine) – which could be interpreted as finding joy in everyday life together, even after the initial excitement of a new relationship has passed.

The catchy song also gives us a chance to take a look at comparisons in German using the conjunctions “als” and “wie”.

If you like the song, you can check out a video of Philipp performing it live here!

Lass uns die Wolke vier bitte nie mehr verlassen
Let’s please never leave cloud four again
Weil wir auf Wolke sieben viel zu viel verpassen
Because we miss way too much on cloud seven
Ich war da schon ein Mal, bin zu tief gefallen
I’ve already been there once, then I fell too far
Lieber Wolke vier mit dir als unten wieder ganz allein
I’d rather be on cloud four with you than down there all alone again

View full song lyrics »

When Philipp Dittberner sings “Lieber Wolke vier mit dir als unten wieder ganz allein”, he’s making a comparison: he would rather live on cloud four with his loved one than live below all alone.

This particular comparison utilizes the German conjunction “als”, a conjunction often used in comparisons when the two things being compared are not equal:

Max ist größer als Anna.
Max is taller than Anna.

Gestern war es kälter als heute.
Yesterday was colder than today.

“Schön genug” by Lina Maly, another recently featured song, also includes a few comparisons using “als”:

Ich mag die Dinge, die du tust
I like the things you do
Mehr als die Worte, die du sagst
More than the words you say
Und das Gesicht der grauen Stadt
And the face of the gray city
Mehr als die Art wie du sie ausmalst
More than the way you color it

Both of these statements are comparing things that are unequal, as the singer likes one thing (such as “the things you do”) more than the other (such as “the words you say”).

An alternate conjunction often seen in comparative statements is “wie”. However, as opposed to “als”, “wie” is used when the two things being compared are equal:

Ich esse so viel wie du.
I eat as much as you.

Der Kaffee schmeckt genauso gut wie der Tee.
The coffee tastes just as good as the tea.

Another recent song (“Alles ist jetzt” by Bosse) provides us with a few additional examples of comparisons using “wie”:

Ich hab’ gelernt das Leben zu genießen
I have learned to enjoy life
Meine Freunde wie Blumen zu gießen
To water my friends like flowers

Dann kommt eine zündende Idee
Then comes a brilliant idea
Wie frischer Wind, ein neuer Tag
Like a breath of fresh air, a new day

Here the song makes use of simile to directly compare friends to flowers and a brilliant idea to a fresh wind or a new day, calling for the use of “wie”. Wie schön!

Here are a few additional words from “Wolke 4” to add to your vocabulary list:

die Wolke – the cloud
vier – four
verlassen – to leave
sieben – seven
verpassen – to miss
fallen – to fall
ziemlich – quite
meistern – to master
die Dinge / die Dingen – the thing / the things
begraben – to bury
der Moment – the moment
die Wirklichkeit – the reality
maskieren – to mask
funktionieren – to function
zerbomben – to bomb
das Lächeln – the smile