13. Deutsche Diversity-Tag - Diversity Day Playlist

To celebrate our diverse music tastes, students in Intermediate English 1 (section 200215) created a class playlist and wrote short entries for the songs. In their entries, students explained what they like about the music and considered what changes they might make to the music. Students had the option of publishing their entries for this year’s Diversity Day. Those who decided to publish their entries could do so under their own name, a pseudonym, or anonymously. We hope you enjoy the music and our entries!

"Happy" - Pharrell Williams

I choose this song because it makes me happy when I hear it. It has a good vibe and gives me a good mood. The song reminds me of my primary school days. It came out during the last summer of my 4th grade and we used to hear it a lot in class because a friend of mine had a CD of this song.

anonymous

“You let me walk alone” - Michael Schulte

I like the emotional feeling of this song. There is only one singer who tells the story of his childhood without a father. The music underlines the emotional but also thankful message of the lyrics. In the video, the singer is alone in a music studio, which fits to the loneliness of the actor in the lyrics. There is nothing I want to change in the song because the music, lyrics, and video fit together.

by Annika

“Rote Flaggen” – Berq

The song I chose is by a famous music group with a male rapper and a female singer. With its strong beat and catchy rhythm, the song is hard to resist. The lyrics paint a vivid picture of the breathtaking grasslands, evoking a sense of joy and energy that lifts both the body and mind.
This song was initially used as background music for Chinese square dancing, a popular activity in China. After dinner, elderly people gather in public squares to enjoy dancing as a form of exercise and socializing. With the rise in popularity of this activity, this song quickly spread through the streets and alleys.
I enjoy every element of this song and wouldn’t change a thing. The most important reason is that I’m not good at music and lack the ability to transform the original version into a new one.

anonymous

“The Most Dazzling Folk Style” - Pheonix Legend

anonymous

“Moving”- Omah Lay

I like this song because of its catchy rhythm and powerful message, as it reminds us to keep going and to move forward despite challenges. Furthermore, the video highlights the meaning of the lyrics, showing the singer's journey through the desert with a focus on his movement.
I personally relate this song to my semester abroad last year. When it first came out, I listened to it on repeat because it always gave me positive vibes and reminded me to keep going.
There isn't really anything I dislike about the music, lyrics, or video. The only thing that could potentially be changed is that it contains a lot of repetition. Perhaps, a part with a different melody could be introduced. However, the repetition also reinforces the message, so in this case, it might be beneficial.

by Nicole

“That’s The Way It Is” – Daniel Lanois

I like the lyrics of this song: "many miles we walk, many things we learn." It reminds me of some mistakes I have made in the past, and I did gain more from the things I had experienced. The sentences of the lyric are pretty easy to understand and poetic, so I like to listen to this song.

by Peng

“SHUM” – Go_A

In general, I like the sound of Eastern European languages a lot. I also like traditional European music. The song "SHUM" from the band "Go_A" is a Ukrainian mixture of traditional Ukrainian music and electronic music. This is what I like about the song most! I also like the flute very much because it gives the music that traditional or mythical touch. Unfortunately, I don't understand the lyrics, so I can't say anything about that.
I know that some of my friends don't like the song as much as I do because it's too repetitive for them. I'm not sure if I would change that because then the song would become very different, but perhaps the song would become more popular if you were to do a great job of modifying the song. But I would definitely change one thing about the music video. In the beginning of the song, you hear the sounds of a motor, which is not a part of the original song. It's just in the video. That's very distracting if you know the original song without the video first!

by Michele (like the girl’s name Michelle. It’s a French boy’s name.)

"Happy" - Pharrell Williams

The song "Happy" by Pharrell Williams is a feel-good song. If you listen to it, you will have a boost in your mood, and a smile will appear on your face. I chose this song because I think everyone knows it and feels good after listening to it. I appreciate that it's a well-known song that inspires people to dance. When I am feeling down, listening to it helps me feel better. I would not make any changes because the popularity of the song suggests that many people like it. If I would change something, it is possible that less people would listen to it, so I do not want to change anything.

anonymous

“Pol” – googoosh

Googoosh’s “Pol” is a beautifully emotional song that uses the metaphor of a bridge to explore connection, separation, and personal transformation. With her soulful voice and subtle delivery, she captures deep feelings of longing and resilience. It’s a quiet, powerful reflection on crossing emotional and life boundaries.

by Setayesh

“Dreams” - Rubii

Imagine a warm summer evening, sitting at the lake under an old oak tree. The sun goes down and music plays in the background. In moments like this I enjoy music the most. It's necessary that the speed of the music fits well to the situation. I prefer a nice rhythm combined with a beat, an amazing sound to relax or do something, with friends or alone, as background music or attentively listened to. It is not always necessary to understand every word of the lyrics.

In this case it is more important that the vocals fit into the rest of the sound. The voice lays above a melodic rhythm. The focus of this song is not on the message of the spoken words. It is about the sound of everything fitting very well together."

anonymous

“Boulevard of broken dreams” - Greenday

This is one of my favourite songs because I listened to it a lot during my school years, even in the hard times. There was a long period in my life when I walked—like the person in the song—alone on my personal boulevard of broken dreams. So many plans, ideas, and attempts. “Sometimes, I wish someone out there will find me – until then I will walk alone.” This was the motto of my life for a long, long time.
But, after a long time, at the age of 23, I reached the point where someone out there found me, and for me, it was Jesus. So, in 2013, I became a Christian and from then until now, and for the rest of my life, I will never walk alone again, no matter where I am walking—not even on my personal boulevard of broken dreams.

by David

“Hello” - Adele

The song Hello by Adele is about reconnecting with someone from the past and expressing regret over how things ended. In the song, she says “Hello from the other side,” which shows that she still thinks about the person and wants to apologize, even though a lot of time has passed. I understand her feelings because sometimes people grow apart and later realize they should have said things differently. I think the song is about closure and trying to make peace with the past, which is something many people can relate to.
I chose this song because I really like Adele’s voice and the emotion she puts into her singing. Also, the song is powerful and gives me goosebumps every time I hear it.

anonymous

“Fatamorgana” – Mar Malade

The song "Fatamorgana" is a song written and performed by the band "Mar Malade" and was published on the 22nd of November 2024. The band consists of two friends who started making music by jamming and as an opportunity to escape reality. One of their recently published songs, "Fatamorgana", also contains this laid-back vibe.
"Fatamorgana" creates a summery mood - not only through the tone of the lyrics, but mainly by the relaxed music. The mix of a catchy beat, a soulful horn section, and chill guitars creates this relaxed feeling. The lyrics may not be complicated, they might even appear superficial. But a closer look at it reveals that there is more to it. The Fatamorgana is described in the song as an "paradox phenomenon" that could be interpreted as a metaphor. Fatamorganas are "shimmering things" that you "never ever reach". So for real life, it could mean that we long for things that seem desirable and we are chasing after them. But in reality, they are elusive and not attainable. The lyrics also use a lot of comparisons to tropical animals, like "stamina like a dromedary" or "time flies like a pelican". That underlines the summery atmosphere and is a rather simple but aestethic literary device.
All in all, it's an perfect feel-good song for the upcoming summer and is nice to listen to.

anonymous

“Rather Be” – Clean Bandit

I chose the music video "Rather Be" from "Clean Bandit" as my part for the class playlist. The song gives me a sense of special feelings about a journey, an adventure, and I get curious and excited but also relaxed at the same time. When I listen to the song, I see a beautiful wide green field with flowers, colorful trees, and mountains on the horizon. To be fair, this is not what you can see in the video. In the video, there is a young woman going about her daily life, like buying groceries and going to work. But she is singing this song all day, and then I have the same feeling of a journey again.
However, there is a part of the video I don't really understand. Because during her day, the woman sees bizarre things like the same symbol everywhere or the same people doing weird stuff. All in all, I would not change anything about the music or the lyrics, but if I could, I would remove this mysterious part of the video and highlight the daily life journey.

by Hendrik