Und So Weiter... Lyrics in English by Die Toten Hosen
Fernglas literally translates to "binoculars" or "field glasses". It's a compound word, typical in German, combining "fern" (far) and "Glas" (glass).
In the context of the song, the lyrics describe a rather mundane character who goes "Mit dem Fernglas zum FKK" (with binoculars to the nudist beach) on vacation. This creates a humorous and slightly quirky image, making "Fernglas" a memorable and somewhat unexpected word in a song, hinting at the character's peculiar interests.
Ready for a laugh? Die Toten Hosen are here with "Und So Weiter..." which means "And So On..." and it's a really funny, sarcastic look at a very specific kind of person. They kick it off with a count, "Eins, zwei, drei, vier" [One, two, three, four], then jump right into describing someone who "liebt Arbeit und Familie" [loves work and family], "trinkt nie und hat feste Ziele" [never drinks and has firm goals]. Sounds pretty straight-laced, right?
But then it gets even better! This person "hat Angst vor Abenteuern" [is afraid of adventures] and "zahlt regelmäßig seine Steuern" [regularly pays his taxes]. And that's where the title comes in, because after each set of observations, they repeat, "Und so weiter, und so weiter" [And so on, and so on], really driving home the idea of a predictable, perhaps even boring, life. His biggest dream? "Vom Kanzler mal begrüßt zu werden" [to be greeted by the Chancellor]. It's a brilliant, tongue-in-cheek critique of conformity, and it's sure to make you smile!
