Thanks to Anthony and Casper for translating the background info!
The English translation is taken from www.kaizers.de.
Background information about the song:
Every December 22nd, Janove and Geir go to "Kalas". A festive get-together where old buddies from Bryne meet, hang out, drink, and update each other on what's happening in their lives. A tradition that began with a birthday party for Kris in 1995, which has continued every year since. Every year Janove or Geir makes a new "Kalas song" which is performed together at the piano later that evening. This slightly pompous mens'-choir-song style fits Kaizers very well, so two-three of the songs have, after a total lyrical renovation and improvement of basic melodies, made their way into the Kaizer catalog. The most well-known is probably "Mr Kaizer, hans Constanze & meg", but Die Polizei was also another Kalas song.
Die Polizei is from the Maestro era, and continues the story of Vicente from "Delikatessen", who escapes from Dieter Meyer's Institution on a draisine with a suitcase full of documents. The escape ends in Germany where he is arrested by the police and questioned. The conversation in the refrain, where the interrogator addresses the accused in English, is an exact copy of Jim Jarmusch's interpretation of how German Nazis talk in interrogations in old war films, from his own film "Blue in the Face". A lovely scene we felt just had to be set to a tone. "Good thing they don't usually sing in English, with that pronunciation!" We've heard it, yes. Bat vi ar spiking it cherman style, vid ze purpes, ja!? As our dear fans know, this is a popular live closer for us. Fun chorus to sing together with a sold-out house and a good, pompous atmosphere. Thank you! See you next time… Herr Polizei… you'll never find me again, because I've gone off the path… Safe travels!
Die Polizei | The police |
| Det var seint og eg var på vei i fra Tyskland til Polen | It was late, and I was on my way from Germany to Poland |
| De vil ha alt eg har hørt, og alt eg har sett | They want to know about all I have heard, and all I have seen |
| Die polizei, die polizei, die polizei | The police, the police, the police |
| De vil ha alt eg har hørt, die polizei | They want to know about all I have heard, and all I have seen, the police |
| Og det var blitt kjent eg bar på et dokument | And they had found out that I carried a document |
| av en sånn karakter som gjorde at de tok meg inn | of a kind that made them take me in |
| og spurte meg ut | and question me |
| Die polizei, die polizei, die polizei | The police, the police, the police |
| De tok meg inn, de spurte meg ut, die polizei | They took me in, they questioned me, the police |
| We know who you are | We know who you are |
| We know everything about you | We know everything about you |
| And we know where you live | And we know where you live |
| Men Herr polizei, Herr polizei | But Mr. police, Mr. police |
| Du finner meg aldri igjen | You will never find me again |
| for eg har gått av stien, Herr polizei | 'cause I have left the path, Mr. police |
| Du ser meg aldri igjen | You will never see me again |
| Og eg sprang. Gud vett kor eg sprang | And I ran. God knows how I ran |
| Men eg såg ingenting | But I didn't see anything |
| For alt eg vett sprang eg i ring | As far as I know, I ran in circles |
| Men de klarte ikkje følga med | But they couldn't follow me |
| Die polizei, die polizei, die polizei | The police, the police, the police |
| De klarte ikkje følga med, die polizei | They couldn't follow me, the police |