Charles Bukowski - German lyrics
[Charles Bukowski - German lyrics]
Being the German kid in the
20's in Los Angeles was difficult
There was much anti-German feeling then
A carry-over from World War 1
Gangs of kids chased me
Through the neighborhood
Yelling, "Hieneie! Hieneie! Hienie!"
They never caught me i was like a cat
I knew all the paths through brush and alleys
I scaled 6-foot back fences in a
Flash and was off through
Backyards and around blocks
And onto garage roofs and other hiding places
Then too
They didn't really want to catch me
They were afraid I might bayonet them
Or gouge out their eyes
This went on for about 18 months
Then all of a sudden it seemed to stop
I was more or less accepted
(but never really)
Which was all right with me
Those sons-of-bitches were Americans
They and their parents had been born here
They had names like Jones and Sullivan and
Baker
They were pale and often fat with runny
Noses and big belt buckles
I decided never to become an American
My hero was Baron Manfred von Richthofen
The German air ace
He'd shot down 80 of their best
And there was nothing they could do about
That now
Their parents didn't like my parents
(I didn't either) and
I decided when I got big I'd
Go live in some place like Iceland
Never open my door to anybody and live on my
Luck, live with a beautiful wife
And a bunch of wild animals:
Which is, more or less, what happened
20's in Los Angeles was difficult
There was much anti-German feeling then
A carry-over from World War 1
Gangs of kids chased me
Through the neighborhood
Yelling, "Hieneie! Hieneie! Hienie!"
They never caught me i was like a cat
I knew all the paths through brush and alleys
I scaled 6-foot back fences in a
Flash and was off through
Backyards and around blocks
And onto garage roofs and other hiding places
Then too
They didn't really want to catch me
They were afraid I might bayonet them
Or gouge out their eyes
This went on for about 18 months
Then all of a sudden it seemed to stop
I was more or less accepted
(but never really)
Which was all right with me
Those sons-of-bitches were Americans
They and their parents had been born here
They had names like Jones and Sullivan and
Baker
They were pale and often fat with runny
Noses and big belt buckles
I decided never to become an American
My hero was Baron Manfred von Richthofen
The German air ace
He'd shot down 80 of their best
And there was nothing they could do about
That now
Their parents didn't like my parents
(I didn't either) and
I decided when I got big I'd
Go live in some place like Iceland
Never open my door to anybody and live on my
Luck, live with a beautiful wife
And a bunch of wild animals:
Which is, more or less, what happened