Flugmodus (2020) – Clueso

One of the nicest surprises in my recent music journey has been finding more songs by German singer and rapper Clueso (Thomas Hübner). The more I hear, the more I enjoy. Almost every time I listen, I come across another track worth adding to my music library project.

The extent of my knowledge of the German language is confined to a semester of German in grade 5, which means I understand ‘diddly squat’. But that has not stopped me from enjoying these cool melodies, rhythmic groove and polished instrumentals. Clueso has so much natural music talent and he blends pop, hip-hop and singer-songwriter styles with ease. And from what you see in his live shows and videos, he carries himself with a youthful charm and a modest manner.

A friend who loves the German language and culture first introduced me to one of his songs in 2019. For anyone new to Clueso, a great place to start is his Live Summer Tour 2024 in Berlin, where the sound, full band, and open-air atmosphere create something special. It’s top-notch quality. Also the setting – stage at dusk, with thousands of voices singing along, adds real magic to the songs.

Today’s featured track, Flugmodus (“Flight Mode”), is a relaxed, rap / hip-hop-leaning song with a smooth and laid-back beat, but it’s pretty bouncy and animated too. In the video Clueso is just kind of hanging-out, having fun with his partner in crime who is comedian Teddy Teclebrhan. They are enjoying a luxurious lifestyle at the property of a man they have taken captive in his own home. It’s a great little short film put to music – a bit crazy, but harmless fun and all ends well. You definitely don’t need to understand German to follow the story – that’s for sure.

Lyrically, Clueso reflects on life on the move – long stretches away from home, constant travel, a sense of jet lag that never quite leaves. The title Flugmodus works as both a literal and symbolic idea: switching the phone to flight mode, shutting out the noise, and retreating into a private space – Everything’s good, eyes closed, Flight mode on (Yeah)

At its heart, the song is about distance and closeness. Even while travelling, he imagines being with the person he loves. There’s a sense of counting down the days until reunion, of wanting to pause the world and hold on to something real. The mood is reflective but not heavy – more dreamy than sad.

At the end of this post, I’ve included the curious, official video with its dark and twisted humour, which sharply contrasts with the breezy, chirpy sound and the singers’ buoyant mood. Below that, I’ve added the live version from the concert I mentioned earlier.

The following is a crude translation of Flugmodus:

Permanenter Jetlag / Permanent jet lag
Immer nicht in Glanzform / Always not at my best
Leb’ auf der Straße wie ‘n Cadillac / Living on the road like a Cadillac
Schick’ dir ‘n Foto, wenn ich ankomm’, yeah, ah / Sending you a pic when I arrive, yeah, ah
Ich weiß nicht, wie viel Tage Action war, wie lang wir munter war’n / I don’t know how many days of action there were, how long we were awake
Ich freu mich auf den Flieger, einfach abheben, runterfahr’n / I’m looking forward to the plane, just taking off, coming down
Ich war zu lange fort, wir reden grad nicht viel / I’ve been gone too long, we’re not talking much right now
Jeder nur ein Sterbenswort / Just a word from each of us

Und es ist alles okay / And everything’s okay
Alles gut, Augen zu, Flugmodus an (Ja) / Everything’s good, eyes closed, Flight mode on (Yeah)
Baby, ich bin gleich da / Baby, I’ll be right there
Du bist bei mir, ich bin bei dir, komm, lass dich fall’n / You’re with me, I’m with you, come on, let yourself fall
Fall’n rückwärts in den Treibsand / Falling backwards into quicksand
Wolkenlos, weißes Bett / Cloudless, white bed
Halt dich fest, California-King-Size / Hold on tight, California king size
Du bist bei mir, ich bin bei dir, komm, lass dich fall’n / You’re with me, I’m with you, come on, let yourself fall
Wir fall’n rückwärts in den Treibsand / We’re falling backwards into the Quicksand

Die Lobby Dolby (Ah), das Zimmer monoton / The lobby is Dolby (Ah), the room is monotonous
Draußen hält die Leuchtreklame ‘nen Monolog / Outside, the neon sign is doing a monologue
Ich brauche Kraft, kleb’ den Rauchmelder ab / I need strength, I tape over the smoke detector
Die Gedanken laut, als wenn ein Stein ins Schaufenster kracht / My thoughts are loud, like a stone crashing through a shop window
Ich könnte durchdreh’n (Durchdreh’n) / I could go crazy (Go crazy)
Aber muss auf Kurs bleiben (Kurs bleiben) / But I have to stay on course (Stay on course)
Könnte mein Telefon durchbeißen (Durchbeißen) / I could bite my phone in half (Bite it in half)
Ich wär gern in deiner Zeitzone, deiner Zeitzone, yeah / I wish I were in your time zone, your time zone, yeah

[Pre-Refrain]
Schwarze Wolken, eisblauer Swimmingpool / Black clouds, ice-blue swimming pool
Ich hör’ deiner Stimme zu / I’m listening to your voice

Komm, lass uns einfach nur heimlich verschwinden / Come on, let’s just slip away secretly
Irgendwo liegen, wo keiner uns findet (So weit) / Lie somewhere where no one can find us (So far)
Ohne Druck wie gezeichnete Skizzen / Without pressure, like drawn sketches
Und ich zähl’ die Tage rückwärts / And I’m counting the days backwards

[Pre-Refrain]
Kerzen werfen Schatten an die Wand / Candles cast shadows on the wall
Oben Kronleuchter, groß wie Amiland / Chandeliers upstairs, as big as America
Schwarze Wolken, eisblauer Swimmingpool / Black clouds, ice-blue swimming pool
Ich hör’ deiner Stimme zu /I’m listening to your voice

References:
1. Clueso – Wikipedia