"Eisbär" (German for "polar bear"; pronounced[ˈaɪsbɛːɐ̯]) is a 1980 song by the Swiss Neue Deutsche Welle band Grauzone. A cult hit,[2] it first appeared on the 1980 compilation album Swiss Wave – The Album.[3] The shorter single version was later collected on the Grauzone album Die Sunrise Tapes (1998).[4]
The song features a man singing he wants to be "a polar bear in the cold polar", because by being one he "wouldn't have to cry any longer and everything would be fine." The instrumental arrangement also evokes an Arctic atmosphere.
Grauzone recorded in 1982 an English-language version (Polar Bear) of the song, which was first released in 2010 on the double CD Grauzone 1980–1982 Remastered.[5]
The song is post-punk performed with guitar, drums and synthesizers.[6]
In 1990, Polar Pop (feat. Mc Grzimek) released a house version of the song.[9]
In 1993, Prisonshake released a cover version on the B-side of their "Two Sisters" single.[10]
In 1996, Scholle (ohne Schwester C.) produced a dance version on the compilation NDD – New German Dancefloor Stufe 3.[11]
In 1997, The Belgian hard house discjockey Frédéric de Backer released a cover of the song under the pseudonym GrooveZone.[12] It was released in 24 countries and sold over 300,000 copies.
In 2003, Knorkator feat. Holger Klein interpreted the song.[14]
In 2004, The German band Razzia covered Eisbär on their album Relativ Sicher Am Strand (2004)
In 2004, The German Neue Deutsche Härte band Oomph! released their version of the song as a B-side on the single "Augen Auf!", and on a new edition version of Wahrheit oder Pflicht.[15]
