- To recharge my batteries for what lies ahead I recently returned to Schwerin, my old home, where everything had started. Lots of people reminded me that as a child I had walked around saying, "I will be a rock star".
- You simply know that there is a certain role for you to play in life. You receive certain signs and then take on that role. That's normal.
- Some people cherish a special dream. And this dream is meant to be dreamt. The dream itself is all about a dream. And when you question and confront it you will notice that it isn't a dream after all. Sometimes it's important to simply let people dream.
- [on his struggle with depression and self-doubt] Yes, I indeed think I am driven by the addiction to be worthy in some way, by the addiction to achieve something, by the addiction to approval, which ultimately only can be reached by means of achieving something or by being [a certain way].
- Usually, if you complete an album, you always feel like you want to change things, you always think, "Ah well, you could have done this better" or "You could have done that differently". Regarding this album [Mutter], I can't think of anything. The way it is, I personally find it completely satisfactory and I am incredibly happy with it.
- [on his struggle with depression and self-doubt] Self-doubt is present, it always is present, every day, and it won't ever go away. The moment of happiness, the moment of delight is really, really short, and the self-doubt is bigger than the moment of happiness or of approval.
- We are actually only about entertainment. You know, we are only about making people happy with our shows, [and] to fascinate people.
- I do not see myself as an Ossi [person from what used to be the GDR].
- My singing coach [I worked with while recording the Emigrate album] scolded me because I always smoke so much, and I was like, "What's his problem?" [laughs]
- I used to read a lot of books when I was younger, but not really nowadays.
- [on not knowing anybody in East Berlin when he first moved there, and having difficulties finding friends] It was a lonely time.
- I have a huge video projector in my bedroom in my flat in New York and I love it beyond all to lie in my bed smoking and watching beautiful movies.
- I am not able to laugh at myself.
- [asked if he is vain] Yes - unfortunately!
- [2018] Rock is dead. It's sad, I know it is. But sometimes you kind of have to make peace with the facts of reality. Kids these days don't have that feeling when they play their favorite rock tracks to annoy the parents. It's all about hip-hop at the moment, which is hard to me because hip-hop was always kind of a music that I couldn't relate to. If I go to a festival and see a hip-hop group play, I'm so bored. That's one advantage rock still has over hip-hop. There's a visual and sonic connection between the band and the audience.
- [2009] No, [the bad boy image is not an armor protecting things that are private] it's rather the opposite. When we were alleged and reported to be a right-wing band ten years ago, there were moments that I found extremely unpleasant. [Dealing with it was] difficult. You want to shout it out loud and convince people of the opposite, and you notice: Nobody is listening because nobody wants to know. They want you to be pigeonholed in that sort of way. It was very disenchanting.
- Who doesn't feel that [getting older]? I exercise five times a week, with only the weekend off. The full range: Running, swimming, riding a bicycle, gymnastics. When touring, also yoga in addition. I need a lot of time to fully awaken in the morning. Exercising helps me to do so.
- I have always had a difficult relationship with Berlin, and I still continue to have it. I have always felt that city to be very elitist and cold. It was difficult for me to get by here. Now it opens itself a bit, and I wouldn't even know where else to live in Germany. But it wasn't love at first sight.
- I have an addictive personality. I managed to never let alcohol become a problem for me, also because I don't like it, and if I do drink it, I always start hugging people, which I am then embarrassed about later on. In terms of nutrition, I am trying to adhere to a couple things, for example to eat sugar sparsely. But I am also someone who likes to be easy-going and trying out things.
- [on filming the "Haifisch" music video on a cold, rainy November day] The problem is somehow always that one gets cold mostly at the feet, and there's a sort of foot-warmer, and when the feet are warm, then everything else is warm. And then besides there's a woman here, she's got such jugs [indicates size], you're simply gob smacked. I mean, then everything's warm. You just have to take a look: I mean, she's just so self-assured. I think she knows just what she's got. And, I mean, that is, what, a jaw-dropper!
- [2001] The American audience has a more open-minded attitude to music, they also get enthusiastic about instrumental parts and a good riff is always appreciated. As a guitarist this is of course an incredibly good feeling. In contrast to, let's say Flake, I enjoy being in the USA also in my spare time. Maybe Flake's attitude to the US is quite literally connected to his stomach, he always longs for dark bread when he is in the States! For me the USA is the country where I met my wife, we got married there and I can certainly imagine moving to the States one day.
- [2009] I no longer [feel misunderstood in Germany] because I have been living in New York for 10 years now. On one hand you miss it, especially because the so-called celebrities here are so stuffy. On the other hand, I also enjoy it because it means I have my peace and quiet and nobody in the street approaches me in rude kinds of ways. It is definitely bizarre: Once a year we walk the red carpet here, accept awards, and yet nobody here recognizes you... (laughs) That I am well known I actually only noticed in New York. The term rock star doesn't exist in Germany.
- Up until I was 7, I lived in a little village called Weisen. It was a beautiful childhood with lots of nature, dogs and cats as well as a large family with two siblings. Unfortunately however, things then came crashing down big time due to my parents' divorce. My father disappeared overnight, and we moved to Schwerin to live with my new stepfather, who I didn't get along with at all. The situation between me and him escalated rather dramatically, and I ran away from home a lot. Sometimes I slept on park banks or in the cellar of a female friend and the police would search for me. When I got the opportunity to receive vocational training elsewhere, I seized it at once and went to live in Hagenow. But there was nothing there besides a huge army base, so for two and a half years, I spent my whole spare time playing guitar. In hindsight I have to say my stepfather at least taught me a certain basic discipline that I hadn't had up until then. It benefits me very much nowadays, because especially for a musician, there is no pressure from the outside to sit down every single day and compose.
- My human relations with Till [Lindemann] have always been excellent.
- The thing about East Germany is that it was great to grow up there, until you were 12. You were presented with the illusion of a very healthy society, which worked unless you asked questions - and you don't ask questions until you're 12.
- [But are you not especially good when you can clash with each other?] Yes, that's definitely true for me. But that has led to situations where nobody can stand me anymore. A lot of loneliness. I've learned from it. Whenever I thought, it's just not working any more, now I seriously have to say something, I consciously held back.
- [December 2004] I'm such a control freak, and I definitely had a vision of where I wanted Mutter to go, so I was dictating the whole thing and didn't listen to anyone else's opinion. The guys were so mad at me, we were not talking at all. With all the flamethrowers that we use, I'm lucky I didn't go to sleep one night and then wake up with my bed burning.
- [December 2004] I had to let go of saying everything has to be so perfect. Sometimes people have to make mistakes to finally feel good about what they're doing. It was more important to enjoy being together. So, we were much more relaxed and open to trying new things.
- Part of the reason Rammstein were so progressive is that we felt so much censorship back in the day. In Rammstein, we were trying to get rid of all kind of censorship - from other people and from ourselves, too. I think that's why we all went, 'What the fuck, we don't care.'
- [behind the scenes of the "Keine Lust" music video, which has 5 out of 6 Rammstein members wearing fatsuits] I am actually quite satisfied... especially when I look at the others! [sees Paul and laughs] It's quite good, huh?
- [December 2004, on the song "Amerika" which had already been yanked from at least one station in Texas after a serviceman who spoke German called up and complained about the lyrics] It's really just sarcastic, so it's not that political, and New York is one of my favorite places. But for me, the most important thing for every human being to be complete is balance. When I watch America right now, it's not a balance. If you love strawberry cake, one piece is fine, but if you have to eat the whole cake it's too much.
- Since I was a little kid I knew that I'm alone and that I can also help me alone.
- [1998] [A lot of American bands can't sell in America, but do well overseas, and the opposite is true for a lot of European bands. How does Rammstein manage both?] We know magic! (laughing) I don't really have an answer for that because the only thing I know is that it's happening! If it stops happening, we'll question what we're doing wrong and fix it, but so far it's been perfect.
- [1998] [Were you expecting this sudden of a rise in America?] Yes, we knew right away! (laughing) Of course not, we didn't expect this. Everybody told us in the beginning that this would never happen, and the project would lead to nothing. But we always stuck to what we were doing, and it was a big surprise that with German lyrics and German music we would make it anywhere, especially in the United States. We feel very honored and proud.
- [2005] [What lessons from your childhood would you pass on to your children?] Never, never hit a child.
- [2005] [What is your greatest fear?] It would be to fail. I would realize that I couldn't write songs anymore, that my work wasn't worth it. I have to prove to myself over and over again, everyday - sometimes it's painful because there is so much pressure, sometimes I'm sitting there for a week, trying to write songs and nothing is going on - but then, all of a sudden, something comes. If I had to sit for a year and couldn't write anything... that would be my greatest fear.
- [2005] [How much money would you have to be offered to kill anybody?] I wouldn't kill anybody. I think that there has to be one rule, that everyone should respect life, so I wouldn't do it.
- The problem with touring is that you don't get the opportunity to entertain yourself. I take ten books with me every time, and try to read them. Every time I come home with the same ten, unread books.
- I remember that on the 'Family Values Tour' [1998], I had a huge problem just being there because I couldn't speak a word of English! So I closed myself off. I thought it was such a shame, because I wanted to, I mean we were playing with bands that we all liked. But I never had the chance to communicate! I was very introverted there, and I suffered a lot because I couldn't speak the language.
- [What would your last meal on Earth be?] I would definitely have duck. I love duck with red cabbage and what we call Kartoffelklöße [German potato dumplings].
- [I guess you took singing lessons?] Once. I took one lesson, my teacher was a very strict guy, when he found me with a cigarette, he shouted at me so loudly that I was ready to call to my mother and father for help. I felt like a small child, it felt like I went back to school!
- I never understood the concept of a strip club. You go there because you feel horny, and you leave completely unsatisfied... and poor.
- But there's always two sides to us. In real life, it's different. I always come across as this untouchable, arrogant kind of guy, but in normal life I'm such a friendly, nice guy. It's almost the opposite of what you expect. Or Till, for example! He comes across as this [puts on a deep voice] very strong person, whereas he is the most kind, won't-go-into-any-conflict person that I know.
- I like to do just nothing, the whole day long. Lie in bed, get up, walk around town, drink a coffee, and let the day be the day, which I rarely do. The things people do at the weekend are things I never get to do. But I'd like to.
- [If I wasn't playing music I would be...] A psychiatrist.
- [What did you friends and family think of the "Pussy" music video?] I've not heard from my mom, yet. My father left me a message today saying I should call him, and I don't know what that means! My daughter, who is over 18, and my girlfriend, they were both laughing their asses off. They thought it was the funniest thing they've ever seen.
- A person with a cheerful nature will never be able to play my kind of riffs that way [I do].
- Individual-wise, we're [himself and Paul Landers] really, really different. Black and white. If he says, "Yeah," I say, "No." It's always the same story. But somehow we need that for the Rammstein cosmos.
- [So, looking at it the other way round, do you think it's complicated for people to live with you?] I think it's very complicated. But I also think it depends on who you ask. My daughter would probably say: "No problem at all." But she's also the only person who makes me do things I'd usually never do... like, having a proper conversation in the morning. The thing is, I'm very emotional and people take it way too personal way too often when I shut myself away. Obviously, I don't do that to hurt anyone, but it always leads to discussions. Yeah, when it comes to relationships, I think I wouldn't want to live with someone like me. (laughs)
- I would say Rammstein is like 50% music and 50% talking. We are six members, and six totally different views. And it's so hard to bring that together, you know, especially when you write, then you have a certain vision and you have to bring that vision through five different meanings or views and vision sometimes. It's very time-consuming.
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