Expert: Bong Santos - 5/20/2006

Question
Hello Bong, I heard on 1984 when I was 12, a song which I would like to know the name and artist. But I only have it on my mind.
The song starts with a distortioned electric guitar going down on a scale and playing 8 notes on each loop. Then it changes to a funky overdriven guitar. The singing is kind of a rap, but not in a very orthodox way. And the chorus is not rapping but melodic, with a lot of synths at the back, says something like "don´t turn around ahaha"...etc. But have present that my first language is not english so it could be something that sounds similar.

Additionally, I remember having seen years later the video of the song, which was the guys with a lot of spiders around.

I know it´s difficult. If you want, write to me and I will send you an mp3 with me singing it (or trying)

Thanks a lot  

Answer
Dear Freddy,

It is sufficient enough for me to remember that song which was one of the most recognizable hits of the 80s. DER KOMMISSAR is an original by the Austrian rock singer FALCO (JOHANN HOLZEL, born Feb. 19, 1957, died Feb. 6, 1998 in a car accident in Dominican Republic). We all remember him with the hits ROCK ME AMADEUS (Hot 100 #1, Mar. 29, 1986) and VIENNA CALLING (Hot 100 #18, Jun. 21, 1986). It was written by FALCO and ROBERT PONGER from his 1982 album EINZELHAFT and was in its original German version. In 1982, the English band AFTER THE FIRE covered it for their 1982 album DER KOMMISSAR. It went to #5 in the Hot 100 on Apr. 30, 1983. Founding member PETER BANKS provided the English lyrics. So there are two versions of the song the reason you were not sure if they were singing "don't turn around" or not.
AFTER THE FIRE has PETER BANKS (keyboard), ANDY PIERCEY (guitars), NICK BATTLE (bass) & IVOR TWIDELL (drums)as members on their first 2 albums, 1978's SIGNS OF CHANGE & 1980's LASER LOVE. Then BATTLE left and was replaced by guitarist JOHN RUSSELL, previously with BANKS with the band NARNIA. BANKS meanwhile changed his name to "MEMORY" BANKS to avoid confusion with the ex-YES guitarist with the same name and PIERCEY switched to bass. TWIDELL was later replaced by the late ex-FLYS member PETER KING (died in 1985 of testicular cancer). They finally hit it big in 1983 with DER KOMMISSAR. By this time, only PIERCEY remained in the line-up.

The following is its GERMAN & ENGLISH lyrics:

DER KOMMISSAR / FALCO

Two, three, four    
Eins, zwei, drei
Na, es is nix dabei
Na, wenn ich euch erzähl' die G'schicht'    
Nichts desto trotz,
Ich bin es schon gewohnt
Im TV-Funk da läuft es nicht. -
Ja, sie war jung,
Das Herz so rein und weiß
Und jede Nacht hat ihren Preis,
Sie sagt: “Sugar Sweet,
Ya got me rappin' to the heat!”
Ich verstehe, sie ist heiß,
Sie sagt: “Baby, you know,
I miss my funky friends,”
Sie meint Jack und Joe und Jill.
Mein Funkverständnis,
Ja, das reicht zur Not,
Ich überreiss', was sie jetzt will. -*
Ich überleg' bei mir,
Ihr' Nas'n spricht dafür,
Währenddessen ich noch rauch',
Die Special Places sind ihr wohlbekannt,
Ich mein', sie fährt ja U-Bahn auch.
Dort singen's:
“Dreh' dich nicht um, schau, schau,
der Kommissar geht um!
Er wird dich anschau'n
und du weißt warum.
Die Lebenslust bringt dich um.”
Alles klar, Herr Kommissar?

Hey man, wanna buy some stuff, man?
Did you ever rap that thing Jack?
So rap it to the beat!
Wir treffen Jill and Joe
Und dessen Bruder hip
Und auch den Rest der coolen Gang
Sie rappen hin, sie rappen her
Dazwischen kratzen's ab die Wänd'. -
Dieser Fall ist klar,
Lieber Herr Kommissar,
Auch wenn sie and'rer Meinung sind:
Den Schnee auf dem wir alle
Talwärts fahr'n,
Kennt heute jedes Kind.
Jetzt das Kinderlied:
“Dreh dich nicht um, schau, schau,
der Kommissar geht um!
Er hat die Kraft und wir sind klein und dumm,
dieser Frust macht uns Stumm.”

“Dreh dich nicht um, schau, schau,
der Kommissar geht um!
Wenn er dich anspricht
und du weißt warum,
Sag ihm: 'Dein Leb'n bringt dich um.'”

* überreissen = Austrian slang for verstehen, to understand

DER KOMMISSAR (English version) / AFTER THE FIRE

Zwei, drei, vier
One, two, three
Its easy to see
But its not that I don't care so
'Cause I hear it all the time
But they never let you know
On the TV and the radio
She was young her heart was pure
But every night is bright she got
She said sugar is sweet
She come rappin' to the beat
Then I knew that she was hot

She was singin'
Don't turn around, uh-oh
Der Kommissar's in town, uh-oh
You're in his eye
And you'll know why
The more you live
The faster you will die

Alles klar, Herr Kommissar

[Instrumental Interlude]

She said, babe, you know
I miss Jill and Joe
And all my funky friends
But my street understanding
Was just enough to know what she really meant
And I got to thinking while she was talking
That I know she told the story
Of those special places that she goes
When she rides with the others in the subway singin'

Don't turn around, uh-oh
Der Kommissar's in town, uh-oh
And if he talks to you
And you don't know why
You say your life
Is gonna make you die

Alles klar, Herr Kommissar

Well, we meet Jill and Joe
And brother Herr
And the whole cool gang and, oh
They're rappin' here they're rappin' there
But she's climbin' on the wall
It's a clear case, Herr Kommissar
'Cause all the children know
They're all slidin' down into the valley
They're all slipping on the same snow

Hear the children
Don't turn around, uh-oh
Der Kommissar's in town, uh-oh
He's got the power
And you're so weak
And you're frustration
Will not let you speak
La, la, la, la, la, la

Don't turn around, uh-oh
Der Kommissar's in town, uh-oh
And if he talks to you
Then you'll know why
The more you live
The faster you will die

Don't turn around, uh-oh
Der Kommissar's in town, uh-oh
Don't turn around, uh-oh
Der Kommissar's in town, uh-oh
Don't turn around, uh oh
Der Kommissar's in town, uh oh