Ich find' dich gut, genauso wie du bist
I like you just the way you are – "Zu den Anderen" by skuth and bac
I’m a sucker for piano-driven pop music (any other Ben Folds fans out there?), and I’ve been eager to share “Zu den Anderen” from German pop newcomers skuth and bac since I first heard it early last summer. Though both artists are relatively new to the German music scene, the two twenty-somethings are already being hailed as part of the “spannendsten neuen Stimmen der deutschsprachigen Popmusik” – the most exciting new voices in German-language pop music.
In contrast to the bright, almost ragtime feel of the song’s piano accompaniment, the lyrics of “Zu den Anderen” detail the frustrations of unrequited romantic interest, receiving mixed signals, and das Nicht-Gesehenwerden – feeling unseen and ignored.
German culture and language tend to place a high value on precision and clarity, and it’s not uncommon to hear the words “genau” and “genauso” (“exactly”) peppered into almost any type of exchange. In the song, we see the adverb “genauso” used as part of a Liebeserklärung, or declaration of love, as the singer proclaims their unconditional affection for someone “genauso wie du bist” – exactly the way they are.
Du läufst Runden in meinem Kopf
You run laps in my head
Doch ignorierst mich wenn ich da bin
But ignore me when I’m there
Ich laufe im Dunkeln durch meinen Block
I walk through my neighborhood in the dark
Und höre von überall deinen Namen
And hear your name everywhereIch glaube, ich drehe langsam durch wegen dir
I think I’m slowly going crazy because of you
Denn du hast immer noch nicht kapiert ja
Because you still don’t get it, yeahIch finde dich gut, genauso wie du bist
I like you just the way you are
Denn du bist eigentlich ziemlich freundlich zu den anderen
Because you’re actually pretty friendly to others
Ich finde dich gut, genauso wie du bist
I like you just the way you are
Wenn ich nicht da bin, bist du, glaube ich, sehr charmant
When I’m not there, I think you’re very charming
Here are a few additional words from “Zu den Anderen” to add to your vocabulary list:
die Mitternacht - the middle of the night
wach - awake
ignorieren - to ignore
im Dunklen - in the dark
durchdrehen - to go crazy
kapieren - to understand / to “get it”
genauso - exactly
charmant - charming
nächtelang - night after night / throughout the night
stundenlang - for hours
anrufen - to call
verständlich - understandable
verstehen - to understand
schweigen - to remain silent
For bit more German reading practice, check out Universal Music’s press release for “Zu den Anderen” here.
I love this song “genauso” as it is, and hope you enjoy it too!
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.