"Geil" is a song released by the German-based British duo Bruce and Bongo. It charted in several

Europe Europe is a large peninsula conventionally considered a continent in its own right because of its great physical size and the weight of its history and traditions. Europe is also considered a Continent#Subcontinents, subcontinent of Eurasia ...

an countries, making it their best performing release of any type. "Geil" was released as a single in 1986 and topped the

Austria Austria, , bar, Östareich officially the Republic of Austria, is a country in the southern part of Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a federation of nine states, one of which is the capital, Vienna, the most populous ...

n charts that year. The song was Bruce and Bongo's only major hit, making the duo a

one-hit wonder A one-hit wonder or viral hit is any entity that achieves mainstream popularity, often for only one piece of work, and becomes known among the general public solely for that momentary success. The term is most commonly used in regard to music p ...

. The song is considered a

novelty song A novelty song is a type of song built upon some form of novel concept, such as a gimmick, a piece of humor, or a sample of popular culture. Novelty songs partially overlap with comedy songs, which are more explicitly based on humor, and w ...

, with lyrics mostly in

English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national ide ...

. In

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) **Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ger ...

, the word "Geil" originally meant "horny" but by the 1980s had come to also mean "cool" or "awesome" in slang. For the older generation this sounded like a provocation, and it was meant to be one of course. The song featured lyrics stating that everyone is cool/horny ("Everybody's geil, g-g-g-g-geil"). It also featured a section about the tennis player

Boris Becker Boris Franz Becker (, ; born 22 November 1967) is a German former world No. 1 tennis player. Becker was successful from the start of his career, winning the Wimbledon Championships at the age of 17. He ultimately won six Grand Slam singles tit ...

, claiming that "Boris is geil", and imitating a tennis

umpire An umpire is an official in a variety of sports and competition, responsible for enforcing the rules of the sport, including sportsmanship decisions such as ejection. The term derives from the Old French nonper, ''non'', "not" and ''per'', ...

. The

music video A music video is a video of variable duration, that integrates a music song or a music album with imagery that is produced for promotion (marketing), promotional or musical artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a m ...

accompanying the song featured Bruce and Bongo in a

gym A gymnasium, also known as a gym, is an indoor location for athletics. The word is derived from the ancient Greek term " gymnasium". They are commonly found in athletic and fitness centres, and as activity and learning spaces in educational ins ...

, with several elderly women doing exercises on various items of gym equipment. The music video is today generally considered to be cheesy and slightly

camp Camp may refer to: Outdoor accommodation and recreation * Campsite or campground, a recreational outdoor sleeping and eating site * a temporary settlement for nomads * Camp, a term used in New England, Northern Ontario and New Brunswick to descri ...

, although this was probably done intentionally to give the video a novelty factor matching that of the song. After the release of "Geil", Bruce and Bongo would release ''The Geil Album'', although in comparison the album was a commercial failure. The refrain has the same melody as

Rock Me Amadeus "Rock Me Amadeus" is a song recorded by Austrian musician Falco (musician), Falco, for his third studio album, ''Falco 3'' (1985). The single was made available for physical sale in 1985 in German-speaking Europe, through A&M Records, A&M. "Roc ...

from the Austrian singer Falco.

Track listings

7" single # "Geil" (Geilomatick Mix) – 3:55 # "Geil Bruce & Bongo Dub" (New York Horny Mix) – 3:55 12" single # "Geil" (Geilomatick Mix) – 7:15 # "Geil Bruce & Bongo Dub" (New York Horny Mix) – 7:15

Charts

Bruce and Bongo vs. Tony T. version

In 1998, Bruce and Bongo released a new recording of "Geil" with British rapper Tony T., which was not successful.

Track listings

CD single # "Geil" (Kurz und gut und Geil-Mix) – 5:07 # "Geil" (Lang und gut und Geil-Mix) – 5:07 # "Geil" (Letzter geiler-SOmmer-Mix) – 5:34 # Bruce & Bongo - "Geil" (Das Original) – 4:01

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Geil (Song) 1986 songs 1986 debut singles 1998 singles Bruce and Bongo songs Number-one singles in Austria Number-one singles in Germany Ariola Records singles

Track listings

Charts

Bruce and Bongo vs. Tony T. version

Track listings

See also

References