German has provided some of the most spartan words for the jaw in the history of the human language.
Fußbodenschleifmaschinenverleih (floor sanding machine rental shop), anyone?
Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer, a former defense minister with a terribly difficult name, has long been seen as a possible successor to the relatively easy-to-pronounce former chancellor Angela Merkel.
In a sequel released last month, successful Barbara hires staff to meet growing demand: a “smart, charming and well-read”¬ bisexual woman named Barbell
Kramp-Karrenbauer’s resignation as head of the conservative party came as a relief to news anchors around the world, paving the way for the trisyllabic Olaf Scholz. Sabine Leuthauser-Schnarrenberger, once a federal minister of justice (and) tongue-tie, was not invited to join his cabinet.
@jamesandjasmin Can barely tell the difference 😅😂🇩🇪 dc: @Stephanie #dance #viral #couple ♬ Barbaras Rhabarberbar – Bodo Wartke & Marti Fischer
Rhubarb cake
Now the German language, spoken by some 100 million Europeans, is turning its prickly idiosyncrasies to an advantage with the embrace of social media, which has sparked a global comeback for its vocabulary, even among people who don’t speak the language.
The biggest star of the language phenomenon is Bodo Vartke, 47, a Berlin-based cabaret artist, playwright and pianist who has a remarkable gift for speaking.
Choreographer Kaycee Stroh, American influencers, Bavarian monks, a couple wearing dirndls and lederhosen, a circus performer using whips and two Australians in a toilet all danced to the beat
His songs – complex rap stories unfurling from existing German tongue ties and accompanied by catchy beats – have garnered tens of millions of views on TikTok and YouTube, starting with Der dicke Dachdecker, about a builder, and ending with Barbaras Rhabarberbar Barbara and the Rhubarb Cakes) parts I and II.
Barbaras Rhubarbbar
In these smash hits, Vartke and his musical partner, Marty Fischer, tell the story of “once upon a time,” a bar owner named Barbara who enchants everyone who tries her rhubarb cake, including a group of barbarians with bushy beards, who drink beer and bring their barber there to try a bite.
In a sequel released last month, successful Barbara hires staff to meet growing demand: a “smart, charming and well-read” bisexual woman named Barbell. The two fall in love, marry in the presence of barbecued barbarians and rhubarb cakes on the menu. Months later, a child is born and then raised in the bar by Barbara, Barbelle and the loving barbarians.
In other words, a Rhabarber-Barbara-Barbara-Barbarenbartbarbier-Bierbar-Bierbar-Baby.
@milad.on.the.run Since this is a German track, I had to do the challenge. Don’t take life too seriously friends 😜✌🏽 #dance #dancechallenge #barbara #suit #uniform #barbarasrhabarbarbar #dc @Stephanie ♬ Barbaras Rhabarberbar – Bodo Wartke & Marti Fischer
“I don’t speak German, but damn, that was fire”
It took several months for the original video to go viral, first in Germany, where Vartke and Fischer briefly surpassed Beyoncé on TikTok’s music charts, then across Europe and eventually around the world.
Choreographer Kaycee Stroh, American influencers, Bavarian monks, a couple wearing dirndls and lederhosen, a circus performer using whips and two Australians in a toilet all danced to the beat while trying to lip sync. YouTube chef Sally Özcan baked a rhubarb cake with the song.
Many of the online comments below the original quotes are in English. “I don’t speak German, but damn, that was fire,” wrote one Instagram user.
“Just amazing, I don’t understand anything but I can’t stop listening to it,” said another. An English version from, yes, Santa Barbara helped decipher the lyrics, and the German videos eventually received English subtitles.
The impersonators then began their show, with French comedian David Castello-Lopes delighting his fans by nailing the verse in a sweet French accent, followed by the spartan Swedish and Danish versions.
@zoeinthezone Here’s more literal English #translation of #barbara #rhabarber I give it a 88.8% accuracy 🤓 @Stephanie @CHRISTINA STASII @Bodo Wartke @Marti Fischer #germanrap #fyp #foryou #foryoupage ♬ Barbaras Rhabarberbar – Bodo Wartke & Marti Fischer
“I think it surprised a lot of people that the German language can sound so good,” Wartke said, pointing to praise for his “very clean” rhymes.
“There are certain stereotypes about Germany – we don’t know how to have fun, we don’t have a sense of humor, our language sounds completely aggressive. And then you see Marty and I having fun rapping this song, dancing and making music out of German. You don’t need to understand German to join the fun.”
Vartke, who many say should fly the German flag at next year’s Eurovision Song Contest, owes a lot to hip-hop, especially his knowledge of meter and rhyme. He calls Eminem the Beethoven of flow. The German composer “took motifs, condensed them and varied them – an incredible revolution in classical music. This is the way Eminem raps. Nothing was the same after that.”
But he said he also finds a lot of inspiration from speech therapy websites that recommend tongue ties to people recovering from stroke.
@jetwithamanda THE ENGLISH VERSION YOU’VE BEEN WAITING FOR!🇩🇪🇺🇸 Barbara’s Rhabarberbar auf Englisch | Barbara’s Rhubarb Bar in English 🎉 This one is for all of you out there who have had this song stuck in your head for weeks (or even months) but have been unable to sing along! Now you can! 🎶 I also threw in some dance moves from @Stephanie and @CHRISTINA STASII to really bring it all together! 👯♀️ @Cost n’ Mayor and @KayCee Stroh perhaps you can bring the English version to life with your fabulous dance skills!! VIELEN DANK to the legendary @Bodo Wartke and @Marti Fischer for the gift that keeps on giving 🎁 Barbara’s Rhubarb Bar, in English, with the dance moves. Bon Appetit. Enjoy! #barbara #rhubarb #rhabarber #rhabarberbarbara #einversuch #onetake #barbaradance #barbarians #tonguetwister #zungenbrecher #germanrap #tonguetwisters #germantiktok #bodowartke #martifisher #rap #raptonguetwisters #barbararhubarb #rhubarbbarbara #barbarasrhabarbarbar #germansong #ohrwurm #barbarasong #germansongs #actress ♬ Barbaras Rhabarberbar – Bodo Wartke & Marti Fischer
*With information from: Guardian
