For My Sunday Song #319, we are discussing the song “Auf Wiedersehen” by Cheap Trick. The song is off their 1978 album ‘Heaven Tonight’ and but was not released as a single. Instead, it was the B-Side to their hit “Surrender”. The song was written by Rick Nielsen and Tom Petersson and talks about a very serious subject matter.

The song is about suicide. And not the first on ‘Heaven Tonight” because the title song is also about suicide. “Auf Wiedersehen” is actually German for “Goodbye” which is appropriate. The lyrics also say goodbye in Spanish and Japanese. The lyrics give a nod to Bob Dylan’s song “All Along the Watchtower” with “You feel that life is a joke”. The song isn’t trying to talk the person out of committing suicide. It is simply saying goodbye in a not so kind way.

It is a pretty heavy song both lyrically and musically and is so upbeat and face paced that you can’t help but enjoy it despite its subject matter. The guitar riffs on this one by Nielsen are some of his best on the album. Robin attacks the vocals with an aggressive tone that is both abrasive and then he can turn it around and be kinda sweet. Towards the end, he seems batshit crazy and that he has completely lost it. It is a perfect combination of the rawness from the first album mixed with the power pop of the second.

Give the song a listen and let me know what you think. Did they push the boundaries too much with it? Is it too apathetic to the issue or is just a song that rocks out? Thanks for stopping by and I hope you all have a wonderful and Happy Sunday even if this song isn’t.

“Auf Wiedersehen”

Au revoir, auf wiedersehen
You won’t see another morning
You won’t see another evening

Good night
Buenas noches oh señor!
Señorita see ya later
Buenas noches bye-bye

There are many here among us
Who feel that life is a joke
And for you we sing this final song
For you there is no hope

Sayonara oh suicide hari kari
Kamikaze you won’t
See another evening
Goodbye
Bye-bye so long, farewell
See you later….Suicide

Suicide
Suicide
Suicide

Written by Rick Nielsen and Tom Petersson