Hier kommt Alex explained

Hier kommt Alex
Cover:Hierkommtalex.gif
Type:single
Artist:Die Toten Hosen
Album:Ein kleines bisschen Horrorschau
Released:3 October 1988
Genre:Punk rock
Length:3:53
Label:Totenkopf
Prev Title:Alle Mädchen wollen küssen
Prev Year:1987
Next Title:1000 gute Gründe
Next Year:1989

"Hier kommt Alex" (Here comes Alex) is a song by German punk band Die Toten Hosen. It is the first single and the first track from the album Ein kleines bisschen Horrorschau. The song in concept introduces Alex, who is the central character on the concept album, a reference to Alex, the protagonist of Anthony Burgess' novel A Clockwork Orange.

"Hier kommt Alex" is structurally and musically similar to the last track from the album, "Bye, Bye Alex".

Music video

The video was directed by Walter Knofel.

Inclusions in video games

The song appears as a bonus track in the game . It is also available as downloadable content for Guitar Hero World Tour.

It is included in the European release of the game Rock Band, and as a downloadable track on the American version. Due to licensing issues, the song was taken down from DLC services in 2013.[1] The song was available for re-download in Rock Band 4 for those who purchased it prior to this date.

Cover versions

The song has been covered by many artists, among them Samsas Traum on Endstation.Eden, Gatos Sucios on Punto limite, Thomas Baldischwyler for the compilation Pudel Produkte 8, Sonnenbrandt, Scala & Kolacny Brothers on the album Grenzenlos. British punk band UK Subs covered it in English as "Here Comes Alex". In 2020, German medieval rock band Feuerschwanz covered the song with a medieval composition.[2]

According to an interview, Die Ärzte had spontaneously played the song on a benefit concert to attract more crowd, because people were leaving after a bad band.[3]

Track listing

  1. "Hier kommt Alex" (Meurer/Frege) – 3:53
  2. "Achterbahn" (Roller coaster) (Rohde/Frege) − 3:35
  3. "Zum Chef (Später Dank)" (To the boss (Later gratitude)) (von Holst/Frege) – 2:10
  4. "Jo singt (Das Wort zum Sonntag)" (Jo singt (The word to Sunday)) (von Holst/Frege) – 0:46
  5. "Liebeslied" (Love song) (Breitkopf/Frege) – 3:50

The Return of Alex

The Return of Alex
Cover:Thereturnofalex.jpg
Type:single
Artist:Die Toten Hosen
Album:Love, Peace & Money
Released:1994
Genre:Punk rock
Length:4:29
Label:Virgin Records
Prev Title:Kauf MICH!
Prev Year:1994
Next Title:Sexual
Next Year:1994

There's also an English version of the song, titled "The Return of Alex". This was released as a promo single for UK from the all-English album Love, Peace & Money.

Music video

The video was directed by René Eller and shows the band performing in a black-and-white TV-set.

Track listing

  1. "The Return of Alex" (Meurer/Frege, Dangerfield) − 4:29
  2. "So Long - Good Bye" − 3:13 (English version of "Schönen Gruß, auf Wiederseh'n")
  3. "I Fought the Law" (Sonny Curtis) − 2:35 (The Crickets cover)

In popular culture

2005 unplugged version

Hier kommt Alex (unplugged)
Cover:Hierkommtalexunplugged.gif
Type:single
Artist:Die Toten Hosen
Released:9 December 2005
Genre:Punk rock, acoustic rock
Length:4:08
Label:JKP
Prev Title:Freunde
Prev Year:2005
Next Title:The Guns of Brixton (unplugged)
Next Year:2006

"Hier kommt Alex" was also released as a single from the 2005 unplugged album . The song is introduced with the first bars of the second movement of Beethoven's Symphony No. 9.

Music video

The video contains live footage.

Track listing

  1. "Hier kommt Alex" (Meurer/Frege) − 4:08
  2. "Was zählt" (What counts) (Breitkopf, von Holst/Frege) − 4:04
  3. "You'll Never Walk Alone" (Rodgers/Hammerstein) − 2:45

Charts

YearCountryPosition
2005
2005
2005

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Rock Band DLC Re-licensing Info - Updated Quarterly . 4 October 2013 . Rockband.com . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20130713101748/http://www.rockband.com/forums/showthread.php?t=234236&p=5018349 . 13 July 2013.
  2. Web site: FEUERSCHWANZ - Hier Kommt Alex (Official Video) . 27 October 2020 . Napalm Records . YouTube.
  3. Web site: Freunde des Hauses // Bela B. - Teil 2 . Friends of the house // Bela B - Part 2 . 31 August 2012 . Die Toten Hosen . de . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20120911021911/http://www.dietotenhosen.de/alldieganzenjahre_freunde_bela2.php . 11 September 2012.