Nazi songs
Nazi songs deals with songs that were written for the Nazi Party (NSDAP) in Germany.
Some songs which are much older than the post-World War I Nazi movement, and which were used by the Nazis, are often confused with "Nazi songs"; this observation applies above all to "Das Lied der Deutschen" (the first line of which is "Deutschland über Alles"), which was written in 1841. It was made the national anthem of democratic Germany in 1922, but after 1930 the Nazis commonly appended the "Horst-Wessel-Lied" to it. Also, the song "Die Wacht am Rhein", which is famous from a scene of the 1941 movie Casablanca, was at that time almost 100 years old.
In modern Federal Republic of Germany, public singing or performing of songs identified exclusively with Nazi Germany is illegal (§86a Strafgesetzbuch) and can be punished with up to 3 years of imprisonment.
"Horst Wessel Song"
The "Horst-Wessel-Lied", also known as "Die Fahne Hoch", was the official anthem of the NSDAP. The song was written by Horst Wessel, a Nazi activist and SA leader, who was killed by a member of the Communist Party of Germany and subsequently considered a martyr by his National Socialist comrades.[1]
The song is currently banned in Germany (the lyrics and even the melody itself).
"Es zittern die morschen Knochen"
"Es zittern die morschen Knochen" (The rotten bones are trembling) by Hans Baumann was, after the "Horst-Wessel-Lied", one of the most famous Nazi songs.[2] It was the official song of the Hitler Youth: hence the occasional attacks on the elderly in the song. Many Germans know the quote "Heute gehört uns Deutschland und morgen die ganze Welt", but few know the song as a whole.
The original song's refrain was "Denn heute, da hört uns Deutschland/und morgen die ganze Welt" (for today, Germany hears us/and tomorrow, the whole world). This was altered later to "Denn heute gehört uns Deutschland/...", meaning "For today, Germany is ours/...".
Another variation[2] in the first stanza reads "Es zittern die morschen Knochen/der Welt vor dem roten Krieg", meaning "The rotten bones are shaking/of the world, before the red war".
| German lyrics[2] | Approximate translation[3] note: translation is inaccurate and does not match up line-by-line |
|---|---|
| First stanza | |
|
Es zittern die morschen Knochen, |
The rotten bones are trembling, |
| Refrain | |
|
Wir werden weiter marschieren |
We will continue to march, |
| Second stanza | |
|
Und liegt vom Kampfe in Trümmern |
|
| Third stanza | |
|
Und mögen die Alten auch schelten, |
And the elders may chide, |
| Fourth stanza | |
|
Sie wollen das Lied nicht begreifen, |
They don't want to understand this song, |
| Fourth stanza refrain | |
|
Wir werden weiter marschieren, |
We will continue march, |
"Deutschland erwache"
"Deutschland erwache" ("Germany Awake!") was another song favoured by the Nazis:
| German lyrics[4] | Approximate translation |
|---|---|
| First stanza | |
|
Deutschland erwache aus deinem bösen Traum! |
Germany awake from your nightmare! |
| Second stanza | |
|
All diese Heuchler, wir werfen sie hinaus, |
All these hypocrites, we throw them out, |
| Third stanza | |
|
Wir sind die Kämpfer der N.S.D.A.P. |
We are the fighters of the NSDAP |
Combat songs
The battle song of the Nazi Party was the "Kampflied der Nationalsozialisten" by Kleo Pleyer.
Kampflied der Nationalsozialisten (Nazi Combat Song)
Sample:
- Wir sind das Heer vom Hakenkreuz,
- Hebt hoch die roten Fahnen!
- Der deutschen Arbeit wollen wir,
- Den Weg zur Freiheit bahnen!
(Rough English translation)[5]
- We are the army of the swastika,
- Raise high the red Flags!
- For the German labour we want
- to clear the path to freedom!
Another song by Kleo Pleyer:[6]
- Wir Nationalen Sozialisten,
- Wir wollen keine Reaktion
- Wir hassen Juden und Marxisten
- Ein Hoch der deutschen Revolution
- (Refrain)
- Drum Bruder auf die Barrikaden!
- Der Führer ruft, so folget gleich
- Die Reaktion hat ihn verraten,
- Und dennoch kommit das Dritte Reich!
- We National Socialists
- Want no reaction (no Reactionaries)
- We hate Jews and Marxists
- Long live the German Revolution!
- (refrain)
- Onward, brothers, to the barricades!
- The Führer calls, follow him now!
- Reaction has betrayed him
- But the Third Reich comes nevertheless.
Blut muss fließen
This was an SA combat song based on "Das Heckerlied", a song from the German revolution of 1848 used originally by left wing democrats.[7]
- Wetzt die langen Messer auf dem Bürgersteig,
- laßt die Messer flutschen in den Judenleib.
- Blut muss fließen knüppelhageldick
- und wir scheißen auf die Freiheit dieser Judenrepublik.
- Zerrt die Konkubine aus dem Fürstenbett,
- schmiert die Guillotine mit dem Judenfett.
- Blut muss fließen knüppelhageldick
- und wir scheißen auf die Freiheit dieser Judenrepublik.
- In der Synagoge hängt ein schwarzes Schwein,
- in die Parlamente schmeißt die Handgranaten rein.
- Blut muss fließen knüppelhageldick
- und wir scheißen auf die Freiheit dieser Judenrepublik.
- Sharpen the long knives on the pavement,
- let the knives stab into the Jews body.
- Blood must flow extreme extensive
- and we shit on the freedom of this Jews Republic.
- Tug the concubine out of the rulers bed,
- grease the guillotine with the Jews fat.
- Blood must flow extreme extensive
- and we shit on the freedom of this Jews Republic.
- There's a black pig hanging in the synagogoue,
- throw the grenades into the parliaments.
- Blood must flow extreme extensive
- and we shit on the freedom of this Jews Republic.
Other music
- "Alte Kameraden"
- "Erika (Auf der Heide blüht ein kleines Blümelein)"
- "Erzherzog-Albrecht-Marsch"
- "Es war ein Edelweiss"
- "Königgrätzer Marsch"
- "Westerwaldlied (O du schöner Westerwald)"
- "Panzerlied"
See also
References
 | Constructs such as ibid., loc. cit. and idem are discouraged by Wikipedia's style guide for footnotes, as they are easily broken. Please improve this article by replacing them with named references (quick guide), or an abbreviated title. (March 2010) |
- ^ Modern history sourcebook
- ^ a b c http://ingeb.org/Lieder/eszitter.html ingeb.org Es zittern die morschen Knochen
- ^ Murdoch, Brian; Fighting Songs and Warring Words: Popular Lyrics of Two World Wars, pp. 121-122, Routledge 1990 ISBN 0415031842
- ^ Lyrics of "Deutschland erwache"
- ^ Erik von Kuehnelt-Leddihn. Liberty or Equality, Christendom Press, Front Royal, Virginia, 1993. pg 268. This is referenced to: Cf. Ehart (ed) Unter Hitlers Fahnen: grossdeutsches Liederbuch (N.p..Verlag Grossdeutschland, 1932), p. 4.
- ^ Ibid. Referenced to: From G. Feder, Das Programm der NSDAP (Munich: Eher, 1936 ["Nationalsozialistische Bibliothek", Heft I]), last page.
- ^ Das Heckerlied Template:De icon
Further reading
- Frommann, Eberhard (1999). Die Lieder des NS-Zeit: Untersuchungen zur nationalsozialistischen Liedpropaganda von den Anfängen bis zum Zweiten Weltkrieg. ISBN 3-89438-177-9 Template:De icon