THE GOOD OLD BAD OLD DAYS 
I followed you over the border 
down to the Spree 
you were standing alone by the water 
waiting for me 
we wandered along by the river 
the towers were shrouded in haze 
we kissed by the wire 
and they all held their fire 
in the good old bad old days 
can't you see just lovely it couldn't have been 
when the whole world was closed like a door 
I remember those nights down in old east Berlin 
with the microphones listening under the floor 
and every stamp in this passport of mine 
was a record of kisses you gave 
yes we suffered in style 
and it's all in the file 
in the good old bad old days 
lai da dai... 
all the streetlights were waltzing together 
crimson and green 
and your dress was as gray as the weather 
oh what a dream 
we built up a city of whispers 
and classified war dossiers 
i gave you control 
of my papers and soul 
in the good old bad old days 
yes wasn't it miserable wasn't it grand 
when the world had an iron divide 
and people could take a political stand 
just by singing a song for the opposite side 
now nobody cares who you are anymore 
and nobody cares what you say 
it's liberty's curse 
but was it really much worse 
in the good old bad old days 
now Alyosha is gathering flowers 
every May 
and the statue of Marx by the tower 
is facing the other way by the wall is a souvenir table 
with hammers and sickles displayed 
on new watches that work 
and they're sold by a Turk 
in these good boring bad new days 
now I'm working for euros and drinking alone 
where we used to spend marks at the bar 
and weeds have grown over the border of stone 
that cuts through the town like a surgical scar 
and now so many streets on this faded old map 
are like names written over a grave 
yes it makes me so sad 
cause it wasn't so bad 
in the good old bad old days 
lai da dai... 
so don't look for a final solution 
here in Berlin 
for capitalist prostitution [bad word] from within 
and don't worry about revolution 
we'll just keep the aesthetic clich?s 
in this market of fleas 
selling klezmer CDs 
for the good old bad old days 
so Genossen, tavarishchi let's make a toast 
to a time when the state knew your name 
yes we all say na zdrovye, l'chaim und Prost 
to that braver old world where we all are the same 
where nobody loses and everyone wins 
just as long as [bad word] obeys 
but that's all in the past 
so let's raise up a glass 
to the good old bad old days 
yes that's all in the past 
so let's raise up a glass 
to the good old bad old days 
lai da dai...