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(English: /ˈɔːtəʊbɑːn/; German: ˈaʊtoːbaːn, plural Autobahnen) is the German word for a major high-speed road restricted to motor vehicles capable of driving at least and having full control of access, similar to a motorway or freeway in English-speaking countries.
In most countries, it usually refers to the German autobahn specifically. The recommended speed of the German autobahn is , but there is no speed limit. Austrian and Swiss autobahns have general speed limits of and , respectively. In German, the word is pronounced as described above, and its plural is Autobahnen; in English, however, the segment "auto" is typically pronounced as in other English words such as "automobile". The official name of the autobahn in Germany is Bundesautobahn (BAB) (Federal Motorway). Autobahns are built and maintained by the federal government (as are the federal highways), thus the name "Federal Motorway". When first built in the 1930s the official name was "Reichsautobahn" (Motorways of the Reich).
"Autobahn" is a song composed in 1974 by Ralf Hütter and Florian Schneider-Esleben of the German electronic band Kraftwerk, with Emil Schult collaborating on the lyrics. It was their first track to use sung lyrics. It is designed to capture the feel of driving on a motorway.
A version of the song lasting over 22½ minutes was recorded as the title track of the album Autobahn. This was edited to a more modest 4 minutes and released as a single, giving the band an unexpected Top 40 hit in the USA, and other countries, the first of their career. A differently edited version, at 3 minutes duration, was released in the UK, reaching #11, and was later included on the UK compilation LP Exceller 8.
The instrumentation used on the song's 1974 recording was highly innovative at the time and is notable for the significant influence it had on many subsequent genres of electronic popular and dance music.
This recording was co-produced by the influential 'Krautrock' producer Conny Plank.
Notable aspects of the arrangement included:
The arrangement also included acoustic elements such as guitar and flute.
The band have continued to perform the song live regularly throughout their career. Live arrangements have evolved continuously as the band have adapted the instrumentation and equipment they use on stage.


