British Soldier's Song (Onward, conscript army...)

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Lawrence
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British Soldier's Song (Onward, conscript army...)

#1

Post by Lawrence » 10 Jun 2003, 21:18

Hello everyone, I have a Mp3 file possibly of 'Charlie and his Orchestra', a German propaganda swing band during the war. The thing is, this one song they did, a jazzy remix of 'Onward Christian Soldiers', is kind of hard to hear what exactly he's ranting about. I've uploaded to the link below and if anyone can translate through the accent, I'd be most grateful. Surprisingly, they're a pretty competent band, once you get past the tasteless anti semetic lyrics. Regards!

http://www.geocities.com/general_sl/Onw ... ldiers.mp3

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David Brown
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#2

Post by David Brown » 11 Jun 2003, 13:01

Hello Kingsley

It does not sound like Karl Schwedler, he had a smoother sounding voice. The bloke who was singing on this sounded like he had been dragged in from one of the Beer Hall's; probably the runner up in the Burgerbraukellers's "SingalongaHorstWesselLied" :D . A sort of Nazi version of "Pop Idol"

If you give me a little time I'll see if I can make sense of what he's singing although it is littered with the usual anti-jewish rhetoric. If I can, I'll try and identify who the singer is because I really don't think it is Karl Schwedler.


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#3

Post by David Brown » 12 Jun 2003, 00:33

Hello Kingsley.

I've got some good news and some bad.

The good news - I've had a go at making the translation but there are still areas I can't figure out. It is definitely English language.

Where I've left lines with nothing but question marks - I can't figure out any of the lyrics. Where there are lyrics and question marks - It sounds like but I can't be certain.

So at the risk of upsetting someone with the anti-semitic content, here are the lyrics:


Onward conscript army
You have naught to fear
[? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?]
Shall lead you from the rear
Played by Monty Burton
Fed on lie on lie [???]
Fight for Yiddish conquests
While the Britons die
Onward conscript army
Marching on to war
Time to die for Jewry
As we did before

You must die for Poland
Pay your debt of thanks
All your benefactors
International banks
So place against the Germans
Beneath the Jewish star
Onward toward their shame bearers
[?] that you are
Who but Europe’s Jewry [??]
We find at war again
Forward for the slaughter
For the Hebrews game

Driven toward the shambles
Like a flock of sheep
By lying propaganda
By their plans like these
So for…[???]
You must fight and die
That Marks and Spencer’s neon sign
May still light up our sky
Forward on to Poland
10 million men shall fall
But Europe’s reign of terror
May hold us all enthralled



Now for the bad news. It's definitely not Karl Schwedler that is singing; and to be honest I don't think it's Charlie and his Orchestra. Having listened to it countless time today, there is something wrong with the sound of the band.

They sound more like Ray Noble's New Mayfair Orchestra (1920's - 1930's) who was fronted by Al Bowlly. Think of the television theme to the programme "GOODNIGHT SWEETHEART" with Nicolas Lyndhurst and you will know you have heard of them before.

I'm extremely curious as to who it is now so I'm going to have a good search around and see what I can find.

Dave

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Lawrence
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#4

Post by Lawrence » 12 Jun 2003, 04:25

Hi David,

Thanks for the input of your lyrics. It seems you've pretty much nailed most of them, for listening to the song again, the words fit right in with the singing. I do have a few disagreements though:

I think this goes like this, although it's quite a minor change:

Onward conscript army
Marching on to war
Fight and die for Jewry
As we did before


Also:

To place again the Germans
Beneath the Jewish star


And for this line, I believe it's

Onward toward their shame bearers
Good cattle that you are


Although, hell, I could be dead wrong on these, but it's worth a shot. Just a few more questions though. Perhaps it's a British thing, but what exactly was 'Mark's and Spencer's neon signs' and who was Monty Burton?

I agree with you that the singer to this song is defintely is not Schwedler. As you proposed, it might not even be the 'Charlie and his Orchestra' playing. All I know is that it was played specifically to British troops in 1939 and 1940, I believe. If it's not 'Charlie and his Orchestra' who did this, I wish you luck in trying to find who. Not a lot of information out about this. I do know that on 'Amazon.com' advertised this track along with other 'Charlie' songs.

And yes, I despise anti semites as much as the next decent fellow, and if you do listen to this song, try to get past the hateful lyrics.

Regards!

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#5

Post by Tiger S04 » 12 Jun 2003, 21:33

A very interesting piece, and it appears that the lyrics are coming together. Kingsley, you must have been listening very closely :) though I have what might be a small correction
Kingsley wrote:Good cattle that you are
I heard this as "Goy", not "good". This tends to also fit in with the spirit of the lyrics...

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#6

Post by David Brown » 12 Jun 2003, 22:42

Hello all

Yes, you're right Tiger SO4, it is supposed to infer "good cattle that you are" to mean "you'll do what you're told to do".

With regard to Marks & Spencer’s neon sign Kingsley. M&S used to be owned by the Seiff Family, (I think I’ve spelt the name right) a very wealthy Jewish family, which made them legitimate targets for the Nazi’s. I’m not 100% certain if the Seiff Family actually founded the company but I do know it’s origins are Jewish. I believe they were the first company in the world to use an illuminated shop sign to highlight the name of their business, but don’t hold me to that.

Monty Burton has given me some grief. I’ve got two conflicting sources of information on this. He was either Montague Burton, the Governor of the Bank of England in the 1930’s, or Montague Burton, founder of Burton’s the tailor’s chain. Again a very wealthy Jewish person. I think another trip to the local library is in order but it’ll just be my luck to find a third unless someone can put me right.

If it is the first Monty Burton, then the lyrics should say “Paid by Monty Burton” and not “Played by Monty Burton”.

Take care and speak to you all again soon.

Dave

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#7

Post by Tiger S04 » 13 Jun 2003, 05:19

David,

Yep, the Sieffs were definitely Jewish. You might remember the story bandied about in the British press a few years ago when Carlos the Jackal came into the news - one of the "big cheeses" the infamous assassination tried to bump off was none other than Edward Sieff, then owner of the M&S chain.

More on this here: http://www.emergency.com/carlos-j.htm

It's not surprising that M&S crop up in this Nazi propaganda ditty; they have for a long time been a very Jewish company, both in its ownership and its outlook - before, during and after the war. For instance, many clothing items to be found in their stores are made in Israel, and as far as I am aware a percentage of the company profits is given to Israeli and Zionist "charities".

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#8

Post by David Brown » 13 Jun 2003, 12:55

Hello Tiger SO4

Yes, I do remember the assassination attempt now that you come to mention it. If my memory serves me correct he was in the bath at the time (Lord Seiff I mean, not Carlos :D ) when he was shot in the face. Miraculously he survived.

Marks & Sparks were not the only Jewish built high street store though were they. I'm fairly certain the Woolworth's Empire originated from there. It was in it's day when it first started in business, quite revolutionary with the promise of "Nothing over Sixpence".

I'm still having trouble with Monty Burton. Any thoughts on this one Tiger?

Take care.

Dave

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#9

Post by Tiger S04 » 13 Jun 2003, 20:23

David Brown wrote:Yes, I do remember the assassination attempt now that you come to mention it. If my memory serves me correct he was in the bath at the time (Lord Seiff I mean, not Carlos :D ) when he was shot in the face. Miraculously he survived.
Supposedly the bullet bounced off his teeth...
Marks & Sparks were not the only Jewish built high street store though were they. I'm fairly certain the Woolworth's Empire originated from there. It was in it's day when it first started in business, quite revolutionary with the promise of "Nothing over Sixpence".
I think Frank W Woolworth (founder of the chain, the sales slogan, intially for those in the US, was "five and a dime") might have been Jewish. I'm not sure though.
I'm still having trouble with Monty Burton. Any thoughts on this one Tiger?
If my memory serves me correctly, Monty (Montague) Burton was the founder of the Burton's store chain (as you mentioned), based initially in Leeds. There was indeed a Montague (or Montagu) who was chairman of the Bank of England, but this was Montagu Collet Norman, who held the post from 1920-1944 (I blame those boring history lectures for my recollection of this banal information). So either Goebbels and his people were talking about the Leeds tailor, or they simply got the wrong Monty. Not quite the full Monty, indeed. :D

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#10

Post by Goodtime Charlie » 08 Jul 2003, 03:22

Hello. Here is how I hear it:

[Partially correct lyrics removed by the host, Ivan Ž. Please see the correct ones below, posted by member "rattenhuber".]

NOTES: All of the references are to Jewish people and Jewish owned businesses.

Isaac Hore-Belisha: Sir (Isaac) Leslie Hore-Belisha was Secretary of State for War in Chamberlain’s cabinet 1937-1940

Israel Moses Sieff: director of Marks & Spencer

Marks & Spencer: large department store, still in business today

Monty Burton: Montague Burton founded what was (and maybe still is) the largest clothing factory in England

Lyons pies: J. Lyons & Co. was at the time one of the largest food and catering companies in the world

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#11

Post by David Brown » 09 Jul 2003, 22:44

The performer of Onward Conscript Army was Erhard Bauschke and his Orchestra. There is no doubt whatsoever this time. He spent the war years touring Germany and performed long seasons in Berlin. They were also well known regulars at Kascade in Dusseldorf and Cafe Heinze in Hamburg.

After the fall of the Nazis he set up a new band to entertain the occupying forces around the Frankfurt area, and now it becomes a real "R - A" story.

On the 27th October 1945, an American Army truck accidentally rammed two parked US military jeeps...killing Erhard Bauschke who was in between them "entertaining" a dancer from the club he was playing at.....WHAT A WAY TO GO!!!...it would be just my luck to get run over by a bus! :cry:

Welcome to the Forum Goodtime Charlie. I think we have now got the lyrics completely boxed off.

Dave

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#12

Post by Lawrence » 26 Mar 2005, 03:00

In case anyone is wondering who made 'Onward Conscript Army' :
RRG's "Political Cabaret" began broadcasting on shortwave to the United States early in 1940. Schwedler was, it seems, an occasional contributor, but it was later in the year before Charlie and His Orchestra was properly convened and began to issue those K&M discs that now represent the ambiguous legacy of wartime propaganda swing. Propaganda music had been made and broadcast since the early days of the so-called Phony War. The first listed by Bergmeier and Lotz is a sourly anti-Semitic reworking of the old Protestant hymn "Onward, Christian Soldiers," recorded on October 11, 1939, by one Erhard Bauschke and his orchestra. The sentiments are generic and predictable; the rhyming is, by comparison with what followed, fairly sophisticated: "Onward conscript army,/marching on to war,/fight and die for Jewry,/as we did before." Later on, the propaganda lyricists had to adapt to events as quickly as possible. The Gershwins' "They All Laughed" provided a useful template, especially in the dark days after Dunkirk when it was thought the British might be intimidated into defeatism. "They all laughed at Germany and its leader/when he said that Germany will rise/...They all laughed at Germany wanting colonies/said, she was reaching for the moon!/Now it's a joke to deny German victory/wise guys have to change their tunes." George was already dead by this time, but Ira, the lyricist, must have been turning uncomfortably in his sleep as lines like these went out over the airwaves.

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#13

Post by rattenhuber » 01 Apr 2005, 19:37

British Soldier's Song

Onward conscript army
you have naught to fear,
Isaac Hore-Belisha
will lead you from the rear.
Clad by Monty Burton,
fed on Lyon's pies,
fight for Yiddish conquest
while the Briton dies.
Onward conscript army,
marching on to war,
fight and die for Jewry,
as we did before.

You must die for Poland,
pay your debt of thanks
to your benefactors:
International banks!
To place again the Germans
beneath the Jewish star
onwards to the shambles:
'Goy cattle that you are'.
Poor? Perscuted Jewry
will finance war again.
Forward to the slaughter
for the Hebrews' gain.

Driven to the shambles
like a flock of sheep
by lying propaganda,
by their plans laid deep.
So for Isreal Moses Sieff
you must fight and die
that Marks & Spencer's neon signs
may still light up our sky.
Forward, on to Poland
ten million men shall fall
that Judah's reign of terror
may hold us all in thrall.
Source: Horst Bergmeier, Rainer E. Lotz, Hitler's Airwaves
Last edited by rattenhuber on 02 Apr 2005, 21:40, edited 3 times in total.

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#14

Post by kjl951 » 04 Dec 2007, 03:15

Hey all

I've just recently stumbled upon this thread and noticed a dicussion about the lyrics of a song entitled "Onward Conscript Soldiers" set to the tune of "Onward Christian Soldiers." I've found them listed in Horst J. P. Bergmeier and Rainer E. Lotz's book entitled Hitler’s Airwaves: the Inside Story of Nazi Radio Broadcasting and Propaganda Swing (Yale University Press, 1997). The words are listed in the appendix of propoganda lyrics, which the authors title as the "British Soldier's Song." Along with the lyrics, they note that the original title is "Onward Christian Soldiers" and seems to have been recorded on October 11th, 1939 (I this to believe what they're refering to with the format of the text). the authors list the names M. Sir Arthur Sullivan (1892-1900) and T. Rev. Sabine Baring-Gould (1834-1924), but whether these are the song writers, I cannot say.

Bergmeier and Lotz state that this song was recorded five weeks after the outbreak of WWII, making it Germany's earliest propaganda song meant for a British audience. They also conjecture that the lyrics seem to have been written by a person very competent in English, as the rhyming is somewhat complex, which may have been popular amongst British Facists during the late 1930's.

Bergmeier and Lotz also list explanations of the names and businesses listed in the song. Isaac Hore-Belisha, otherwise known as Sir Leslie Hore-Belisha (1893-1957), was best known as the Minister of Transport -- a job which he held from 1934-1937 -- as he was the one who first placed the 'Belisha beacons' over pedestrian crossings. Hore-Belisha was part of the Chamberlain cabinet as the Secretary of State for War from 1937 to 1940 and, although attributed to modernizing the British Army, was antagonized by some officers and received the nickname of 'Horeb-Elisha' from local Fascists. Montague Burton, Lyons, and Marks & Spencer were all entreprenuial and influential businesses founded by Jewish businessmen. Israel Moses Sieff was the founder of Marks & Spencer.

Hope this helps! The book is quite interesting and if you're intrigued by the topic of propaganda radio in Germany during the War, I highly suggest you read it!

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#15

Post by Tintin1689 » 07 Dec 2007, 18:18

The Rev Sabine Baring-Gould was the author of the original hymn and Sir Arthur Sullivan (of Gilbert and Sullivan fame) wrote the music

It was written originally to help the marching of a parade of small school children whose route included a steep hill

The strong martial melody lends itself to parody

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