Music Video Analysis: Du Hast

Du Hast - 1997

The name of this song is ‘Du Hast’, which in German means ‘You Have’. The song itself is about a friendship that is unbreakable by relationship or marriage.  This particular music video is inspired by the Tarantino film, Reservoir Dogs.

The members of the band are all wearing masks in the music video. This is a metaphor for being a two faced friend; wearing a mask to cover up how bad of a person they really are.
Throughout the video there is a build-up to the point where Schneider (man in car) meets the rest of the band in the warehouse. This creates a tense atmosphere for the audience, making them feel as though something will happen once he meets the band. However, it is the complete opposite. Once Schneider meets the band, he had his hand on a gun, as though he was actually going to do something. He then takes his hand off of the gun as though he has made a decision to not shoot anyone.

When Schneider enters the warehouse and meets the band, they all take their mask off and laugh and smile. This is to represent that, even without the mask they put on around everyone else, they are all still such close friends. As though they are all friends with the real personalities of each other.

Later in the video, each band member (except Schneider) speak to the camera and repeat the lyric ‘Du Hast’.  The band are reminding Schneider that they all have each other and that they are all going to stick together. Them constantly saying, 'Du hast' and injecting some form of drug into him, helping Schneider make his decision: partner or friends?

After this particular scene, a figure is set on fire and is still walking whilst on fire. It is hard to decipher whether or not this scene is Schneider being tortured, someone else or a metaphor of what will happen to his partner now he has made his decision.

At the end, the band (with Schneider) are seen walking out of the warehouse. There is a close up to Schneider’s partner as she has a distressed and concerned look on her face. This is because she can see the band all walking together, therefore she knows that she was not chosen over them and something bad is going to happen. Schneider looks at his watch, and merely a few seconds afterwards, his car explodes. The band walk away from the explosion, together, emphasizing their genuine friendship.