Du mußt ein Schwein sein

The lyrics tell the story of someone who believes kindness and honesty have brought him no success, while acting arrogant and aggressive seems to attract attention. He responds by deliberately becoming cruel, pushing ahead of others, and laughing at people he sees as weak. The mood shifts from frustrated observation to a boastful, almost comic celebration of selfishness.

“Ein Schwein sein” (“to be a pig”) is a metaphor for behaving badly: being selfish, rude, or shameless. The claim that “the bad ones get their way” presents life as unfair, like a courtroom where wrongdoers win. “Getting a kick in return” means being punished or treated badly despite acting honestly. The lyrics also exaggerate the speaker’s ambition: he imagines that opposing kind colleagues might help him reach a powerful political position.

The song can be heard as satire rather than straightforward advice. Its speaker performs the very selfishness the lyrics criticize, and his boastful tone makes him seem ridiculous as well as unpleasant. Still, the repeated slogan may reflect a genuine, cynical feeling that people must be ruthless to succeed. The lyrics leave open whether this is the speaker’s sincere belief or a caricature of that belief.