Synopsis

A lovelorn Bela B. is portrayed through a bizarre blend of live action and puppet theater. A puppet version of the singer suffers at the hands of a woman with a rolling pin, while the real Bela retreats to his mother's home, where coffee, a puppet show and erotic magazines offer comfort. Between these episodes, Bela performs in deliberately artificial settings, surrounded by retro decorations and carnival imagery. The clip ends with him heading toward a cheerfully absurd romantic escape.

Factoids & Trivia

• The video premiered on MTV on August 15, 2009, with its online premiere following one day later.

• The puppet sequences were created with puppets made by Majken Rehder, who had also worked on the trick effects for "Die Reise ins Gluck."

• Bela B.'s mother is played by Annemarie Willberg, who had appeared in "Die Reise ins Gluck."

• Bela B. supplied the basic concept for the puppet Bela, the woman with the rolling pin, and the scenes in which he returns home to his mother. He also contributed the dance and carnival sections and the closing gag.

• The set dressing includes a genuine poster of singer Chris Roberts, along with cutouts and posters featuring Gerd Muller, Uwe Seeler, KISS, Bernd Cluver and Jurgen Marcus.

• The clip's deliberately overloaded retro look reflects the visual world associated with Wenzel Storch's films, using provincial interiors, kitsch decorations and grotesque comedy rather than a conventional romantic narrative.

• "Altes Arschloch Liebe" was released as the first single from "Code B" in September 2009. The single also included "You Old Bastard Love," a cover version by Smokestack Lightnin'.

• The single reached number 41 in Germany and number 54 in Austria.