Altenessen barks

(Verse 1)

Gray block, cold light in the cracks,

The commuter train howls, metal sings on the rails.

Neon dies flickering in the cheap glow,

Mouths open, stories only a shrine.

(Pre)

Fear sits hushed along, eats from the same plate,

no one asks what really burns brighter.

Words rush like a storm through the alleys,

barking loudly before they grasp anything.

(Chorus)

Old Essen barks – everyone yappies, no one listens,

Stories shatter, the concrete remains cold and disturbed.

Darkness presses, the noise devours the night,

you only understand it when it breaks you.

Bark along – or stay silent forever!

(Verse 2)

Aunt Hanne screams into the phone at eleven,

"Things were better in the old days!" – then she's already howling.

The snack bar guy grills, knows every face,

but the boy's name – he doesn't know it.

(Bridge)

Scars like medals, proudly displayed,

others burst silently when the pressure drops.

No doctor comes into this neighborhood voluntarily,

here we cure with Kölsch beer and "Shut the fuck up, don't be a jerk!"

(Chorus – louder, double-time vibe)

Old Essen barks – everyone yelps, no one gets it,

words cut sharply, the walls are too greasy.

Darkness presses, the noise eats away at your mind,

you only understand the filth when it burns you.

Bark along – or stay silent forever!

(Outro – slower, almost whispered)

Only when you've lived it…

with skin and with pain…

do you bark along.

And never stop again.