What is all this leading to?
What is going to last anyway?
Those houses and alleys
Those hours spent chatting
Is that all over now?
In the pub at the corner
The men are standing by the bar
The women are sitting
Together chatting
Is that all over now?
Whatever may come
One thing is certain
The best thing we've got
And have had for all these years
Is our part of town1
For this is where people still stick together
For better or worse
In our part of town
Our kids don't play on the lawn
And if one of them has an accident
Those lumps and scratches
We fix them quickly
And it's all over
Whatever may come
One thing is certain
The best thing we've got
And have had for all these years
Is our part of town
For this is where people still stick together
For better or worse
In our part of town
That is for certain
We're gonna stay where we are
As we have been for all those long years
In our part of town
For this is where people still stick together
For better or worse
In our part of town
1. Cologne historically has 87 "Veedels" (lit. "quarters") which do not coincide with today's (fewer) official urban districts.