Kraftwerk - Das Model

Kraftwerk - Das Model: After thirty years, Kraftwerk's "Das Model" is still a popular song, and not just in electronic music circles. In fact, metal groups like Rammstein have covered the song, as well as alternative groups like The Cardigans. Even so, the song is considered by many to be a harbinger in the genre of electronic music. Much like The Beatles' song "Hello Goodbye," this song speaks to how human beings perceive one another. And for that reason, "Das Model" is highly existential in its overall tone. The lyrics talk of how a model has to quickly change her entire disposition whenever there is a camera present. She has to contain a split personality in order to survive the brutally critical world of modeling. She is deeply self-conscious about her appearance and overly self-confident in her talents; a contradiction in outlooks to say the least. Yet the ability of the model to straddle both her personal world and the modeling world is precisely what attracts the singer to her. What's ironic here is that whenever Kraftwerk performs the song, they are in the spotlight just as models are. As a result, the band itself has to adjust to being viewed by hundreds, if not thousands, of pairs of eyes all at once. Certainly, that kind of pressure makes one question the true extent of his or her capabilities.