The song about friends that nobody can part was recorded in 1966. It had been written for the legendary player Franz Beckenbauer – and climbed up to no. 31 of German charts. For somebody, whose singing at best ranks amateur level, it had been a considerable success.

The song kicks off with the rhythm of soccer – probably the most famous rhythm in the world:

The scheme seems complicated. But, like most football songs and fans’ chants, it keeps a straightforward two-beat or four-beat bar.  

In addition, Beckenbauer’s hit tries to please: with a bit of guitar, a swinging after-beat, sugary strings ...

An especially typical feature is raising the pitch of the melody by a half-note. Musically this suggests something new, although in reality nothing has changed.

Team mates such as Gerd Müller (who sang “Dann macht es Bumm” – “then bang, it’s in!”) wanted to follow sweeper-star Beckenbauer to his musical orbit. They tried in vain. The cult hit by “the Kaiser” was the only shot that scored in the charts.