The sad composition Forever Young with philosophical overtones became the title track of the debut album of the German band Alphaville, which was released in 1984. European listeners took the song with restraint, and in the United States it did not even make the top 40.
But in the future, her popularity gained momentum, and dozens of well-known performers recorded covers of Forever Young.
The history of creation and the meaning of the song Forever Young – Alphaville
The song was co-written by the three founding members of Alphaville, known by their stage names Frank Mertens, Bernhard Lloyd and Marian Gold. It happened in 1982. They also recorded a demo version of Forever Young. Actually, the first name of their team was the same, which they later changed to Alphaville.
When trying to understand what the song Forever Young is about, you need to take into account what time it was written. In the early 1980s, the Cold War was not yet over. People in the US and Western Europe were really afraid of a nuclear strike from the Soviet Union. Apparently, this is what is meant in the line from the first verse, which refers to the bomb.
Not surprisingly, in such an environment, many young people shared the ideas of fatalism and were unwilling to make plans for the future. This perception of life is felt in Forever Young.
The authors of the song do not call for a fight, do not turn to politicians and do not throw slogans. They also do not want to die, but they understand that they are unable to influence the course of events. Therefore, they call to dance and enjoy youth. This is how Forever Young differs from Sting’s Russians and some other songs written in the atmosphere of the threat of nuclear war.
Release and achievements
As mentioned at the beginning of the article, immediately after the release of the Forever Young single, the song did not become a hit. But later it began to be actively used in cinema, advertising and on television, and many singers and groups recorded their versions of the composition (we will not list them). New covers are still appearing.
Forever Young, along with Big in Japan, has become the hallmark of Alphaville, by which she is recognized all over the world. In the following years, the band released several remixes of the song, including a dance version.
Clip Forever Young – Alphaville
Let’s watch the video clip of Forever Young – Alphaville.
Cover versions
The composition was performed by musicians playing in different genres. Let’s listen to the version of Forever Young – Gregorian.
Lyrics Forever Young
Let’s dance in style, let’s dance for a while
Heaven can wait, we’re only watching the skies
Hoping for the best but expecting the worst
Are you gonna drop the bomb or not?
Let us die young or let us live forever
We don’t have the power but we never say never
Sitting in a sandpit, life is a short trip
The music’s for the sad men
Can you imagine when this race is won
Turn our golden faces into the sun
Praising our leaders, we’re getting in tune
The music’s played by the, the mad men
Forever young, I want to be forever young
Do you really want to live forever, forever and ever?
Forever young, I want to be forever young
Do you really want to live forever? Forever young
Some are like water, some are like the heat
Some are a melody and some are the beat
Sooner or later, they will all be gone
Why don’t they stay young?
It’s so hard to get old without a cause
I don’t want to perish like a fading horse
Youth’s like diamonds in the sun
And diamonds are forever
So many adventures couldn’t happen today
So many songs we’ve got to play
So many dreams swinging out of the blue
We let them come true
Forever young, I want to be forever young
Do you really want to live forever, forever and ever?
Forever young, I want to be forever young
Do you really want to live forever, forever and ever?
Translation of the song Forever Young
Let’s dance big, let’s dance a little
Heaven can wait and we’re just looking up at the sky
Hoping for the best but expecting the worst
Will you drop the bomb or not?
Let’s die young or let’s live forever
We have no power over it but we never say never
Sitting in the sandbox, life is a short trip
This music is for the sad
Imagine when we win this race
Let’s turn our golden faces to the sun
Praising our leaders, we get in line
This music is played by madmen
Forever young, I want to be forever young
Do you really want to live forever, endlessly?
Forever young, I want to be forever young
Do you really want to live forever? Forever young
Some are like water, some are like heat
Some are the melody, some are the beat
Sooner or later they will all be gone
Why don’t they stay young?
It’s so hard to get old for no reason
I don’t want to die like a slowly dying horse
Youth is like diamonds in the sun
And diamonds are forever
So many adventures couldn’t happen today
How many songs we forgot to sing
How many dreams appeared out of the blue
We bring them to life
Forever young, I want to be forever young
Do you really want to live forever, endlessly?
Forever young, I want to be forever young
Do you really want to live forever, endlessly?
Song quote
Forever Young, the perfect, epic song that became a must-have for all proms since 1984, exudes sadness and leaves the listener indulged in nostalgic reflections on life and loss every time.
Allmusic
