Du Hast

"Du hast" () is a song by German metal band Rammstein. It was released as the second single from their second album '' Sehnsucht'' (1997). It has appeared on numerous soundtracks for films, most notably '' The Matrix: Music from the Motion Picture'', ''How High'', and the home video '' CKY2K''. It is featured in the music video games ''Guitar Hero 5'' and ''Rock Band 3''. The song's title is a play on the homophones ''du hasst'' ("you hate") and ''du hast'' ("you have").

Overview

There are two versions of the song: the original version completely in German, and a second version partially in English (found on special editions of the '' Sehnsucht'' album). In the second version, the first chorus and the verses are in English and the last chorus is in German. The English lyrics are not a direct translation of the German; the original lyrics take advantage of a pair of German homophones: when conjugated in the second person singular form (i.e. "you"), the verbs ''haben'' (to have) and ''hassen'' (to hate) become respectively ''du hast'' and ''du hasst'', which sound identical. The guitar riff is similar to Ministry's " Just One Fix". The music was written by keyboardist Flake and guitarist Richard Kruspe. The intro section and the verses were a combination of a synth sequence by Flake and a guitar riff by Kruspe, and the chorus was written around a chord sequence by Flake.

Live performances

The first known performance of the song dates from 9 April 1997 in Amsterdam, Netherlands. Over the years, several stunts have been used during the live performances of "Du hast", ranging from the dildo used in " Bück dich", to the bow used in " Du riechst so gut". In their ''Reise, Reise'' and ''Liebe ist für alle da'' tours, flames shoot several feet into the air and Till Lindemann fired with a different bow into the air, "starting" a chain reaction that fired rockets over the audience. Being a fan favourite, it has been played at almost every concert to date since its initial performance. When performed live, the intro is always a bit longer than the studio version.

The song has been covered by Motionless in White for '' Punk Goes 90s Vol. 2'' in 2014 and was referenced by Lizzo while performing in Germany in 2023.

Music video

The music video for the song was directed by Philipp Stölzl, and was summed up by one review as "crime, masks, love, violence, betrayal, fire and booze". It begins with Rammstein drummer Christoph Schneider pulling up outside an isolated building in a car with a woman played by German actress Astrid Meyerfeldt, whom Schneider kisses and embraces. The video then cuts to masked men aggressively singing towards the camera, before cutting back and forth between this and Schneider taking a handgun out of a bag in the car and tucking it into his belt as he enters the building. Inside, he sees the masked men lined up behind a chair. They remove their masks to reveal that they are the other members of the band, and a relieved Schneider releases his grip from the gun and embraces them, drinking and celebrating with them. All the while, the woman waits nervously outside, first in the car, and then pacing outside of it, then sitting on the ground beside it smoking a cigarette, as dusk falls. More imagery from inside the building appears to show Till smacking someone from camera view, then the band members menacing someone on the floor emphasizing the song chorus, then administering an unknown substance with a syringe, then a figure walking engulfed in flames. The video ends with Schneider and the rest of the band walking out of the building in an abreast row and past the car, with Schneider glancing at the woman leaning against it and checking his watch before the car detonates, but the woman's fate is unconfirmed.

Track listing

Charts

Weekly charts

Year-end charts

Certifications

Covers

* In 2014, American metal band Motionless in White covered the song for their album ''Punk Goes 90's. Vol. 2''.
* In 2015, Russian klezmer band Dobranotch covered the song with the lyrics translated into Yiddish.
* In 2023, French neofolk band SKÁLD covered the song for their album ''Huldufólk''.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Du Hast
1997 singles
London Records singles
Nu metal songs
Rammstein songs
Slash Records singles
Songs written by Christian Lorenz
Songs written by Christoph Schneider
Songs written by Oliver Riedel
Songs written by Paul Landers
Songs written by Richard Z. Kruspe
Songs written by Till Lindemann
Macaronic songs