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I heard it in a song:

"Ich geh mit mir von Ost nach Süd".

But isn't this the same as "Ich geh"? It was in response to the question: "Wohin gehst du?"

Is it expressing loneliness somehow? Are there two "Ich"? Einer der geht und einer der mitgeht? Does it mean to go alone? By yourself?

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    It would help what song it was. Commented Aug 19, 2021 at 21:40
  • @infinitezero Mein Land by Rammstein. Commented Aug 19, 2021 at 21:43
  • It's not about loneliness. It's about separation. You might figure it out by comparing Ich gehe mit dir. vs. Ich gehe mit mir. if you consider the rest of the lyrics.
    – Olafant
    Commented Aug 20, 2021 at 1:49
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    I'd think that provoking the kind of question you're asking was the precise purpose of using this construction. Commented Aug 20, 2021 at 6:58
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    I would say, the last line in Verse 2 supports the theory that the "ich" is going on this journey alone: "Ich geh von Land zu Land allein". And no, it is absolutely not normal usage. If you said that to a German they would probably raise an eyebrow or ask a clarifying question.
    – YetiCGN
    Commented Aug 20, 2021 at 12:46

1 Answer 1

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Ich geh mit mir von Ost nach Süd

is nothing you would usually say. It's part of the lyrics of the song Mein Land by the band Rammstein.

It's not a normal German sentence. So the question

What is the difference between "Ich geh" and "Ich geh mit mir"?

can not be answered in a grammatical sense. You need to interpret it considering the rest of the lyrics and you better try to do that yourself instead of asking for the interpretation of others. Let me provide some hints to make it easier for you:

Ich gehe mit dir ...
(I go with you ...)

is a normal German phrase. It's inviting and connective.

Ich gehe mit mir ...

is quite the opposite, especially since it doesn't really make sense. As @KilianFoth mentioned in a comment: provoking the kind of question you're asking might be the precise purpose of using this construction.

Ich gehe mit mir ...

is (considering the rest of the lyrics) everything but inviting. It's not about loneliness here, it's about separation.

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