DÖF – “Codo … düse im Sauseschritt”:
Space Pop Meets Satire, Straight Outta the ’80s
Released in mid-1983, “Codo … düse im Sauseschritt” by Austrian-German group DÖF (short for Deutsch-Österreichisches Feingefühl) became one of the most delightfully bizarre chart-toppers in German-speaking Europe. A blend of absurdist humor, minimal synth-pop, and deadpan delivery, it was a song that shouldn’t have worked — and yet, it soared.
It wasn’t just a novelty. It was a zeitgeist moment: playful, weird, and weirdly irresistible.
Who — or What — Was Codo?
“Codo” is short for Cosmischer Dolm — a made-up phrase loosely translating to “cosmic fool.” The character is a genderless alien who zooms to Earth to spread love and disrupt hate. The subtitle “… düse im Sauseschritt” means “zooming along at breakneck speed,” and that’s exactly what Codo does — in both the lyrics and the beat.
The refrain is iconic: “Ich düse, düse, düse, düse im Sauseschritt / Und bring die Liebe mit von meinem Himmelsritt.” (“I zoom, zoom, zoom, zoom at a whizzing pace / And bring love with me from my ride to heaven.”)
DÖF: A Group Born to Be Brief
DÖF was a one-off collaboration between Austrian comedians Joesi Prokopetz and Manfred Tauchen, and German musicians Annette and Inga Humpe (who later formed Humpe & Humpe and 2raumwohnung). What began as a satirical side project unexpectedly became a pop juggernaut.
They released one self-titled album and a handful of singles — but “Codo” was the lightning bolt.
Minimal Wave, Maximum Impact
Musically, “Codo” is minimal synth-pop at its most infectious: a four-on-the-floor beat, analog synths, robotic harmonies, and repetition that borders on hypnosis. It’s NDW (Neue Deutsche Welle) with a wink — catchy, strange, and smarter than it lets on.
The B-side, “Rein gar nix”, was a spoken-word piece that leaned even further into absurdity.
Chart Success That No One Saw Coming
“Codo” reached No. 1 in West Germany, Austria, Belgium, and the Netherlands, and climbed to No. 4 in Switzerland. It spent five weeks at No. 1 in Germany, sold over 1.2 million copies, and earned Gold certification — making it one of the most successful German-language singles of the decade.
It was also the last Neue Deutsche Welle song to top the German charts, closing the movement with a bang (and a zoom).
The English Version: “Codo (The Flying Schissel)”
To capitalize on the original’s momentum, DÖF recorded an English-language version titled “Codo (The Flying Schissel)”. But this wasn’t a translation — it was a lyrical reimagining. The verses took on a darker tone. And the chorus swapped whizzing love missions for high-concept nonsense: “And I’m whizzing, whizzing, whizzing through outer space / Love only sets the base for million miles of face.”
It preserved the track’s surreal charisma while making no attempt to actually make sense. In other words: mission accomplished.
Legacy: One-Hit Wonder or Cult Phenomenon?
DÖF disbanded shortly after their brief success, but “Codo” lives on — remixed, parodied, and rediscovered by generations of pop oddity lovers. It’s been sampled by DJs, referenced in sports broadcasts, and even sparked a copyright dispute over melodic similarities to an East German ballad.
“Codo” remains a cultural artifact of the NDW era — a song that didn’t need to make sense, just to move, buzz, and repeat until you couldn’t help but sing along. It’s not just a one-hit wonder. It’s a cosmic earworm with a mission: to bring love, laughter, and a little lunacy to Earth.