Home Home
Request a translationBecome a translator
Sign Up
LT → German, English, German (Austrian/Bavarian) → Falco → Der Kommissar → English
  • Falco
    Falco – Der Kommissar

    English translation

✕
Share
Subtitles
Font Size
English
Translation

The Inspector

Check it out Joe, ha!
Two, three, four- one, two, three- there's nothing to it
Yeah, if I tell you the story.
Nonetheless, it wouldn't surprise me
If it doesn't show up on TV- Yeah
She was young, her heart so pure and white
And every night has its price
She says: Sugar sweet, you gotta rappin' to the beat1
And I understand that she's hot.
She says: Babe, you know, I miss my funky friends
She means: Jack and Joe and Jill
My sense of funk, yeah, it's enough in a pinch
I understand what she now wants,
I think it over, her nose gives me a hint
Meanwhile I'm still smoking.
The special places are well-known to her,
I mean, even she uses the subway
 
Then we sing:
Don't turn around- oh, oh, oh
Look, look, the inspector is going around-oh, oh, oh
He's gonna look at you and you know why,
Your love of life will kill you
Something wrong, Mr. Inspector? 2
(Hey, wanna buy some stuff, man
Did you ever rap that thing, Jack-so rap it to the beat)
 
We meet Jill and Joe and his brother Hipp
And the rest of the cool gang too.
They rap that way, they rap this way,
And in between they're scratching the paint off the walls
The case is clear, dear Mr. Inspector
Even if you don't agree,
The snow on which we all ride into the valley
Every kid knows it
 
Now the kid's song:
Don't turn around- oh, oh, oh
Look, look, the inspector is going around-oh, oh, oh
He has the power and we're small and dumb
And this frustration makes us mute
Don't turn around- oh, oh, oh
Look, look, the inspector is going around-oh, oh, oh
When he speaks to you and you know why,
Tell him, Your life will kill you
Something wrong, Mr. Inspector?
 
  • 1. Perhaps he means "you gotta rap to the beat"
  • 2. In the United States where I am from, probably a closer equivalent would be: "Is there a problem, officer?" I have a bit of discomfort translating "Kommissar" either literally as "commissar" which we would never call the type of policeman or woman implied here, or as "officer" which feels wrong here as well. At the same time, we certainly don't typically call police officers "inspector." "Detective" works in some contexts and would perhaps be a better fit. I am not sure. Here is a wikipedia article on the use of the title internationally: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inspector
German (Austrian/Bavarian)
Original lyrics

Der Kommissar

Click to see the original lyrics (German (Austrian/Bavarian))

Play video with subtitles
✕
Play video with subtitles

Translations of "Der Kommissar"

English
Afrikaans
Czech
French
German
German (Low German)
Greek
Hungarian
Italian
Japanese
Portuguese
Serbian
Spanish
Comments
Grampa Wild WillyGrampa Wild Willy    Sun, 21/12/2014 - 08:30

I am not questioning your translation. I wouldn't dare. I don't speak German. In any case, the English word "commissar" exists. But I trust your knowledge of these matters much better than my own.

This guy apparently produced an English version of this song. The video I found even supplies the lyrics.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rNHkWrUcLvU



It's interesting that the lyrics he used aren't really a translation. At least, your translation (and the French one, which pretty much agrees with yours) don't match what he used in the video.

QuestionfinderQuestionfinder
   Mon, 22/12/2014 - 05:09

Thanks for the video. It's a great translation, though I prefer my translations to be as literal as possible. we have the word commissar, but we don't usually use it in regards to law enforcement like they do in some german speaking countries. As far as I understand, "inspector" is a closer fit in this context.

poiuytpoiuyt    Thu, 25/05/2023 - 12:04

German Komissar is Inspector in UK. US ranks are quite varied but typically would be lieutenant. Senior police officer anyway.

QuestionfinderQuestionfinder
   Sun, 04/06/2023 - 15:44

Fbi agents sometimes have the "inspector" title

You would usually refer to a local police officer who investigates crimes as "detective" while regular beat cop would usually be called "officer" if anything at all.

anocanoc    Sat, 28/01/2017 - 07:20

That video is for a song by a British band called "After the Fire". The international copyrights weren't secured for this song, so there were a few recordings trying to capitalize on it. This one was the most successful, as it charted in the United States & Canada. (It is pretty faithful to the original, verse aside).

Regarding the translation, I think "Something wrong?" may be better translated as "Everything alright?". In English, we can use 'alright' the same as 'klar' as an affirmation of understanding, and asking if everything's alright has the same connotation as asking if something's wrong.

magicmuldermagicmulder
   Mon, 13/02/2017 - 11:41

"dazwischen kratzen's ab die Wänd'" => maybe something like "and in between they're scratching the paint off the walls" conveys the original meaning better.

"The snow on which we all ride into the valley" => maybe "the snow on which we're all gliding downwards"? After all, he's obviously talking about cocaine.

M NaomiM Naomi
   Thu, 09/09/2021 - 23:48

I think "Alles klar," means "all clear",or "I understand"

FreigeistFreigeist
   Fri, 10/09/2021 - 15:07

In the context he says it I'd translate it as "Are you doing fine, inspector?"
He says it in the shoes of a hustler who knows the inspector has no proofs against him.

Greg GildersleeveGreg Gildersleeve    Fri, 26/11/2021 - 02:59

This is fascinating! Thanks for posting this translation. It's interesting to know the connotations of the lyrics as well as the literal meanings. The one thing that still confuses me is the term "Funkverständnis" I remember learning that "Funk" means "radio," but here it clearly means something else. What do you think "sense of funk" means?

QuestionfinderQuestionfinder
   Mon, 29/11/2021 - 01:42

Funk is a style of music. When I translated that has "sense of funk" I think my idea was that it was his "coolness" he is talking about. He knows what's cool and what's not. I could be wrong on that.

magicmuldermagicmulder
   Fri, 03/12/2021 - 10:12

I understand it as "I know very well what she means by 'funky friends' - her drug buddies; and I know what she wants right now - to do drugs (and have sex)".

StormwatchStormwatch    Sun, 13/02/2022 - 22:49

>funk means radio
That slang probably comes from electronics manufacturer Telefunken.

magicmuldermagicmulder
   Tue, 15/02/2022 - 14:31

No, "Funk" (the technology) originally comes from "Funke(n)" (spark).

Jeff KJeff K    Tue, 20/09/2022 - 04:28

In this case, "Funkverständnis" refers to his innate ability to read the situation. ie. his 6th sense, instinct.

magicmuldermagicmulder
   Fri, 03/12/2021 - 10:09

"And every night she had her price" => This implies she's a prostitute whereas the original isn't even really ambiguous that she's not. The line means "Every night has its price" (or "comes with a price") which again is more of a reference to drug abuse than anything else.

magicmuldermagicmulder
   Mon, 06/12/2021 - 10:29

Interesting interpretations, thanks for the reference. :) And for reminding me to watch "Kottan ermittelt" again (dunno if there's an English dub or subtitles but I definitely recommend it for its lovable quirkiness), it's been ages I last did.

SaloderSaloder    Thu, 01/09/2022 - 11:58

Regarding the bit about the U-Bahn, the current English translation implies that it's exceptional that she goes there, but the German text says the opposite: ‘she rides the U-Bahn like we all do’. That's kind of the point of the entire song: drug use is (supposedly) normal and everyone (supposedly) does it, and the authorities are repressive and haven't changed with the times.

QuestionfinderQuestionfinder
   Fri, 02/09/2022 - 01:16

I made that change and a few other small changes.

GuaglioneGuaglione    Tue, 29/04/2025 - 18:26

Jack and Jill
went up the hill
To fetch a pail of water.
Jack fell down
and broke his crown,
And Jill came tumbling after

↑↓