Udo Lindenberg

When I was younger

Udo Lindenberg


When I was younger - millions of years ago 
I was a waterplant, swimming on a firesea 
below my roots a burning star was turning round 
and I slowly began to change 
I wore a thousand leaves and skins and shells 
I lived a thousand lifes between the surface and the ocean's floor 
And then my consciousness grew clearer 
and I realized, I was a fish 
and I can still remember the fear I felt 
when I was swallowed for the first time 

And then one day I crawled up on the shore 
I tried my first uncertain steps in the yellow sand 
I searched for ways of livin' in this world I didn't know before 

And soon I found myself moving on again 
from the coast to the desert and to the inner land 
I had my home in the canyons by the volcanic seas 
lived on cloudy mountains and on primeval trees 

It was a long long journey 
and it was like the tide 
there was a new wave comimg 
each time that I died 

It's like climbing up a ladder 
without knowing how far you'll get 
the first step was the waterplant 
gettin' higher with ev'ry death