There'll Come a Time
Bix Beiderbecke With Frankie Trumbauer And His Orchestra Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

There'll be a hot time in the town of Berlin
When the Yanks go marching in
I wanna be there boy and spread some joy
When they take old Berlin

There'll be a hot time in the town of Berlin
When the Brooklyn boys begin
To take the joint apart and tear it down

When they take old Berlin

They're gonna start a row and show them how
We paint the town back in Kokomo
They're gonna take a hike through Hitler's Reich,
And change the "Heil" to "Whatcha-know-Joe"

There'll be a hot time in the town of Berlin
When the Yanks go marching in
You could never keep `em happy down on the farm
After they take Berlin.

There'll be a hot time in the town of Berlin
When the Yanks go marching in
Oh what a Jubilee there's gonna be
When they take old Berlin

There'll be a hot time in the town of Berlin
When the Brooklyn boys begin
To take the joint apart and tear it down
When they take old Berlin

They're gonna start a row and show them how
We paint the town back in Michigan
They're gonna take a hike through Hitler's Reich,
And change the "Heil" to "Gimme some skin"

There'll be a hot time in the town of Berlin
When the Yanks go marching in

You could never keep `em happy down on the farm
After they take Berlin.

Overall Meaning

The song "There'll Come a Time" celebrates the anticipated victory of the Allied forces in World War II, specifically the capture of Berlin. The lyrics are a rallying cry for American troops to march into Berlin and take down Hitler's Nazi regime. The song's upbeat tempo and catchy lyrics express the jubilance and excitement for the impending victory.

The first verse sets the scene for the anticipated hot time in Berlin, emphasizing that the Yanks will be the ones to take down the city. The use of "boy" in the line "I wanna be there boy and spread some joy" reflects the youthful energy and enthusiasm of the American soldiers. The second verse highlights the Brooklyn boys, who start a row and show the Germans how they "paint the town back in Michigan." The third verse specifically mentions the soldiers taking a hike through Hitler's Reich and changing the "Heil" to "Whatcha-know-Joe" and "Gimme some skin," which reflects the soldiers' desire to overturn the Nazi regime's salute and replace it with more American-friendly greetings. The final verse expresses that the American troops will never be happy again after tasting victory and taking down Berlin.

Overall, the song "There'll Come a Time" highlights the celebration of the Allied victory and specifically the American contribution to this victory, expressing the excitement of taking down Hitler's regime and restoring freedom to Germany.

Line by Line Meaning

There'll be a hot time in the town of Berlin When the Yanks go marching in
When the Americans conquer Berlin, there will be a time of celebration and excitement in the city.

I wanna be there boy and spread some joy When they take old Berlin
I want to be present during the capture of Berlin and contribute to the happiness and celebration that ensues.

When the Brooklyn boys begin To take the joint apart and tear it down When they take old Berlin
The soldiers from Brooklyn will be the ones to initiate the capture of Berlin and destroy the city once it is taken.

They're gonna start a row and show them how We paint the town back in Kokomo They're gonna take a hike through Hitler's Reich, And change the 'Heil' to 'Whatcha-know-Joe'
The soldiers will cause a ruckus and demonstrate their superior ability to party in the same way they do in their home state of Indiana; they will march through Hitler's territory and replace the Nazi salute with a slang greeting.

You could never keep `em happy down on the farm After they take Berlin.
The soldiers will never be content with staying on the farm after experiencing the thrill of capturing a city as significant as Berlin.

Oh what a Jubilee there's gonna be When they take old Berlin
The celebration and joy following the capture of Berlin will be immense.

They're gonna start a row and show them how We paint the town back in Michigan They're gonna take a hike through Hitler's Reich, And change the 'Heil' to 'Gimme some skin'
The soldiers will cause chaos and party just as hard as they do in their home state of Michigan; they will march through Hitler's territory and replace the Nazi salute with slang for a high five.

Lyrics © THE MUSIC GOES ROUND, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Johnny Devries, Joe Bushkin

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

To comment on or correct specific content, highlight it

TRACKS