Listening to songs when learning German is an effective and enjoyable way to practise your language skills. German songs can help improve your listening comprehension and your pronunciation and, on top of this, music is catchy! This means that the new words, phrases and structures that you hear within a song may be easier to remember and reuse in your own speaking or writing.

Thousands and thousands of songs exist throughout the German-speaking world – where do you start with finding ones to listen to which will help you practise your German? In this article, we’ve done the hard work for you! 

Read on to discover 8 German songs we recommend to help your learning.

1. Griechischer Wein – Udo Jürgens, 1974

As mentioned before, using music to learn a new language is an interesting and fun way to practise your skills. So, without further ado, let’s talk about our first suggestion on this list of German songs for learners:  Griechischer Wein, by Udo Jürgens.

He was an Austrian-Swiss singer and composer who is partly remembered for winning the Eurovision Song Contest for Austria in 1966 with the song Merci, chérie. Many consider him to have played a large role in expanding German-language pop music by bringing in influences from other genres, such as French chanson.

Griechischer Wein is one of his most popular songs and versions in a number of different languages have since been recorded, including Bing Crosby’s version which he recorded during one of his last sessions, titled Come Share the Wine.

LINK: Lyrics

2. Ein bißchen Frieden – Nicole, 1982

If you are a Eurovision fan, perhaps you’ll remember Germany’s winning song from 1982, Ein bißchen Frieden, performed by 17-year-old school student, Nicole. In 2005, the European Broadcasting Union announced Ein bißchen Frieden as one of the 14 most popular Eurovision songs ever, according to the results of their Internet poll. 

The song was written by Ralph Siegel and Bernd Meinunger and its success led to the recording of versions of it in many different languages. The English version, A Little Peace, reached Number 1 in the UK Charts.

Listen out for similes in this song’s first verse, as they are great examples of phrases of comparison in German. Just consider “wie eine Blume” or “wie ein Feuer” and you can spot the common construction introduced by the adverb “wie”. Another grammatical feature to look out for is the recurrence of embedded clauses beginning with the word “dass”.

LINK: Lyrics

99 Luftballons – Nena, 1983

In our look at German songs, this one is very popular and we’re sure may have heard the 80s hit 99 Red Balloons, which reached Number 1 in the UK and the US Charts, but have you tried listening to its original version in German? It was released in 1983 by German band, Nena, who were together between 1981 and 1987. 

The band is very important to German musical culture, as it was part of the forming of the German New Wave scene (Neue Deutsche Welle). 99 Luftballons was a huge success across Europe, leading to the writing of the English version the year after. 

Unfortunately, Nena never managed to match the success of 99 Luftballons and the band broke up after the release of its fourth, final and least successful album in 1986. They reunited in 2017 for a public performance of their debut single, Nur geträumt, to mark the 40th anniversary of the band’s first appearance on stage.

The lyrics to 99 Luftballons tell the story of the release of 99 balloons. These are mistaken for UFOs and the reactions of different nations result in a destructive war breaking out. The lyrics to 99 Red Balloons aren’t an exact translation but carry the same anti-war message.

Like many German songs, this one contains several interesting language points that you may recognise. For instance, it demonstrates the differences in building the plural form of nouns. For example, the words “Kriegsminister” and “Düsenjäger” remain in the same form when made plural. 

On the other hand, the nouns “Luftballons” and “Jahre” change in their plural form. Something else to note is the omission of the personal pronoun in sentences like “Hab’ nen Luftballon gefunden”. This song is also good practice for your numbers in German! Before you look at the lyrics, see if you can count how many times you hear her sing “neunundneunzig” (“ninety-nine”). 

LINK: Lyrics

4. Mensch – Herbert Grönemeyer, 2002

When talking about German songs, we could not leave out the title track of Germany’s best-selling album of all time. Mensch sold over 3 million copies in Germany and thanks to this success and the popularity of his fifth album, 4630 Bochum (1984), Herbert Grönemeyer is often considered one of the most successful German artists.

One prominent language feature of this song is the frequent use of the conjunction “und”. In German, this word is often added to form sentences with multiple dependent clauses. Also, listen out for examples of compound words, such as “Sonnenzeit” or “ozeanblau”.

LINK: Lyrics

5. Der perfekte Moment… wird heut verpennt – Max Raabe, 2017

The fifth recommendation in this article about German songs comes from an artist with a very interesting musical style. Max Raabe founded his Berlin-based Palast Orchester with fellow students in the mid-1980s while studying opera in Berlin. 

Together, Raabe and Palast Orchester perform covers of cabaret songs from the Weimar period as well as original songs that merge 1920s and 30s melodies with modern lyrics. As well as this, they have recorded some covers of modern pop songs in a 1920-30s style, including Britney Spears’ Oops!… I Did It Again! 

The title track of their most recent album, Der perfekte Moment… wird heut verpennt, is among the list of good German songs for learners as it allows you to practise your listening comprehension, where Raabe sings in nice, clear German. As you’re listening, it is particularly interesting to take a look at all the idioms the song contains. 

Most of them are used to describe that the singer will not do anything today, for example, “Heut’ mach’ ich gar nichts/Keinen Finger krumm”. “Was ich heut’ besorgen kann” is especially interesting, because it is a play on the original saying “Was ich heut’ kann besorgen, verschieb’ ich nicht auf morgen”.

LINK: Lyrics

6. Sowieso – Mark Forster, 2016

The sixth recommendation in our list of German songs is Sowieso by Mark Forster. This track is an upbeat song that talks about embracing life’s uncertainties. Mark Forster, a well-known figure in the German pop music scene, released this song in 2016, and it quickly became a hit.

Sowieso is perfect for German learners because the lyrics are clear and easy to follow, making it a great choice for practising listening comprehension. As you listen, pay attention to phrases like “Egal, was kommt, es wird gut, sowieso” and other interesting expressions.

LINK: Lyrics  

7. Barfuß am Klavier – AnnenMayKantereit, 2013

Released in 2013, this song by the German rock band AnnenMayKantereit is a beautiful ballad. The band’s distinctive sound is characterised by the deep voice of the lead singer Henning May, which adds a unique touch to their music. 

Barfuß am Klavier is part of this German songs list due to its poetic lyrics, offering listeners a glimpse into the band’s heartfelt storytelling. 

LINK: Lyrics

8. Auseinandergehen ist schwer – Wanda, 2014

The last on our list of German songs is “Auseinandergehen ist schwer” by the Austrian band Wanda. The band is known for their catchy melodies and honest lyrics.

The song is sung in clear German, making it an excellent choice for learners who want to practise their listening skills and expand their vocabulary relating to relationships and emotions.

LINK: Lyrics 

We hope this article has given you a useful introduction to just a tiny proportion of the huge variety of German songs which are out there. In our special Tune for Tuesday – German playlist you can find some more examples to learn the language with some catchy rimes. Don’t forget to save it.

If you want to get access to more interesting content like this, make sure to subscribe to our Coffee Break German newsletter!

 

Any learner wanting to have more contact with the language that they are learning should try to listen to music. That is why we ask you “do you know any songs for learning Spanish”? 

There are so many different songs available that it might be hard to find a playlist at a beginner level for the Spanish-speaking world. But, don’t worry! In this article, we’ve done the hard work for you and selected 8 songs in Spanish specifically for that purpose!

1. ¡Y viva España! – Manolo Escobar, 1973

The first music on our list of Spanish songs for learners was actually written by a Belgian composer and Belgian lyricist, Leo Caerts and Leo Rozenstraten. It started out as Eviva España, a song about holidaying in Spain, imitating the Spanish pasodoble musical style (the name given to a style of Spanish dance and music often played during bullfights). 

It seems that the meaning behind “Eviva” in the title is unknown, but when the song was translated into Spanish, this became “Y viva”. Manolo Escobar’s 1973 recording of the Spanish version of the song was extremely successful.

Escobar was a very well-known singer, actor and performer of Andalusian copla, a style of Spanish popular song. He began his career in a band with four of his brothers, called Manolo Escobar y sus guitarras.

There are many interesting language points to listen out for in this song. Don’t worry if there are some words you don’t recognise, as there are a few unusual pieces of vocabulary, for example, “fandanguillos y alegrías” are styles of Spanish music and dance.

Listen out for the many different verb tenses used in the lyrics, including the line which uses both the present perfect and the future tense, “España siempre ha sido y será…” (“Spain has always been and always will be…”). And, of course, you may quickly notice the repeated Spanish subjunctive in the chorus “Que viva España” (“Long live Spain”), as this is expressing a desire that something will happen

LINKS: Lyrics | English translation

2. La Puerta de Alcalá – Ana Belén & Víctor Manuel, 1986 

If you have ever visited Madrid, it is likely that the title of this next song will conjure up images of Madrid’s famous monument of the same name. Inaugurated in 1769, La Puerta de Alcalá is often associated with similar Roman arches such as the Arc de Triomphe and the Brandenburg Gate.

Over 200 years later, La Puerta de Alcalá, the song, was written by Bernardo Fuster, Luis Mendo, Miguel Ángel Campos and Francisco Villar, to be performed by Ana Belén and Víctor Manuel. These two Spanish singers were married in 1972 and are often considered symbols of the Spanish Transition to Democracy, with many of their songs expressing strong social and political opinions. 

Their recording of La Puerta de Alcalá stayed at Number 1 in the Spanish charts for seven weeks and it remains an important song for many Madrileños because of its link with the monument. In our list of songs for learning Spanish, this one has interesting lyrics as it contains several more complex phrases, and each verse of the song refers to a different socio-political event that has affected Madrid and its famous monument.

Amongst the many language points to look out for within the lyrics, listen out for the refrain “Ahí está, la Puerta de Alcalá” (“There it is, La Puerta de Alcalá”). You can remember this line as a good example of when to use ser or estar in Spanish to describe the position of something.

LINKS: Lyrics | English translation

3. En el muelle de San Blás – Maná, 1997

Our next song comes from a Mexican pop-rock group formed in 1986, whose name, Maná, comes from the Polynesian term for supernatural energy. They have won 4 Grammy Awards and are extremely popular throughout Latin America and further afield.

Their song En el muelle de San Blás tells the story of Rebeca Méndez Jiménez, who is said to have waited at the pier of San Blás, on the Pacific coast of Mexico, for 41 years for her husband to return from a fishing trip. It is thought that he tragically got caught in a storm out at sea and never returned. One day, she was noticed by Fher Olvera, the lead singer of Maná, who listened to her story and decided to write the song. 

The lyrics are a good challenge for your Spanish comprehension, so we recommend reading them as you listen to the song another time so that you can fully understand the story being told. They also contain many examples of the preterite and the imperfect tenses in Spanish.

LINKS: Lyrics | English translation

4. Color esperanza – Diego Torres, 2001

Born in Buenos Aires, Diego Torres is a singer, songwriter, actor and musician who is well-known throughout Latin America, the United States and Spain. He is also known for being the son of famous Argentinian film actress, Lolita Torres. His uplifting song, Color esperanza, focuses on hope. In 2003, Torres gave a special performance of it in order to welcome Pope John Paul II to Cuatro Vientos Airport in Madrid. 

Torres sings quite clearly and the lyrics aren’t too complex and, of course, contain many examples of language points you have been learning about. For example, note the interesting phrase in the chorus, “Saber que se puede, querer que se pueda”, which can be used to compare the use of the indicative and the subjunctive. 

This would be a good example to memorise, to help you remember the structures “saber que + infinitive” and “querer que + subjunctive”. For sure music that deserves to be on the list of songs for learning Spanish!

LINKS: Lyrics | English translation

5. El mismo sol – Alvaro Soler, 2015

The fifth tune on our suggestion of songs for learning Spanish was one of the hits of the summer of 2015 in Spain and across Europe. El mismo sol is the debut single of Spanish-German singer, Alvaro Soler. Following the success of the song, there are now various recordings of it. Soler collaborated with Jennifer Lopez to create a version with the addition of her vocals, and a version in Spanglish, El Mismo Sol (Under The Same Sun), with some lyrics in English. 

The lyrics to this positive, upbeat song focus on the idea of a united world where “no hay fronteras” (“there are no borders”) and where “todos estamos bajo el mismo sol” (“we are all under the same sun”). And also, luckily for us, they are sung nicely and clearly! 

We recommend reading the lyrics and trying to find some useful examples of the language points you have been studying. For example, note the double subjunctive in the first line of the chorus, “Yo quiero que este sea el mundo que conteste”. 

We’d also like to take a moment to admire Soler’s impressive number of languages. It is said that he speaks Catalan, Spanish, German, English, Italian, French and Japanese!

LINKS: Lyrics | English translation

6. Todo se transforma – Jorge Drexler, 2015

Jorge Drexler’s “Todo se transforma” released 14 years ago, is a timeless classic that talks about the interconnectedness of all things. As the Uruguayan artist says:

Nada es más simple
No hay otra norma
Nada se pierde
Todo se transforma

Nothing is simpler
There is no other rule
Nothing is lost
Everything transforms

The song lyrics are an excellent resource for learners looking to expand their vocabulary. The way Drexler plays with words and ideas offers a unique opportunity to understand deeper, more abstract concepts in Spanish. 

LINKS: Lyrics | English translation

6. Cuando te mueras –  Jósean Log, 2020

Jósean Log’s “Cuando te mueras” is a very emotional song that brings to light themes of ageing and companionship. Its lyrics are a great example of Spanish songs with subjunctive, a crucial aspect of grammar. 

Although the song’s theme might be intense, it offers a profound learning experience, illustrating the depth of Spanish linguistic and emotional expression.

LINKS: Lyrics | English translation

7. Te guardo – Silvana Estrada, 2022

Released in 2022, this song stands out as a captivating piece that blends traditional Mexican folk elements with contemporary influences. The lyrics are poetic and talk about personal experiences and universal emotions.

The release of “Te guardo” in 2022 marked another milestone in Silvana Estrada’s career. As a rising star in the Latin music scene, Estrada continues to enchant listeners with her unique sound and storytelling, solidifying her place as a significant voice in contemporary music.

LINKS: Lyrics | English translation

8. Si no estás – Íñigo Quintero, 2024 

If you are an active user on TikTok you might have come across this trendy song. The lyrics of “Si no estás” are poetic and relatable, painting a vivid picture of the void left by a loved one’s absence. 

Lines like El tiempo pasa lento sin tu sonrisa Time passes slowly without your smile and Mis días son oscuros si no estás My days are dark if you’re not here showcase the artist’s ability to express complex emotions with simplicity and grace. 

LINKS: Lyrics | English translation

We hope this article has given you a useful introduction to just a tiny proportion of the huge variety of Spanish-language music which is out there, across the whole Spanish-speaking world. 

Two of the songs we have chosen, La Puerta de Alcalá and En el muelle de San Blás, are already included in our Tune for Tuesday on our Spotify playlist. 

Now, how about understanding more about how you can use songs to improve your language learning? Check our blog post on the subject and make the most of your journey!

Listening to songs in the language you’re learning is an effective and enjoyable way to practise your language skills. It can help improve your listening comprehension and your pronunciation, and on top of this, music is catchy! When you listen to French songs, you might find that the new words, phrases, and structures stick in your mind more easily, making it simpler to use them in your own speaking or writing.

But there are thousands of songs throughout the French-speaking world—where do you start with finding ones that will help you practise your French? In this article, we’ve done the hard work for you! Read on to discover our ten recommended songs for learning French.

1. À la claire fontaine – traditional French song

We’ll start our list of French songs for learners with one that may be the first that many French children have ever heard. À la claire fontaine is a very well-known traditional French song. This classic nursery rhyme is thought to date back to the early 17th Century when it was sung both in France and in what was later to become Quebec, as French settlers were arriving in Canada. 

To make the most of your language learning using music, you must listen to the song a few times without looking at the lyrics and then add the lyrics in! À la claire fontaine is very useful for French learners, as it contains many different verb tenses, including the passé composé, the imperfect, the future and even the imperfect subjunctive – fût in the final verse is the third person singular form of être in the imperfect subjunctive. 

We recommend trying to spot all the tenses you know while reading the lyrics. To help you with any comprehension problems, you can also look at an English translation of the text. 

LINKS: Lyrics | English translation

2. La mer – Charles Trenet, 1946

We’re sure that many of you will be familiar with this very famous song, originally recorded by Roland Gerbeau in 1945 but made famous by the great Charles Trenet in 1946. Trenet was a very popular French singer-songwriter whose career lasted from the 1930s to the 1990s. Following his recording of La mer, it was translated into many different languages, including, as many of you will know, English (titled Beyond the Sea).

Again, study the lyrics like you would if they were any other reading text: look up new words you don’t know and try to spot specific language points you have been studying. La mer is one of the best French songs for practising adjectives. 

Take a moment to consider which adjectives precede the noun and which come after it, and note how the adjectives change depending on whether the noun it’s describing is masculine or feminine and singular or plural. For example, compare ces grands roseaux mouillés and ces maisons rouillées. If you’d like to recap adjective agreement and positioning, join Mark and Anna in Coffee Break French Season 2 Episode 9. 

LINKS: Lyrics | English translation

3. Tous les garçons et les filles – Françoise Hardy, 1962

It is generally thought that Françoise Hardy stood out from the crowd among the 1960s French yé-yé pop singers because she wrote her own songs and went on to influence the likes of Mick Jagger and Bob Dylan. She rose straight to the top of the charts at the age of 18 with her first record, Tous les garçons et les filles, which describes a young person watching with envy the couples around her when she has never known love herself. Hardy later recorded the song in Italian (Quelli della mia età) and in English (Find Me a Boy). 

And luckily for us, this is one of the French songs in which the vocabulary used isn’t too tricky, so have a listen and see how much you can understand. As always, listen out for examples of the language points you have been learning about. For example, if you are familiar with the word personne, which can mean no one, listen out for the repeated phrase personne ne m’aime no one loves me.

LINKS: Lyrics | English translation

4. Je reviendrai à Montréal – Robert Charlebois, 1976

The fourth song on our list of French songs for learners is Je reviendrai à Montréal, one of the most famous songs by musician, composer, author, and actor Robert Charlebois. Originally from Montreal, Quebec, he is thought to have been hugely influential in the development of music in Quebec and throughout the francophone world. In 1999, he was made an Officer of the Order of Canada.

The lyrics of some of his songs include many, specifically québécois words, which makes them very interesting, but if you try listening to them, don’t worry if you struggle to understand what he is singing about! 

However, the lyrics of Je reviendrai à Montréal, are in a much more standard, universal French. Look out for the example of the future tense in the title and repeated throughout the song, je reviendrai, meaning I will come back. There are also several uses of avoir besoin de + infinitive/noun, for example, j’ai besoin de sentir le froid  I need to feel the cold and j’ai besoin de cette lumière I need that light and an example of the subjunctive trigger sans que + subjunctive. 

To learn more about the subjunctive and other subjunctive triggers, listen to Coffee Break French Season 3 Episode 16.

LINKS: Lyrics | English translation

5. Papaoutai – Stromae, 2013

We’re sure that many of you already know Stromae, a Belgian rapper and singer-songwriter whose songs have been huge successes across much of Europe. Paul Van Haver originally chose Opsmaestro as his stage name but then changed it to Stromae. 

This name comes from the word maestro and is an example of verlan, a type of French slang involving swapping around a word’s syllables (mae-stro → stro-mae). His song Papaoutai, Belgium’s best-selling single of 2013, refers to the absence of Stromae’s father during his childhood. The title comes from Papa où t’es ? Dad, where are you?. 

The lyrics contain many examples of different verb tenses, the use of the pronouns y and en and many more language points you can look out for. Also, note how the repeated question in the chorus où t’es ? combines tu and es to make t’es, which is very common in informal, spoken French. 

LINKS: Lyrics | English translation

6. Et si tu n’existais pas –  Joe Dassin, 1975

A true classic when it comes to French songs, Et si tu n’existais pas by Joe Dassin is a poetic love song. Released in 1975, this music is one of Dassin’s most well-known songs. The lyrics explore a world in which the singer’s beloved does not exist.

One of the key grammar points found in this song is the use of si clauses (if clauses) combined with the conditional tense – a fundamental structure in French grammar. In particular, this music features a Type 2 si clause, which follows this pattern:

• Et si tu n’existais pas, dis-moi pourquoi j’existerais ? And if you didn’t exist, tell me why I would exist?

LINKS: Lyrics | English translation

7. J’irai où tu iras – Céline Dion, 1995

If you’re looking for French songs that beautifully showcase the future tense and the conditional, J’irai où tu iras is a perfect choice. This upbeat and emotional duet was released in 1995 on Céline Dion’s album D’eux, which remains the best-selling French-language album of all time.

The title itself, J’irai où tu iras I will go where you will go, gives us a great example of the future tense in French j’irai I will go and how it is used to express determination and certainty about the future. Throughout the song, the singers talk about following each other wherever life takes them, using different conjugations of the future tense (je ferai, tu verras) and the conditional (je voudrais, tu aimerais) to express both certainty and possibilities.

LINKS: Lyrics | English translation

8. Hier Encore – Charles Aznavour, 1964

This 1964 song reflects on the passage of time, lost youth, and past mistakes. Aznavour, one of the most celebrated French singers, is known for his deeply emotional lyrics and expressive storytelling. But beyond its moving message, this is one of the best French songs for learners to practise the contrast between the imparfait and passé composé, two essential past tenses in French.

These two tenses play different roles in French narration, and this song provides a perfect example of how they are used in real-life contexts.

LINKS: Lyrics | English translation

9. Je te promets – Johnny Hallyday, 1986

Johnny Hallyday, often referred to as the French Elvis, was a legendary rock star in France with a career spanning over five decades. Je te promets is one of his most beloved songs. Its romantic lyrics are filled with promises for the future, making it one of the best French songs for learners to study the future simple tense in action.

Throughout the lyrics, Johnny Hallyday makes various promises about what will happen in the future, using the futur simple tense. Here are some examples from the song:

• Je te promets des histoires différentes des autres. I promise you stories different from others
• Je te promets du feu à la place des armes. I promise you fire instead of weapons.

LINKS: Lyrics | English translation

10. Francis – Cœur de Pirate, 2008

Finally, on our list of French songs is one to help you master negation in French. Francis by Cœur de Pirate is a perfect choice. Released in 2008 as part of her debut album, this song showcases Béatrice Martin’s signature melancholic storytelling and delicate piano melodies. 

One of the most interesting aspects of the lyrics is how they feature different forms of negation, offering learners a chance to hear how negation is used in French. The song uses ne… plus no longer and ne… jamais never instead of the typical ne… pas not, providing a more nuanced way to express negation beyond the basics.

LINKS: Lyrics | English translation

And there you have it – ten fantastic French songs that will not only introduce you to a variety of musical styles, but also help you improve your vocabulary, grammar, and pronunciation. By listening to these songs, reading the lyrics, and singing along, you can boost your comprehension skills while enjoying some of the best music the francophone world offers. So why not start incorporating French songs into your language-learning routine today?

If you would like to see some French movies to help you improve your learning routine even further, check out the article we prepared with eight great suggestions!