Es War Nicht Alles Schlecht Lyrics in English Die Prinzen

Es war nicht alles schlecht – “Not everything was bad” – is a nostalgic look back at the band’s younger days in East Germany, when money was scarce but imagination was rich. The lyrics celebrate simple thrills: inventing meals when the fridge was empty, squeezing into a sleeping bag instead of a feather-down bed, and tasting freedom on a first, rickety car. Sunday family time in the garden, handwritten postcards instead of smartphones, and TV that felt oddly unreal all paint a picture of a slower, tighter-knit world where laughter made up for what wallets lacked.

In the second half, Die Prinzen widen the lens from private memories to the social changes that came with reunification. Legendary house parties, a crush on a “hot” math teacher, and nights of carefree revelry suddenly give way to a flood of new, colorful possibilities – and to a music career that puts them center stage. By repeating the refrain, the band reminds listeners that while the past had plenty of flaws, it also held genuine warmth, creativity, and community spirit worth remembering. The song’s playful admission that it’s “not as high-brow as Bertolt Brecht” underscores its true aim: to spark a grin, stir a bit of bittersweet nostalgia, and encourage us to treasure the good moments hidden in any era, no matter how imperfect.