Rosenrot (song)

"Rosenrot"
Single by Rammstein
from the album Rosenrot
Released	December 16, 2005
Format	CD
Recorded	Teldex Studio, Berlin, 2005
Genre	Neue Deutsche Härte Industrial metal Nu metal
Length	3:54
Label	Motor (Part of UMG)
Producer	Jacob Hellner and Rammstein
Rammstein singles chronology
"Benzin" (2005) "Rosenrot" (2005) "Mann gegen Mann" (2006)

"Rosenrot" (German for Rose-red) is a song and single from the album of the same name by the German band Rammstein.

The "Rosenrot" track was highly anticipated by fans of Rammstein, as it was first hailed in February 2004 to be the first single from the band's fourth studio album, Reise, Reise (the song "Mein Teil" took the honour instead). In the end, "Rosenrot" didn't even make the tracklist of Reise, Reise, a move that the band's management claimed "left them speechless."

The lyrics contain elements from Johann Wolfgang von Goethe's poem "Heidenröslein" (while his poem "Erlkönig" similarly inspired the Reise, Reise track, "Dalai Lama"), and the story "Schneeweißchen und Rosenrot," from the Brothers Grimm. Till also seldom uses his trademark curling of 'R's in the song.

The single was released in Germany on December 16, 2005.

The song features riffs used previously in "Stein um Stein".

Video

The video portrays the band as traveling monks from different religious orders who have come to a small village apparently situated in Zarnesti (nearby Brasov), Romania. The main story of the video shows the band's vocalist Till Lindemann falling in love with one of the local girls, whom he met during a celebratory feast. At her request, he enters her house and murders her parents. As he leaves the house, he smiles to the girl and she smiles back briefly, before crying out, at which the villagers rush upon Till from the darkness and beat him. They tie him up and burn him on a stake; Till's fellow monks and his lover participate in the execution by throwing burning brands onto the woodpile. The girl in the video is portrayed by Romanian model Cătălina Lavric, who was 14 at the time of shooting.

The plot mirrors the song's lyrics: in both the video and the song, a man is asked to commit a self-destructive yet pointless act by his lover, and dies in the attempt while she is unharmed. In the video the man commits murder and is executed; in the song he attempts to retrieve a rose from a mountain, and falls to his death.

Throughout the video footage is shown of the band flagellating themselves with whips. The priests, Till in particular, are seen to be in emotional torment as the people of the village they visit are infused with emotional or physical pleasure; the townsfolk are often seen drinking and dancing. The stricter priests feel love, lust, and gluttony, and they are seen whipping themselves with knotted ropes as penance. The irony of this is that once one of the priests has come to terms with his love and feels no guilt, he is killed for the murders he committed. Similar irony is seen in the video for "Ich will", where a bank robbery is rewarded by media attention; hypocritical justice is a common theme in Rammstein's videos.

The video shows some references to Jesus Christ:

1. Flagellation was experienced by Jesus Christ as well, before His crucifixion.
2. Stigmata was shown on the monk's hands, given by his lover by thorns of a rose.
3. A reference to Jesus' crucifixion was shown, when the monk was burned on a stake.

Tracklisting

1. Rosenrot (Single Edit) - 3:47
2. Rosenrot (The Tweaker Remix) by Chris Vrenna - 4:34
3. Rosenrot (Northern Lite Remix) by Northern Lite - 4:45
4. Rosenrot (3am At Cosy Remix) by Jagz Kooner - 4:50

• Two 2-track CD's were released, featuring slightly different tracklists:
  • "Rosenrot (Single Edit)" and "Rosenrot (Northern Lite Remix)"
  • "Rosenrot (Single Version)" and "Rosenrot (Northern Lite Remix)"