RAMMSTEIN Frontman: It's Very Easy For Gay Men To Get Laid

German industrial metallers RAMMSTEIN discuss the controversial single "Mann Gegen Mann" ("Man Against Man") from their new album "Rosenrot" in the latest issue of the Swedish magazine Close-Up. In the chorus, the word "schwule" (German for "faggot") is uttered repeatedly. In the article, RAMMSTEIN vocalist Till Lindemann asks the reporter: "Do you think it's homophobic?" When the reporter tells him that it easy to make that assumption, Lindemann responds: "It's natural [to perceive it that way], but it's just a song. It’s about gay men and the fact that they're lucky in a way. They never had to strut in front of girls and bring them ridiculous gifts or make dinner invitations. They just look at each other and decide to go home together. They're in a strange situation, but it's very easy for them to get laid. I write about this in a more poetic fashion. If you just hear the word [schwule] taken out of context it's provocative, but if you really listen to the lyrics you realize that it's not at all meant to be derogatory.

"I'm not going to give out any name, but an English band that we [RAMMSTEIN] are friends with has two gay members. We made a bet about something and if I were to lose I had to take the two of them out in Berlin one night and visit all the gay clubs in my neighborhood. Of course, I lost the bet, just like I always do. When we went out, I just thought: 'Wow! This is happening fast!' One glance and then both of them knew exactly what to do. I was jealous. I would love to walk up to a strange woman and go: 'Hi, you're hot. Wanna come back to my place?"

"Rosentot" also marks RAMMSTEIN's first attempt at doing a song entirely in Spanish, "Te Quiero Puta" ("I Want You Whore"). Lindemann explains the lyrical theme: "Some guys, maybe us in the band, ride on to a whorehouse. Some 'puta' opens the door and says, 'Hey, gringos!' These ladies don't do any poetic stuff. It's all about men, women, sex and partying. The story is about this guy who falls in love with one of the women. She tells him: 'I like you, but don't come here with that emotional stuff. I only like your 'fruita,' so let me taste it."

Lindemann co-wrote the lyrics to "Te Quiero Puta" with his Spanish-speaking fiancée. RAMMSTEIN will take most of 2006 off and the couple, who owns a rustic summerhouse in Costa Rica, will be vacationing in Latin America next year.

"I'm going to spend at least four or five months over there," says Lindemann. "Me and my fiancée are planning on taking a long trip. We will start in Argentina and make our way through Chile, Peru, Ecuador and Bolivia. Colombia we'll have to think consider further. It's a rather strange country and their white stuff is a little too much fun [laughs]."