Hin zur Sonne [English translation]

It all starts when my mom wakes me up:

"My son, I love you

But we have to leave the States

No time to lose, pack your bags

One day, I promise, you will understand

Please don't hate me now

I'm not taking you away from your dad

You have to be strong

We'll leave after school

Please don't tell anyone

Don't look at me with your big child's eyes

Everything will get better overseas

You just have to believe in me"

And I

Believed every word of a warrior

Felt Stepdad's belt once more while we were boarding the plane

But tomorrow no more, I'd rather be anywhere else

No more crying because of him, no more worries and fever

No more crying with my sisters in my arms

I don't want to leave, but I have to, it's the best for Mom

And I

Asked with a shaking voice:

"What now? What next?"

Mom said:

Go, to the sun, to the sun

Where you can touch the stars

Take yourself to the sun

You have to go the sun

Where angels will carry you through the light

Take yourself to the sun

You have to go the sun

Where you can touch the stars

Take yourself to the sun

You have to go the sun

Where angels will carry you through the light

Take yourself to the sun

"Mom, the other kids don't understand me, ignore me

I'd love to take part, but they don't pick me

And if they do, I'm last, I don't know the rules

See how I'm struggling everyday

Please let me go back to Dad!

I'll never learn this language

Look, I'm not giving up

I'm just learning what rain is

Here in the boonies

Where you only laugh behind closed doors

And don't talk to strangers

I hate that! It's your fault!

Call Dad, tell him, I'm coming home!"

One last "Germany, I hate you!", and I'm gone

Echoing through the hallway: "Mom, please forgive me

I'm just looking for the right path and always take the wrong steps

No matter what, the two of us can make it

And although I'm small, whoever wants something, has to come at me first"

I ask myself with a shaking voice:

"What now? What next?"

I promise:

Go, to the sun, to the sun

Where you can touch the stars

Take yourself to the sun

You have to go the sun

Where angels will carry you through the light

Take yourself to the sun

You have to go the sun

Where you can touch the stars

Take yourself to the sun

You have to go the sun

Where angels will carry you through the light

Take yourself to the sun

We didn't need school, we didn't read books

Every break in the bushes, got caught smoking

Got drunk on weekends

My grades were failing

Living for the moment

In hindsight, it was embarrassing

When people avoided us

Still we always stayed loyal to each other

Chicks got with handsome party animals who loved chicks

See the fists fly, one punch and done

"Fuck off!", together immortal

Completely honest

Learn what suffering means

For the first time, when Alex' parents get divorced

Now it's making enemies, going crazy, making out

Getting in fights, getting wasted, in small village streets

If life fucks us even harder,

It's us two against them all, we still have each other

And I

Asked with a shaking voice:

"What now? What next?"

Alex said:

Go, to the sun, to the sun

Where you can touch the stars

Take yourself to the sun

You have to go the sun

Where angels will carry you through the light

Take yourself to the sun

You have to go the sun

Where you can touch the stars

Take yourself to the sun

You have to go the sun

Where angels will carry you through the light

Take yourself to the sun