Kölle Alaaf !!!

[doodab]

I shall have Viva Express on my mp3 player on the train

[darmstadt]

Beat me to it....Starts at 11:11 which means that no one will be working (properly) from then until around Tuesday sometime.

[chef]

Cologne Karneval begins today, 6 days of singing, drinking, dancing and costume wearing to go.

Kölle Alaaf !!!

Viva Colonia - De Höhner

Met ner Pappnas gebore dr Dom en dr Täsch
han mir uns jeschwore:Mer jon unsere Wääch
Alles wat mer krieje künne,nemme mer och met,
weil et jede Augenbleck nur einmol jitt...

Mer jon zom F.C Kölle un mer jon zom KEC
Mer drinke jän e Kölsch un mer fahre KVB
Henkelmännche-Millowisch, bei uns es immer jet loss
Mir fiere jän-ejal of klein of jroß-wat et och koss

Refrain:

Da simmer dabei! Dat is prima! VIVA COLONIA
Wir lieben das Leben,die Liebe und die Lust
Wir glauben an den lieben Gott und hab'n noch immer Durst.

Mer han dä Kölsche Klüngel un Arsch huh- su heiß' et he!
Alaaf op Ruusemondaach nu Aloah CSD
Mer sin multikulinarisch mer sin multikulturell
Mer sin in jeder Hinsicht aktuell-auch sexuell!

Refrain:

Da simmer dabei! Dat is prima! VIVA COLONIA
Wir lieben das Leben,die Liebe und die Lust
Wir glauben an den lieben Gott und hab'n noch immer Durst.

Da simmer dabei! Dat is prima! VIVA COLONIA
Wir lieben das Leben,die Liebe und die Lust
Wir glauben an den lieben Gott und hab'n noch immer Durst.

Mer lääve hück-nit murje, zo schnell verjeiht die Zigg
L.M.A.A ihr Sorje mer lääve dä Augenbleck
...un dä es jenau jetz'!

Refrain:

Da simmer dabei! Dat is prima! VIVA COLONIA
Wir lieben das Leben,die Liebe und die Lust
Wir glauben an den lieben Gott und hab'n noch immer Durst.

Da simmer dabei! Dat is prima! VIVA COLONIA
Wir lieben das Leben,die Liebe und die Lust
Wir glauben an den lieben Gott und hab'n noch immer Durst.

Da simmer dabei!

English translation of Viva Colonia (by De Höhner)

See below for explanation of cultural references

Choral Intro:
Born with a paper party nose and Cologne Cathedral in our back pockets,
we made a pledge to each other: we will embark on our path
and anything we get our hands on we’ll take with us because every moment only comes along once.

Verse 1:
We support F.C. Cologne and we support KEC.
We enjoy a glass of Kölsch and we travel by KVB.
Henkelmännchen, Millowitsch – there’s always something going on here.
We love a party, big or small, whatever it costs!


Chorus:
So count us in! That’s great! Viva Colonia!
We love life, love and a lust for life.
We believe in a loving God and we’re always in the mood for a drink.

Verse 2:
Cologne has its gang of cronies “Arse up!” is what we say.
“Alaaf” we say on Rose Monday and “Aloha” we say on gay pride day.
We are multi-culinary, multicultural and up to the minute in every regard, even sexually!

(Bridge)
We live today, not tomorrow. Time goes by all too fast.
We bid L.M.A.A.” (Kiss my arse!) to our troubles and we live for the moment
..and that moment is right now!

Notes:
Kölsch: the local Cologne beer.
KEC: Cologne Ice Hockey Club
KVB: Cologne public transport
Rosenmontag (Rose Monday) is a public holiday, the Monday following Ash Wednesday. It is the highpoint of the Carnival and Cologne literally grinds to a halt.
“Alaaf” is the cry of the party revelers.

CSD (Christopher Street Day parade) gay pride parade.

Henkelmännchen is the nickname for Cologne Arena, a huge modern venue for sporting events, rock concerts etc.

The Millowitsch folk theatre is a long established Cologne venue for comedies and musical performances. It is something of a local institution and is of considerable cultural importance to the city.

L.M.A.A. (vulg. “Leck mich am Arsch ”)kiss my arse!