Der Mörder ist immer der Gärtner [English translation]

Night looms heavy over Darkmoor Castle

Sir Henry reads the Financial Times

The tower clock spookily strikes twelve times

The butler is off until one o'clock

As almost silently a shadow slips through the door

In the flickering light of the lamp

And descends upon Sir Henry who ceases to live

And who takes his secret to his grave

It was the gardener who was the killer again

And he's already planning his next crime

It's always the gardener who is the killer

And he mercilessly

Mercilessly

Mercilessly strikes

At Maigret's, for two hours

An elevator has been constantly blocked

Inspector Dupont is missing

The elevator is being repaired

As silently the door to the shaft opens

A voice is heard laughing derisively

Inspector Dupont was hit by a bullet in the elevator

The public health officer points out: "Exitus"

It was the gardener who was the killer again

And he's already planning his next crime

It's always the gardener who is the killer

And he mercilessly

Mercilessly

Mercilessly strikes

By the Southern harbour embankment

An assistant lighthouse keeper was recently murdered

Inspector van Dyke, always jumping to conclusions

Has three suspects in his sight:

The innkeeper by the watergate, for she's cross-eyed and walks with a limp

The ship captain who, shipwrecked, drowns in rum

The pilot who pretends he's Napoleon

But van Dyke is wrong, none of the three was the culprit

It was the gardener who was the killer again

And he's already planning his next crime

It's always the gardener who is the killer

And he mercilessly

Mercilessly

Mercilessly strikes

The immensely wealthy heiress of Manster

Lives on the fifteenth floor

Where she's sleeping with the window open

Big Ben is striking two o'clock

Ever so softly the wind is blowing through the drapes

A flat black steel barrel pointed at the heiress

A loud shriek tears through the air

That must have been that evil gardener again

It was the gardener who was the killer again

And he's already planning his next crime

It's always the gardener who is the killer

And he mercilessly

Mercilessly

Mercilessly strikes

In his greenhouse in the garden

There's a man standing in his green apron

The gardener is mixing different kinds

Of poison against vine lice

The gardener is singing and whistling and laughing whimsically

His hedge clipper sparkles and shines

Scythe, spade and hunting rifle set up on the wall

As a murdering hand strangles him from behind

For the killer was actually the butler

Who struck mercilessly

It is always the butler who is the killer

And every day

And every day

And every day you learn something new

• Artist:Reinhard Mey