Scharlatan [English translation]

[Verse 1]

In the land of which I speak

The people grew lazy

And they regarded their riches and free life

As simply God-given

But the world turns and turns

And no paradise lasts forever

And the good and the pious

Foolish and impressionable, watched in a daze

[Pre-refrain]

Such a man beguiles them with messages

From then on they didn’t want to hear anything else

[Refrain]

And they followed the Charlatan

For he put them under his spell

And he just seduced, seduced, seduced them completely

They obeyed the Charlatan

As if blinded by their delusion

And anyone who resists - he lies, he lies

Yeah they followed the Charlatan

[Verse 2]

He wandered restlessly through the land

Sowing disaster where he could

Prophesied dark days, with his speeches

Raised up fists

He stirred up the masses

And they poured through the streets

Proclaiming their truths

And in their madness, they seemed blinded

[Pre-refrain]

He promised the solution, that alone was grounds enough

People only learn the hard way 1

[Refrain]

And they followed the Charlatan

For he put them under his spell

And he just seduced, seduced, seduced them completely

They obeyed the Charlatan

As if blinded by their delusion

And anyone who resists - he lies, he lies

Yeah they followed the Charlatan

[Post-refrain]

They belonged to him

[Bridge]

He stoked rage and greed and hate and envy

Like all heretics, that divide the world in two

Watch out, because when the mood changes

Then there is no going back

[Refrain]

And they followed the Charlatan

For he put them under his spell

And he just seduced, seduced, seduced them completely

They obeyed the Charlatan

As if blinded by their delusion

And anyone who resists - he lies, he lies

Yeah they followed the Charlatan

[Post-refrain]

They belonged to him

And they loved him

[Outro]

Charlatan

1. Literally ‘man always and only gets clever from damage’