Viva Colonia is a 2003 song and album by the German band De Höhner. The song is sung in a language which resembles the local dialect of Cologne, Kölsch, but differs in that the lyrics do not have many particularly Kölsch words, and thus are relatively easily understood by all German-language speakers.
The song's title refers to the city of Cologne. The song is especially popular at carnival time, often played several times a day. It can be heard throughout the country, not solely in Cologne. For example, during carnival and during Oktoberfest in Munich, Bavaria, the song remains essentially the same except "Viva Bavaria!" is substituted for "Viva Colonia!"
The song is also played on many other occasions. For example, 1. FC Köln and the Kölner Haie, an ice hockey team, play the song frequently during their games.
The song is very chorus heavy, and the crowd always sings along with the chorus.
| Chorus (Kölsch) | English translation |
|---|---|
|
Da simmer dabei! Dat is prima! VIVA COLONIA! |
Count us in! That's great! Long live Cologne! |