Feel the stomp of boots and pounding drums, yet listen closely: Rammstein’s “Links 2 3 4” is not a salute to authoritarianism but a cheeky declaration of where the band’s heart truly lies. The title echoes the classic German marching order “Links, zwei, drei, vier” (“Left, two, three, four”), and the music marches forward with military precision. By repeating the word links (“left”) like a drill sergeant, Rammstein flips a militaristic image on its head, proudly announcing a left-wing stance after years of critics accusing them of right-wing sympathies.
The lyrics play with the German expression “das Herz am rechten Fleck haben” (to have one’s heart in the right place). The singer says people want his heart “am rechten Fleck,” yet when he looks down, it beats “links” — both physically on the left side of the chest and politically on the left side of the spectrum. Questions like “Kann man Herzen brechen?” (“Can you break hearts?”) and “Kann ein Herz aus Stein sein?” (“Can a heart be made of stone?”) remind listeners that human emotion, not blind obedience, drives the song. In short, “Links 2 3 4” marches with iron-clad riffs while waving a banner for solidarity, openness, and an unmistakably left-leaning spirit.