Autobahn (song)

"Autobahn" is a 1975 song by German electronic band Kraftwerk, being the second and last single from their studio album of the same name. The song was composed by Ralf Hütter and Florian Schneider of the band, with Emil Schult collaborating on the lyrics. It is co-produced by Conny Plank, and was the band's first track to use sung lyrics. Recorded in 1974, the song is designed to capture the feel of driving on a motorway. "Autobahn" is Kraftwerk's biggest hit on main US charts, reaching No 25 on Billboard Hot 100.[1]

"Autobahn"
Single by Kraftwerk
from the album Autobahn
B-side
  • "Morgenspaziergang"
  • "Kometenmelodie 1"
ReleasedMay 1975
Format7-inch
Recorded1974
Genre
Length
  • 22:43 (album version)
  • 3:28 (single edit)
  • 3:06 (UK single edit)
Label
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)
Kraftwerk singles chronology
"Comet Melody 2"
(1974)		 "Autobahn"
(1975)		 "Radioactivity"
(1976)

Lyrics

The lyrics of the song are in German, the main refrain being "Wir fahren fahren fahren auf der Autobahn" (English: "We drive drive drive on the Autobahn"). The chorus was often mistaken for the English phrase "Fun fun fun on the Autobahn" and thought to be a reference to the 1964 Beach Boys' song "Fun, Fun, Fun" to which band member Wolfgang Flür later commented:

No! Someone else told me that they [the misinterpreters] thought the way we speak in German, 'Fahren,' which means driving, sounds like the English word, 'fun.' 'Fahren fahren fahren,' 'fun fun fun.' That is wrong. But it works. Driving is fun. We had no speed limit on the autobahn, we could race through the highways, through the Alps, so yes, fahren fahren fahren, fun fun fun. But it wasn't anything to do with the Beach Boys! We used to drive a lot, we used to listen to the sound of driving, the wind, passing cars and lorries, the rain, every moment the sounds around you are changing, and the idea was to rebuild those sounds on the synth.[2]

The band has never released "Autobahn" in any language other than German.

Ralf Hütter has said that The Beach Boys were an influence on the band, but described the song as a "sound painting", reflecting the band's experiences on tour.[3]

Composition

The instrumentation used on the song's 1974 recording was highly innovative at the time and is notable for the significant influence it had on many subsequent genres of electronic popular and dance music. Notable aspects of the arrangement included:

  • Electronic percussion pads, played by Wolfgang Flür.
  • Use of a classic 'Moog bass' sound to play the bass line, playing an octave riff with added analogue echo.
  • Liberal use of phasing on synths to play the chords.
  • Use of a vocoder to process some of the vocals.
  • Use of the so-called 'motorik' 4/4 drum beat in the song's final section.

The arrangement also included acoustic elements such as guitar and flute.

The band have continued to perform the song live regularly throughout their career. Live arrangements have evolved continuously as the band have adapted the instrumentation and equipment they use on stage.

Release

A version of the song lasting over 22 minutes was recorded as the title track of the album Autobahn. This was edited to a more modest 3 minute and 28 seconds running time and released as a single, giving the band an unexpected Top 40 hit in the USA, and other countries, the first of their career. A differently edited version, at 3 minutes and 5 seconds duration, was released in the UK, reaching #11, and was later included on the UK compilation LP Exceller 8. The song also reached #12 in Canada (Vertigo VE-203) and number 12 in the Netherlands.

Charts
Chart (1974–75) Peak
position
Australian (ARIA)[4] 30
Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40)[5] 15
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)[6] 27
Canada (Canadian Hot 100)[7] 12
Germany (Official German Charts)[8] 9
Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)[9] 12
Netherlands (Single Top 100)[10] 16
New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[11] 4
South Africa[12] 15
UK Singles (Official Charts Company)[13] 11
US Billboard Hot 100[14] 25
US Adult Contemporary (Billboard)[15] 43

Covers and other versions

References
  1. Kraftwerk on Billboard Hot 100
  2. Thompson, Dave. "Autobahn". Allmusic. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved 2011-08-30.
  3. Tim Jonze (15 June 2017). "Kraftwerk's Ralf Hütter: 'Music is about intensity … the rest is just noise'". The Guardian. Retrieved 10 August 2019.
  4. Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. p. 170. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
  5. "Austriancharts.at – Kraftwerk – Autobahn" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40. Retrieved January 22, 2017.
  6. "Ultratop.be – Kraftwerk – Autobahn" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50. Retrieved January 22, 2017.
  7. "Kraftwerk Chart History (Canadian Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved May 16, 2017.
  8. "Offiziellecharts.de – Kraftwerk – Autobahn". GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved October 16, 2018.
  9. "Nederlandse Top 40 – Kraftwerk" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40. Retrieved January 22, 2017.
  10. "Dutchcharts.nl – Kraftwerk – Autobahn" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved January 22, 2017.
  11. "Charts.nz – Kraftwerk – Autobahn". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved January 22, 2017.
  12. http://www.rock.co.za/files/springbok_top_20_(K).html
  13. "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved January 22, 2017.
  14. "Kraftwerk Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved January 22, 2017.
  15. "Kraftwerk Chart History (Adult Contemporary)". Billboard. Retrieved January 22, 2017.
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