"Die Gedanken sind frei" means "the thoughts are free", the first texts on the leaflets is from 1780, the music was made in 1810-20, the lyrics changed sometimes slightly. The original lyricist and the composer are unknown, though the most popular version was rendered by Hoffmann von Fallersleben in 1842. The song got a highly political meaning in Germany throughout a long time as it expressed a longing for freedom and independence. Today it is still a protest song.