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On Monday evening (May 5, 2025), outgoing Chancellor Olaf Scholz will be adopted with the big tap. Now his farewell songs, which are to be played at the celebrations, became known. In addition to an excerpt from Bach’s Brandenburg concert No. 2, Scholz wishes “In My Life” from the Beatles and “Respect” by Aretha Franklin – this is reported, among other things, “Der Spiegel”.
Olaf Scholz: It will be sentimental
With “In My Life”, Scholz treats himself to a little sentimentality. “”There are places i remember / all My Life, Though some Have Changed / Some Forever, Not for Better / Some have gone and some remain“, The play says. A longing look back at the time of the traffic light coalition. Or just a suitable melancholic piece to say goodbye and end of a phase of life?
Olaf Scholz: The thing with the “Respect”
It looks a little different with “Respect”. The song was originally written by Otis Redding. However, he became famous by Aretha Franklin- as an iconic anthem of black women in US citizenship and women’s movement. “All i’m Askin ‘is for a little respect,” sings Aretha Franklin in it – and became a voice for black women and for structurally disadvantaged groups. A Federal Chancellor of a large country who adopts this message in its own interprets the piece in terms of power.
At least the choice for the Hanseatic Scholz seems to be quite suitable – it was respect for something that he addressed several times during his tenure. “The mission statement of the new federal government in this situation is a society of respect. Respect, recognition, attention,” said Scholz in his first declaration of government in the Bundestag 2021. In addition, Scholz also complained to be treated unjustly by the media during his term.
“Seriously, conscientiously and sober”
The previous government spokesman Steffen Hebestreit analyzed the selection of his soon former boss in an interview with “Politico”. “My impression is that the Federal Chancellor has remained very true to his choice of music. He is a very serious, a conscientious and sober Chancellor. And that is also expressed in the songs that he has chosen,” quoted “Tagesschau.de“The interview.
Sentimentalities are not unusual for the tapping stroke: Former Chancellor Angela Merkel wanted to say goodbye to the Hildegard-Knef classic “It should rain red roses” at her farewell next to the hymn “Great God, we praise you” and the GDR hit “You forgot the color film”.