Picture this: you spot an old acquaintance on the street, rush over with a hopeful grin, and… they swivel away to admire a shop window. That is the bittersweet comedy at the heart of Tocotronic’s “Für Immer Dein Feind.” The singer looks back on a relationship built on mismatch: clashing worldviews, different clothes, mutual avoidance. Now, years later, his taste has evolved enough to appreciate those once-dreaded sweater vests, and he’s ready to make peace. Yet when he finally says hello, the other person literally turns their back. Cue the awkward realization that some bridges might stay burned.
Behind the catchy fa-ha-ha-ha refrain lies a playful twist on romantic language. “Für immer dein” usually means “forever yours,” but Tocotronic glue the word Feind (enemy) on the end to show that grudges can be just as enduring as love. The song captures how time can soften our judgments without guaranteeing reconciliation: you can change, the other can refuse, and the only constant may be that you remain forever—and ironically, almost affectionately—each other’s enemy.