One of the biggest dance anthems from the turn of the millennium is facing bans in after the song has morphed into a far-right anthem in a country struggling with how to manage a newly resurgent nationalist streak, particularly among its youth.
Over the last several months, the lyrics of “L’Amour Toujours,” a 1999 hit by Italian DJ Gigi D’Agostino have been repeatedly chanted at public gatherings, along with anti-immigration slogans.
The song, which translates to “Love Always” but is also named “I’ll Fly With You” after its refrain, has had its melody repurposed into a new chant: “Ausländer raus, Ausländer raus,” which translates to: “Germany for the Germans, foreigners out.”
According to German media, “L’Amour Toujours” has been co-opted into a viral on social media accounts linked to Germany’s far right, appearing at beach parties, carnival parades and village festivals.
Last week, footage from Sylt, an exclusive enclave in northern Germany near the border with Denmark, went viral, showing a group of young people singing the repurposed version of techno hit outside a nightclub.
In one of the short clips that circulated online, a man appears to imitate a Nazi salute and Hitler mustache, while others chanted neo-Nazi slogans. The footage drew condemnation from German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, who called the behavior “disgusting,” as well as a police investigation (it’s illegal to perform the Nazi salute in Germany).
Since the video exploded into a full-blown controversy in Berlin, more incidents from Sylt were reported, including an instance of a Black woman being physically assaulted.
In response, organizers of Munich’s famed Oktoberfest said “L’Amour Toujours” will be banned at this year’s event.
“There’s no place for all that right-wing bullshit at the Wiesn,” Clemens Baumgärtner, the head of the beer-drinking festival, told local reporters, using the local name for Oktoberfest.
Other major events are reportedly considering similar actions, while some German radio stations have stopped playing the song altogether.
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‘It Was Meant to Celebrate Love’
Gigi D’Agostino, who produced the original track, has tried to distance himself from the controversy, saying that “L’Amour Toujours” was meant to celebrate love and unity. The 56-year-old DJ also said he didn’t understand over why his song can no longer be played on radio stations or at events like Oktoberfest, emphasizing that it is “about the unifying power of love, about togetherness.”
Indeed, the song’s appropriation does not appear to be due to any inherent characteristic of the track. Thorsten Hindrichs, a musicologist at Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, said: “This went viral on and . It could have been any other song.”
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D’Agostino, who has a concert planned in Germany for September, said he does not intend to remove “L’Amour Toujours” from his set list, even if authorities fear festivalgoers may use the opportunity to co-opt it in a live setting. The DJ typically starts his shows with the hit.
“Even if they forbid it, people can sing their ugly stuff. They can sing it without my song; they can choose another and another. Music is one of the most beautiful things we have. When we start prohibiting, the bad wins over the beautiful. Instead of discussing bans, the authorities must tackle the real problem,” D’Agostino told Swiss magazine NZZ.
The controversy over the song comes at a sensitive time in Germany. With Europe-wide parliamentary elections about to kick off, the country’s far-right party, Alternative for Germany (AfD) — long seen as little more than a fringe movement — is expected to put up a strong showing after already .
A recent survey of 2,000 young Germans found that nearly a quarter would vote for the AfD, more than double the figure from two years ago.
