Feature
Cologne songs
From Willi Ostermann to Kasalla: the songs Cologne sings – home, carnival, Kölschrock and the football club.
Few cities sing about themselves as much as Cologne. The Kölsch song is about longing and love of home, about conviviality at the bar, about carnival and about 1. FC Köln. It began with Willi Ostermann, found its stage in carnival, and lives on today in bands such as Bläck Fööss, Höhner, BAP, Brings and Kasalla. Here are the best-known songs – what they are about, where they come from and why they belong to Cologne.
Lyrics are only shown for public-domain works. Protected songs are described in our own words.
Classics & Willi Ostermann
Ich mööch zo Foß noh Kölle gon
Willi Ostermann 1936
Ostermann's song of longing, written shortly before his death in 1936 – to this day the epitome of Cologne's love of home.
„Ich mööch zo Foß noh Kölle gon“
Heimweh noh Kölle (Wä hätt dat jedaach)
Willi Ostermann 1936
Another of Ostermann's homesick songs about longing for one's home city.
Och, wat wor dat fröher schön doch en Colonia
Willi Ostermann
A nostalgic look back at old Cologne – an Ostermann classic still heard in carnival today.
Mer losse d'r Dom en Kölle
Bläck Fööss 1973
A declaration of love to the city and its landmark – the cathedral stays where it belongs.
Carnival & party hits
Drink doch ene met
Bläck Fööss 1972
About loneliness and togetherness: a lonely man is invited to join the bar. One of the city's warmest anthems.
Viva Colonia (Da simmer dabei)
Höhner 2003
The quintessential modern carnival smash – a party anthem far beyond Cologne.
Superjeilezick
Brings 2010
An anthem to the wonderful times – long a fixture of every Cologne celebration.
Alle Jläser huh
Kasalla
A toast anthem for every party: all glasses up.
Kölschrock & modern bands
Verdamp lang her
BAP 1982
Wolfgang Niedecken's reflective look back – one of Kölschrock's biggest hits, known far beyond Cologne.
Kristallnaach
BAP 1982
A political BAP song that pointedly links past and present.
Kölsche Jung
Brings
A profession of roots and city – a powerful Brings singalong.
Pirate
Kasalla
One of the hits of the young generation of Cologne bands – Kasalla fills big halls with it.
Stadt met K
Kasalla
A modern declaration of love to Cologne – the city with a K.
Football & stadium anthems
Mer stonn zo dir, FC Kölle
Höhner
The anthem of 1. FC Köln, sung in the stadium before every home match.
The artists
Willi Ostermann
1876–1936Composer and lyricist who shaped the modern Kölsch song. His works are public domain since 2007; the Ostermann fountain in the old town commemorates him.
Bläck Fööss
seit 1970Pioneers of Kölsch dialect music – with classics like Drink doch ene met and Mer losse d'r Dom en Kölle.
Höhner
seit 1972Carnival and party band, known for Viva Colonia and the FC anthem.
BAP
seit 1976Kölschrock band around Wolfgang Niedecken – brought the dialect into rock and to the top of the charts.
Brings
seit 1991From rock to carnival: with Superjeilezick a fixture of every Cologne celebration.
Kasalla
seit 2011The young generation of Cologne bands – filling big halls with a modern sound.