Today’s video of the day is Joachim Witt – "Tri Tra Trullala (Herbergsvater)" released in 1982.
Joachim Witt stood at the center of Germany’s Neue Deutsche Welle explosion in the early 1980s. Before this era, he worked as an actor and theater performer. That background clearly shaped his music. As a result, his songs felt dramatic, strange, and bold. “Tri Tra Trullala (Herbergsvater)” arrived in March 1982 and quickly became his defining hit. Musically, it fused synth-pop with cabaret flair. Lyrically, it leaned into absurdity. Therefore, it stood apart from safer pop releases of the time.
The song appears on Witt’s second studio album, Edelweiß. That record marked a major shift from his earlier rock-oriented debut. Instead, Edelweiß embraced electronics, satire, and theatrical storytelling. “Tri Tra Trullala (Herbergsvater)” perfectly captured that change. The title references the Kasperle puppet call, which added childlike familiarity. However, the delivery felt unsettling and ironic. Because of this contrast, the song embodied NDW’s playful yet critical spirit. The video reinforced this mood with exaggerated gestures and surreal imagery.
Within Witt’s wider catalog, the track represents his first true breakthrough. Later albums moved in different directions. After NDW faded, Witt explored pop, rock, and eventually industrial-tinged sounds. Decades later, he gained renewed success with darker works like Bayreuth. Still, “Tri Tra Trullala (Herbergsvater)” remains the foundation. It introduced his taste for provocation and role-playing. Moreover, later remixes and updates proved its lasting appeal. Ultimately, this video preserves the moment Joachim Witt became a defining voice of early 1980s German music.
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