Have you ever watched a War World II movie and noticed the smartly uniformed German soldiers, marching in flawless unison, intoning a thrilling military song? They may even be “goose-stepping,” their black boots and steel helmets gleaming, with perhaps a stony glint in their eyes? The iconic scene from the film Battle of the Bulge comes to mind, though technically, the soldiers are not so much marching as stomping. You can find a translation of this Wehrmacht march, “Panzerlied” (“Tank Song”) here. Leading his troops in the film is the devilishly handsome, blond-haired and blue-eyed Robert Shaw, who conveys a model, if somewhat stereotypical, Aryan commander.
An even more chilling march is “SS Marschiert in Feindesland,”
also known, fittingly, as “The Devil’s Song.” If there were any doubt that this
SS march proclaims adherence to Nazism, the lyrics make it crystal clear: “We
fight for Germany. We fight for Hitler.”
But must military marches always be so belligerent? Are young men only inspired by love of comrades, country and Führer? As it turns out, soldiers on both sides of the conflict attempted to lift each other’s spirits with reminders of something closer to home and more universal: the girls they left behind. One such march is “Erika.” Published in 1938, it is primarily associated with Nazi Germany, though the words themselves are as benign as the tune is invigorating. (In German, “Erika” is a common female name, as well as the word for heather.) Similarly amorous lyrics can be heard in the marching song "Im Wald, im grünen Walde" ("Lore Lore Lore"). I can attest to the addictiveness of the catchy melody (it’s been playing in my head all day), and the lyrics – “Beautiful girls are everywhere” – are sure to put a smile on even the most battle-weary soldier’s face. This folk song has been recorded by singers such as Heino and Edith Prock, and is not known exclusively as a soldier’s march.
If you’ve been following this blog, you may have noticed that this
is the third out of my last four posts that deal explicitly with music. (The fourth, my
most recent post “From Wehrmacht to Bundeswehr – Crosses, Eagles and Flames,”
while addressing various military themes, includes a link to the ceremonial
march of the Bundeswehr, the “Großer Zapfenstreich.”)
The most recent post on my other blog, “Musings
and discoveries,” is also related to music, specifically to national
anthems. I don’t think this is a coincidence. There is something alluring, even
mesmerizing, about music, which has surely inspired me to write about it. For
centuries, the whole world over, militaries have taken full advantage of the
intoxication of music. It spurs their troops into battle, and soldiers carry on
as death and destruction loom.
