prior to "seemann (deine heimat ist das meer)", viennese singer lolita had based her career on schlager numbers with latin or polynesian themes. making her recording debut in 1957, lolita had had four top 20 hits on the german charts notably with "der weiße mond von maratonga" (number 2, 1957). this was her career best charting as in 1958-59 lolita's seventh through eleventh single releases all peaked outside the top 20.