singer-songwriter
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singer-songwriter
An artist who writes the lyrics and music for their own songs and usually sings them while accompanying themselves on guitar or piano. In the German-speaking world, the lyrics are often personal, socially critical, or political.
Konstantin Wecker ist ein bekannter deutscher Liedermacher, der für seine kritischen Texte bekannt ist.
Konstantin Wecker is a well-known German singer-songwriter who is known for his critical lyrics.
The word is a compound of 'Lieder' (songs, plural of 'das Lied') and 'Macher' (maker). So a 'Liedermacher' (singer-songwriter) is literally someone who makes songs.
Schon als Jugendlicher wollte er Liedermacher werden.
Even as a teenager, he wanted to become a singer-songwriter.
In German, the term has a special cultural meaning. It often refers to artists who not only entertain, but also deal with personal, political, or socially critical topics in their lyrics.
Der Liedermacher sang über soziale Ungerechtigkeit in der Gesellschaft.
The singer-songwriter sang about social injustice in society.
A 'Liedermacher' (singer-songwriter) is often described more precisely with adjectives that refer to the content of their songs. Typical examples are 'ein politischer Liedermacher' (a political singer-songwriter) or 'ein kritischer Liedermacher' (a critical singer-songwriter).
Reinhard Mey ist einer der bekanntesten deutschen Liedermacher.
Reinhard Mey is one of the best-known German singer-songwriters.
composer
A Komponist writes music but does not have to perform or sing it themselves. A Liedermacher writes the lyrics and music for their own songs and usually performs them, often accompanying themselves on guitar or piano. The key distinction is whether only musical authorship is meant or whether the typical personal performance is included as well.
Der Liedermacher schreibt sein Lied und singt es selbst zur Gitarre.
The singer-songwriter writes their song and sings it themselves while playing the guitar.
Der Komponist schreibt die Musik, die später von anderen aufgeführt wird.
The composer writes the music, which will later be performed by others.
