| Electrotanz im Nachtkaffee | Electric bacchanal in the Café of Night, |
| Allen tun die Beine weh | All legs throb with the ache of a spent waltz, |
| Zwei Schritt vor und drei zurück | Two paces toward tomorrow, three undone, |
| Alle nur im Einheitsschritt | Each marcher shackled in the same unyielding gait. |
| Falsche Götter böses Spiel | False gods toss dice in a pit of shadows, |
| Kunstprodukte sind das Ziel | Artifice erected as our altar’s end, |
| Konsument ist dumm wie Brot | The buyer—hollow, bland as yeastless bread, |
| Echte Helden sehen Rot | While true-born heroes seethe in crimson haze. |
| Ich bin der wahre Held | I am the only true-born hero here, |
| Ich will doch nur dein Geld | Yet all I crave is the coin that glimmers in your palm, |
| Gib mir alles, gib mir alles | Give me your all, surrender, and give again, |
| Ich geb dir nur noch Mist | I’ll pay you back in ash and cinder’s dust, |
| Damit du glücklich bist | So your reflection learns the echo of delight, |
| Du kennst nichts andres, du willst nichts andres. | You have tasted nothing else, nor would you ever care. |
| Hit gelandet auf Platz 4 | A trite refrain ascends to fourth on empty charts, |
| Ich trink lieber noch’n Bier | I’d rather drown my thoughts in one more bitter draught, |
| Getextet wird nur ohne Sinn | These lines—penned with meaning flayed to marrow, |
| Trotzdem hören alle hin | Yet, still, the huddled crowd strains to listen in. |
| Falsche Götter böses Spiel | False gods toss dice in a pit of shadows, |
| Kunstprodukte unser Ziel | Artifice—our torch and only end, |
| Konsument ist dumm wie Brot | The buyer—hollow, bland as yeastless bread, |
| Echte Helden sehen rot | While true-born heroes seethe in crimson haze. |
| Ich bin der wahre Held | I am the only true-born hero here, |
| Ich will doch nur dein Geld | Yet all I crave is the coin that glimmers in your palm, |
| Gib mir alles, gib mir alles | Give me your all, surrender, and give again, |
| Ich geb dir nur noch Mist | I’ll pay you back in ash and cinder’s dust, |
| Damit du glücklich bist | So your reflection learns the echo of delight, |
| Du kennst nichts andres, du willst nichts andres. | You have tasted nothing else, nor would you ever care. |
| (Pause) | (A hush falls) |
| Ich bin der wahre Held | I am the only true-born hero here, |
| Ich will doch nur dein Geld | Yet all I crave is the coin that glimmers in your palm, |
| Gib mir alles, gib mir alles | Give me your all, surrender, and give again, |
| Ich geb dir nur noch Mist | I’ll pay you back in ash and cinder’s dust, |
| Damit du glücklich bist | So your reflection learns the echo of delight, |
| Du kennst nichts andres, du willst nichts andres. | You have tasted nothing else, nor would you ever care. |
| (Solo) | (A solo weaves through silence) |
| Gib mir alles, gib mir alles! | Give me your all, surrender, and give again! |