Das alte Leid

The speaker describes being pushed through a repeated cycle of desire, struggle, and suffering. The movement from “the bean” into light, and later into nothingness, suggests a beginning and an end, while the repeated phrase “the old pain” makes the experience feel inescapable. The speaker seems exhausted and close to breaking, then declares a blunt wish that may offer escape from the cycle.

Several images make this suffering vivid. A “young body” rots on a mat, while fate “pulls its puppets”: the body seems worn down, and the puppet image suggests people may have little control over what happens to them. “The same war” burning the speaker’s heart can be read as an ongoing inner conflict or recurring struggle, rather than necessarily a literal battle. Tears caught “with laughter” may suggest pain being mocked, dismissed, or turned into something bitterly absurd.

The final line about wanting sex is deliberately abrupt and open to interpretation. It might express physical desire as a way to reject loneliness or emotional pain, or it could be a crude, defiant release after the speaker’s despair. The repeated promise of “never again” sounds determined, but the lyrics return to the same opening images, leaving it uncertain whether the speaker can truly escape the pattern.