Despite characterizing jazz as "Entartete musik", ironically the Third Reic… Read Full Bio ↴Despite characterizing jazz as "Entartete musik", ironically the Third Reich had their own swing band for propaganda purposes. German propaganda minister Joseph Goebbels conceived of using the style in short wave radio broadcasts aimed at the United States and particularly the United Kingdom. British listeners heard the band every Wednesday and Saturday at around 9 pm.
The purpose of the band was to stir pro-Nazi sympathy, draw attention to World War II Allied losses, and carry Adolf Hitler's messages in an entertaining form. The songs stressed how badly the war was going for the target audience, and how it was only going to be a matter of time before they would be beaten.
Led by German accented front man Karl Schwedler ("Charlie"), conducted by Lutz Templin, and paced by drummer Fritz "Freddie" Brocksieper, the band included Kurt Abraham on reeds and Willy Berking on trombone. The group formed in 1940, making over 90 recordings between March 1941 and February 1943. Arrangements were by Templin, Willy Berking, and Franz Mück, with lyrics written by the Propagandaministerium. Schwedler was allowed permission to travel to neutral and occupied countries to collect jazz and dance music, which helped the band and propaganda ministry to craft more recordings.
Popular American swing songs - and popular British tunes/songs - were initially performed true to the original, until about the second or third verse which were replaced by pro-German lyrics and monologues. For example, in the tune You're Driving Me Crazy, Schwedler croons about the confusion of new love, and in the third verse continues: Here is Winston Churchill's latest tear-jerker: Yes, the Germans are driving me crazy / I thought I had brains / But they shot down my planes..." Later, the entire lyric would be modified, clearly based on the original. The band even recorded some "cover versions" of the originals, unaltered.
Indeed, anecdotal accounts indicate that Winston Churchill enjoyed the broadcasts, finding the lyrics hilarious.
Many of the members of Charlie and his Orchestra went on to successful careers in music after the war.
The purpose of the band was to stir pro-Nazi sympathy, draw attention to World War II Allied losses, and carry Adolf Hitler's messages in an entertaining form. The songs stressed how badly the war was going for the target audience, and how it was only going to be a matter of time before they would be beaten.
Led by German accented front man Karl Schwedler ("Charlie"), conducted by Lutz Templin, and paced by drummer Fritz "Freddie" Brocksieper, the band included Kurt Abraham on reeds and Willy Berking on trombone. The group formed in 1940, making over 90 recordings between March 1941 and February 1943. Arrangements were by Templin, Willy Berking, and Franz Mück, with lyrics written by the Propagandaministerium. Schwedler was allowed permission to travel to neutral and occupied countries to collect jazz and dance music, which helped the band and propaganda ministry to craft more recordings.
Popular American swing songs - and popular British tunes/songs - were initially performed true to the original, until about the second or third verse which were replaced by pro-German lyrics and monologues. For example, in the tune You're Driving Me Crazy, Schwedler croons about the confusion of new love, and in the third verse continues: Here is Winston Churchill's latest tear-jerker: Yes, the Germans are driving me crazy / I thought I had brains / But they shot down my planes..." Later, the entire lyric would be modified, clearly based on the original. The band even recorded some "cover versions" of the originals, unaltered.
Indeed, anecdotal accounts indicate that Winston Churchill enjoyed the broadcasts, finding the lyrics hilarious.
Many of the members of Charlie and his Orchestra went on to successful careers in music after the war.
More Genres
More Albums
Load All
No Artists Found
More Artists
Load All
No Albums Found
No Tracks Found
Genre not found
Artist not found
Album not found
Search results not found
Song not found
Propaganda Swing
Charlie and His Orchestra Lyrics
Bei Mir Bist Du Schön Of all the boys I've known and I've known some Until…
Bye Bye Blackbird No one here can love or understand me Oh, what hard…
Daisy All day when I am away You got me feeling some…
Dinah Carolina Gave me Dinah; I'm the proudest one Beneath the…
Elmer's Tune Why are the stars always winkin' and blinkin' above? What ma…
FDR Jones I hear, tell, there's a stranger in the Jones household (Yes…
Hold Tight Hold tight hold tight hold tight hold tight Foo-ra-de-ack-a-…
I Can't Give You Anything but Love Gee, but it's tough to be broke, kid. It's not a…
I Double Dare You I double dare you to sit over here I double dare…
I'm Putting All My Eggs In One Basket I'm putting all my eggs in one basket I'm betting…
I've Got a Pocketful of Dreams Happiness comes with success And that I guess is true But su…
Indian Love Call Keep, keep Keep, keep Keep, keep Keep, keep When I'm calli…
Let's Put out the Lights No More Company To Feed No More Papers Left To…
Macpherson Is Rehearsin Oh, McPherson is rehearsin' And the bagpipes are reversin' …
Picture Me Without You When somebody loves somebody Ev'rything and ev'rybody Makes …
Saint Louis Blues I hate to see that evening sun go down I hate…
Slumming on Park Avenue Put on your slumming clothes and get your car Let's go…
South of the Border South of the border Down Mexico way That's where I fell in…
Stardust And now the purple dusk of twilight time Steals across the…
Thanks for the Memory Thanks for the memory Of sentimental verse, Nothing in my pu…
The Sheik of Araby "I'm the Sheik of Araby, Your love belongs to me. At…
Three Little Fishes There were three little sisters, Three little sisters, Each …
You Can't Stop Me From Dreaming You can stop me from kissing you, You can stop me…
You're Driving Me Crazy You, you're driving me crazy! What did I do? What…
Ryan Murphy
on Dinah
Thanks for these lyrics. Fine music.