Hier kommt Alex

"Hier kommt Alex" (Here comes Alex) is a song by German punk band Die Toten Hosen. It is the first single and the first track from the album Ein kleines bisschen Horrorschau. The song in concept introduces Alex, who is the central character on the concept album, a reference to Alex DeLarge, from the book A Clockwork Orange.

"Hier kommt Alex"
Single by Die Toten Hosen
from the album Ein kleines bisschen Horrorschau
Released1988
GenrePunk rock
Length3:53
LabelTotenkopf
Songwriter(s)Andreas Frege
Andreas Meurer
Die Toten Hosen singles chronology
"Alle Mädchen wollen küssen"
(1987)		 "Hier kommt Alex"
(1988)		 "1000 gute Gründe"
(1989)

"Hier kommt Alex" is structurally and musically similar to the last track from the album, "Bye, Bye Alex".

Music video

The video was directed by Walter Knofel.

Inclusions in video games

The song appears as a bonus track in the game Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock. It is also available as downloadable content for Guitar Hero World Tour.

It is included in the European release of the game Rock Band, and as a downloadable track on the American version. Due to licensing issues, the song was taken down from DLC services in 2013.[1] The song was available for re-download in Rock Band 4 for those who purchased it prior to this date.

Cover versions

The song has been covered by many artists, among them Samsas Traum on Endstation.Eden, Gatos Sucios on Punto limite, Thomas Baldischwyler for the compilation Pudel Produkte 8, Sonnenbrandt, Scala & Kolacny Brothers on the album Grenzenlos. British punk band UK Subs covered it in English as "Here Comes Alex". In 2020, German medieval rock band Feuerschwanz covered the song with a medieval composition.[2]

According to an interview, Die Ärzte had spontaneously played the song on a benefit concert to attract more crowd, because people were leaving after a bad band.[3]

Track listing
  1. "Hier kommt Alex" (Meurer/Frege) – 3:53
  2. "Achterbahn" (Roller coaster) (Rohde/Frege) − 3:35
  3. "Zum Chef (Später Dank)" (To the boss (Later gratitude)) (von Holst/Frege) – 2:10
  4. "Jo singt (Das Wort zum Sonntag)" (Jo singt (The word to Sunday)) (von Holst/Frege) – 0:46
  5. "Liebeslied" (Love song) (Breitkopf/Frege) – 3:50

Charts
Year Country Position
1988 West Germany (Official German Charts)[4] 32

The Return of Alex
"The Return of Alex"
Single by Die Toten Hosen
from the album Love, Peace & Money
Released1994
GenrePunk rock
Length4:29
LabelVirgin Records
Songwriter(s)Andreas Frege
Andreas Meurer
Matt Dangerfield
Die Toten Hosen singles chronology
"Kauf MICH!"
(1994)		 "The Return of Alex"
(1994)		 "Sexual"
(1994)

There's also an English version of the song, titled "The Return of Alex". This was released as a promo single for UK from the all-English album Love, Peace & Money.

Music video

The video was directed by René Eller and shows the band performing in a black-and-white TV-set.

Track listing
  1. "The Return of Alex" (Meurer/Frege, Dangerfield) − 4:29
  2. "So Long - Good Bye" − 3:13 (English version of "Schönen Gruß, auf Wiederseh'n")
  3. "I Fought the Law" (Sonny Curtis) − 2:35 (The Crickets cover)
  • Professional darts player Dave Chisnall uses this version for his walk on in PDC European Tour Events.

2005 unplugged version
"Hier kommt Alex (unplugged)"
Single by Die Toten Hosen
from the album Nur zu Besuch: Unplugged im Wiener Burgtheater
Released9 December 2005
GenrePunk rock, acoustic rock
Length4:08
LabelJKP
Songwriter(s)Andreas Frege
Andreas Meurer
Hans Steingen
Die Toten Hosen singles chronology
"Freunde"
(2005)		 "Hier kommt Alex (unplugged)"
(2005)		 "The Guns of Brixton (unplugged)"
(2006)

"Hier kommt Alex" was also released as a single from the 2005 unplugged album Nur zu Besuch: Unplugged im Wiener Burgtheater. The song is introduced with the first bars of the second movement of Beethoven's Symphony No. 9.

Music video

The video contains live footage.

Track listing
  1. "Hier kommt Alex" (Meurer/Frege) − 4:08
  2. "Was zählt" (What counts) (Breitkopf, von Holst/Frege) − 4:04
  3. "You'll Never Walk Alone" (Rodgers/Hammerstein) − 2:45

Charts
Year Country Position
2005 Germany (Official German Charts)[5] 46
2005 Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40)[6] 57
2005 Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)[7] 53

References
  1. "Rock Band DLC Re-licensing Info - Updated Quarterly". Rockband.com. 4 October 2013. Archived from the original on 13 July 2013.
  2. Napalm Records (27 October 2020). "FEUERSCHWANZ - Hier Kommt Alex (Official Video)". YouTube.
  3. "Freunde des Hauses // Bela B. - Teil 2" [Friends of the house // Bela B - Part 2]. Die Toten Hosen (in German). 31 August 2012. Archived from the original on 11 September 2012.
  4. "Offiziellecharts.de – Die Toten Hosen – Hier kommt Alex" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. Retrieved 27 February 2019.
  5. "Die Toten Hosen – Hier kommt Alex (MTV Unplugged)" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. Retrieved 27 February 2019.
  6. "Die Toten Hosen – Hier kommt Alex (MTV Unplugged)" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40. Retrieved 8 December 2014.
  7. "Die Toten Hosen – Hier kommt Alex (MTV Unplugged)". Swiss Singles Chart. Retrieved 8 December 2014.
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