Would somebody double-check this one? The lyrics were credited to Die Ärzte on the release, and I think "gehn" is supposed to be spelled as "geh'n". Also did not set a joint performance, as "The Incredible Hagen" is already a member of the group.
I checked it; looks good now (some minor updates by me; see below).
One remark:
On the release (both the picture sleeve a well as the label) the title starts with gehn, so why not stick to that ?!
You said: I think "gehn" is supposed to be spelled as "geh'n". Proper / formal German dictates however "gehen". So it's better not to speculate on the spelling of a language which is not your own...
Hope this helps.
I have seen it spelled as "geh'n" before. I wasn't sure, at the time, that "gehn" is okay, as well. Thanks for setting me straight on that.
Can I assume that the apostrophe is not used in formal Deutsch?
Erik (Limbabwe) is right, David, formal written German spells the word as "gehen", most Germans pronounce it as "gehn", mostly spelled as "geh'n", but also ever so often as "gehn".
And Erik is also correct in advicing you to just follow the spelling given on the release.
Imagine trying to assess the correct spelling and use of apostrophes in Finnish or Hungarian; I follow Erik's advice.................
Thom
I'm sure this thread can be closed, now, so delay locking it.
I'm sure this thread can be closed, now, so delay locking it.
That's fine, thanks. Good to see you again.
Member
Posts: 18
GEMA (and subsequently CISAC) spells it as Geh'n, on the jacket of the single of "die Ärzte" it is spelled "Gehn", Blümchen spells it "Geh'n".
The correct German "gehen" wouldn't fit the melody. Many words are abbreviated in speaking, especially when used in a colloquial form. I would never write "geh'n" unless it is mandated by the meter or the spelling of a quote. (Main reasons a) the word is "gehen", and b) on a German keyboard it takes longer, one keystroke more, and even in cursive handwriting it is is more awkward to write "geh'n" instead of "gehen".) Speaking is a different matter.
Maybe a remark in the comments to this song would be helpful for non-German speakers.
If you wonder: I am German.
Well, GEMA (and ISWC) actually spell(s) the title "Geh'n wie ein Aegypter"...
According to German grammer, left out vowels of infinitives are replaced by apostrophies. so "Geh'n" would be right. However, as you point out, speaking is a different thing and in that respect Die Ärzte's and lots of other German artists' lyrics and titles differ from official grammar.
Anyway, the those days members of Die Ärzte (likely intentionally) chose a spelling without ', so that's the one we stick to, no matter if grammatically incorrect or altered by any instances. Nobody would change Ägypter to Aegypter only because listed that way, either.
IMO, detailed excurses into grammer irregularites of titles in no matter which languages on work pages would be overshooting the mark.
David King : Being in charge of both work and first recording, what do you think?
Grüße aus Berlin
Member
Posts: 18
Back in the days of mainframe computing there were no umlauts. One more reason to use the dissolved umlauts is to have it in correct alphabetical order, which many a software cannot accomplish (unless somebody created a correct lexicographic sort order algorithm).
A couple of years ago there haven't even been glyphs like '. These have been replaced by a blank. So one is the grammatical issue and the other one a technical issue.
That was the main reason why I wrote to add a short statement in the comment of the root enty like: Sometimes spelled as "Geh'n..."
Liebe Grüße aus Großhansdorf
Guido
Likely comments like The 12" and CD singles include an additional ("verlängerte" = prolongued) version of the title track are of more interest to most than going into semantical details of titles 
Grüße aus Berlin
IMO, detailed excurses into grammer irregularites of titles in no matter which languages on work pages would be overshooting the mark.
David King : Being in charge of both work and first recording, what do you think?
Grüße aus Berlin
I'll have to agree. We have enough to do as it is, and non-German speakers aren't likely to think anything is wrong, anyway.
