I was reading in an archive newspaper website about the 1905 Leicester unemployed march to London. Over 400 men marched from Leicester to London petitioning government for jobs. It was reported that this was a favourite song for the marchers.
What may be surprising to many listeners is that the melody from this song was expropriated by the NAZI's in World War II, given a new set of lyrics (which not surprisingly exalted the Fatherland) and turned into a NAZI hit. The title was changed to Heil Deutschland. These lyrics are available elsewhere online. Many other American songs were similarly expropriated and morphed into rousing Nazi marches, particularly old college songs. What may be even more surprising is the American Colleges (such as Yale) stole German Marches and patriotic songs and turned them into college fight songs. One famous example is Yale's Bright College Years....adapted from the famous German March Die Wacht Am Rhein. I guess it was a two way street !
The earliest German far-right version of this song is 'Kam'rad, reich mir die Hände', also known as the Ehrhardt-Lied. It was about the Marine-Brigade-Ehrhardt, a paramilitary group that attacked socialist groups. The song was actually written after the group had been outlawed in 1920. It became a commemorative song for the early far-right among later far-right groups. Eventually the NSDAP wrote their own version - 'Deutschland, du Land der Treue'.
@@historicalsongarchive Whenever I see someone call the nazis far-right, it rustles my jimmies. The Nazis can be considered leftist if we look beyond the surface. The name 'National Socialist Party' is not merely decorative; it reflects policies of state control over resources and industries, similar to those advocated by socialist movements. Additionally, the emphasis on extensive social programs and government intervention in the economy are typical traits of leftist policies. Therefore, categorizing Nazism as a far-right ideology ignores these significant similarities with leftist ideologies.
I was reading in an archive newspaper website about the 1905 Leicester unemployed march to London. Over 400 men marched from Leicester to London petitioning government for jobs. It was reported that this was a favourite song for the marchers.
Sounds very sad in this rendition
Another song from my great aunt's/grandmother's notebook from 1906. I love hearing the song come alive. Thank you!
I just found the lyrics to this song in my grandmother's journal, dated November 29, 1906.
What may be surprising to many listeners is that the melody from this song was expropriated by the NAZI's in World War II, given a new set of lyrics (which not surprisingly exalted the Fatherland) and turned into a NAZI hit. The title was changed to Heil Deutschland. These lyrics are available elsewhere online. Many other American songs were similarly expropriated and morphed into rousing Nazi marches, particularly old college songs. What may be even more surprising is the American Colleges (such as Yale) stole German Marches and patriotic songs and turned them into college fight songs. One famous example is Yale's Bright College Years....adapted from the famous German March Die Wacht Am Rhein. I guess it was a two way street !
Thank you for your information!
The earliest German far-right version of this song is 'Kam'rad, reich mir die Hände', also known as the Ehrhardt-Lied. It was about the Marine-Brigade-Ehrhardt, a paramilitary group that attacked socialist groups. The song was actually written after the group had been outlawed in 1920. It became a commemorative song for the early far-right among later far-right groups. Eventually the NSDAP wrote their own version - 'Deutschland, du Land der Treue'.
@@historicalsongarchive Whenever I see someone call the nazis far-right, it rustles my jimmies. The Nazis can be considered leftist if we look beyond the surface. The name 'National Socialist Party' is not merely decorative; it reflects policies of state control over resources and industries, similar to those advocated by socialist movements. Additionally, the emphasis on extensive social programs and government intervention in the economy are typical traits of leftist policies. Therefore, categorizing Nazism as a far-right ideology ignores these significant similarities with leftist ideologies.