Laibach releases Rammstein rendition of ‘Amerika’ from forthcoming tribute album
The Slovenian band Laibach is set to release their cover of Rammstein’s satirical song “Amerika” for the upcoming “A Tribute To Rammstein” album. This album is due for release through Cleopatra Records on 25th August.
“Amerika” was originally released by Rammstein on 6th September 2004 as the second single from their fourth studio album, “Reise Reise” (2004). The band describes the song as a satirical commentary on ‘Cocacolonisation’, addressing what it called “the global cultural and political influence of the United States of America”.
Below, you can find Laibach’s cover version of the song.
The song’s lyrics, alongside most of the video imagery, offer a clear critique of America’s cultural imperialism, political propaganda, and perceived role as the world’s police force. The song features two verses sung in German and a chorus in Denglisch, such as: “We’re all living in Amerika, Amerika ist wunderbar, We’re all living in Amerika, Amerika, Amerika…”
The music video for the original track portrays the band in Apollo-era spacesuits on the Moon, intercut with scenes of various cultures adopting stereotypical American behaviours. This includes scenes of Africans eating pizza and sending Christmas wishes to Santa Claus, Buddhist monks enjoying hamburgers, and various global communities engaging in recognisably American activities. Near the video’s end, diverse ethnic groups are seen singing and dancing along.
As the video concludes, it is revealed that the band has been on a fake moon set in a studio, complete with a film crew, which appears to nod to Moon landing conspiracy theories. Lead singer Till Lindemann is seen wearing a spacesuit with the name “Armstrong” on it, referencing astronaut Neil Armstrong. The video concludes with a photograph of the band left on the moon’s surface and plays a recording of Jack Swigert’s famous quote: “Houston, we’ve had a problem here.”
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