Cabaret

English Translation:

"It's All a Swindle" (Alles Schwindel), by Mischa Spoliansky and Marcellus Schiffer (1931)

Papa swindles
Mama swindles
Grandmama's a lying thief
We're perfectly shameless
but we're blameless
after all it's our belief
Nowadays the world is rotten
honesty has been forgotten
fall in love but after kissing --
check your purse to see what's missing
Everyone swindles some
my son's a mooch and so's the pooch

German Translation:

Alles Schwindel
Papa schwindelt,
Mama schwindelt,
tut sie auf blob ihren Mund!
Tante Otilie,
und die Familie
und sogar der kleine Hund!
Und besieht man’s aus der Nähe:
Jedes Band und jede Ehe
jeder Kub in dern Betriebe
und sogar die grobe Liebe!
Und die ganze heut’ge Zeit ja,
sogar die Ehrlichkeit!

Interpretation:

This song suggests how everyone including family like parents, grandparents, children and even dog during these times were deceitful and out to cheat and steal for personal gain regardless of it being intentional or not. It was human nature to take whatever people wanted because of how selfishness and greed were molding society during that time.  Every one's shameless, but no one's to blame means that it isn't the people's fault for behaving this way, but rather the age of indulgences that caused social transformation stemming from mass production of goods and the influence of mass media. People's values during this time changed for the worst, that it was hard to trust anyone since everyone was out to take other's monies and possessions. It is a cynical song that even emphasizes how the ones we love the most aren't worthy of trusting, and it even mentions how we all have someone or something taking things from us or 'mooching' without even recognizing it like our children and pets.

I chose this verse because it makes us weary of who we surround ourselves with, especially today. It's a nice lesson in adapting to an ever changing social environment because we never know who to trust or put our faith into. Everything suggested in this song is true even today with the influence of mass media. Greed and selfishness harbor in people's minds today more prevalently because of the lack and abundance of money. Although, even if it's not money or possessions that people are looking for, it's always something people are getting from you like the presence of good company, a laugh, or good times.

English Translation:

No Time (Keine Zeit)

Nowadays, a person doesn't have a second to spare.
Yet many even think the pace is too slow.
If you do business today, you go bankrupt before you have even started.
People don't want to waste time with the beginning,
they'd rather skip straight to the end.
In this day and age, you fall in love in the evening, are engaged at night,
and get married the next morning.
At noon you have a fight; by night you're divorced.
In negotiations between countries, before a treaty is evened signed,
it's already broken.
Because nowadays it is considered chic to be quick.


German Translation:

Nowadays, a person doesn't have a second to spare.
Yet many even think the pace is too slow.
If you do business today, you go bankrupt before you have even started.
People don't want to waste time with the beginning,
they'd rather skip straight to the end.
In this day and age, you fall in love in the evening, are engaged at night,
and get married the next morning.
At noon you have a fight; by night you're divorced.
In negotiations between countries, before a treaty is evened signed,
it's already broken.
Because nowadays it is considered chic to be quick.

Interpretation:

This song simply means how everyone during this era was always in a rush and felt like never wasting a second out of their day. This is a representation of the fast growing economy, government and society that these times were facing. Again, mass media and mass production caused this hustle and bustle of people. Production and speed were the main assets in commerce which forced people (men, women and children) to work long hours for little pay with unequal and unhealthy labor rights. Time was the biggest commodity and no one had any of it because it was always spent working, so when people weren't working they were always in a hurry to get things done. This caused people to indulge and act impulsively towards what they wanted instead of what they needed. The subtle enjoyments of life no longer existed and time itself was neglected. No one had any patience and being laid back was no longer common.

I chose this verse because it's relative to our current society because just like back then we all had to meet deadlines for certain projects, quotas, and/or goals like we do today. We must fulfill these requirements in order to stay a functioning entity in the world of commerce. We are all pressured to do things by a specific date and if not met we lose out on all the necessities of life to at least live a tolerable survivable life. The world moves at such a fast pace that if any of us don't keep up, we will be left behind. However, time should be cherished and respected because its the only commodity we can never buy back.