Pures Wasser Lyrics in English by Olexesh

Bullen is a colloquial and somewhat derogatory term for 'cops' or 'police' in German. It's a word you'll often hear in rap and street-level narratives, making it interesting for learners to understand the nuances of informal language.

In the context of Olexesh's song, it highlights the street life theme, as the narrator mentions being on the run: "Bin grad den Bullen entkommen" (I just escaped the cops). This word choice immediately sets a gritty, authentic tone for the song.

Olexesh spends this song on one block and never leaves it. He wakes up outside — "Ich wach' auf auf der Straße / Zwischen brennenden Tonnen" (I wake up on the street / between burning barrels) — has just outrun the police, and reads his neighbourhood by its lighting: "Immer im Blaulicht im Viertel" (always in the blue lights in the quarter). The money moves hand to hand and stays small: a tenner still tucked away in the staircase, "Verdoppel' es am Automat" (I double it at the slot machine).

The hook is where the title lands, and he tells it straight. After the Mercedes and the Rolexes and "Wie lange sollen wir noch warten?" (how long are we supposed to keep waiting?), he gets to the counter and asks "Bitte darf ich zahlen mit Karte / Ich hab' pures Wasser bestellt" (please may I pay by card / I ordered pure water). The cheapest thing on the menu, and it still has to go on plastic — "Hatte nix in bar" (had nothing in cash). By the last verse the swagger is gone entirely: "Womit hab' ich das verdient, heh?" (what did I do to deserve this?), and then "Bring mich wieder heim, Bratan" (take me home again, brother).