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 MΓΌck, 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.
Stardust
Charlie and His Orchestra Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Steals across the meadows of my heart
High up in the sky the little stars climb
Always reminding me that we're apart
You wander down the lane and far away
Leaving me a song that will not die
Love is now the stardust of yesterday
The music of the years gone by.
Sometimes I wonder, how I spend
The lonely nights
Dreaming of a song
The melody
Haunts my reverie
And I am once again with you
When our love was new
And each kiss an inspiration
But that was long ago
And now my consolation is in the stardust of a song
Besides the garden wall, when stars are bright
You are in my arms
The nightingale
Tells his fairytale
Of paradise, where roses grew
Though I dream in vain
In my heart it will remain
My stardust melody
The memory of love's refrain.
Charlie Christian's "Stardust" is a romantic ballad that expresses a strong sense of nostalgia and longing for the past. The song talks about the beauty of twilight time, and how it triggers memories of a love that is no longer present. The purple dusk that spreads across the meadows is symbolic of the emptiness and longing that the person is feeling. The stars that climb up the sky serve as a constant reminder of the distance that separates the lovers. The lyrics convey a sense of helplessness, as the singer is left to reminisce about the love that has long faded away. The song then goes on to describe how the melody of a song that the lover left behind still lingers and provides some degree of comfort to the person. The melody of the song haunts the person and takes them back to the times when their love was new, and every kiss was an inspiration. The person wishes to be with their lover once again, but they know that it is only in the stardust of a song that their love remains.
Overall, the song is a beautifully written and emotive ballad that speaks to the pain of lost love. The lyrics are rich in their imagery and symbolism, capturing the sense of longing and nostalgia that many of us experience when we think back on past relationships.
Line by Line Meaning
And now the purple dusk of twilight time
The sun has set and darkness is creeping in
Steals across the meadows of my heart
A feeling of sadness and loneliness is overwhelming me
High up in the sky the little stars climb
Stars are shining bright in the sky
Always reminding me that we're apart
The sight of the stars reminds me that I am separated from my loved one
You wander down the lane and far away
You have left me and gone far away
Leaving me a song that will not die
The memory of our love is still alive in me, like a song that never fades away
Love is now the stardust of yesterday
Our love has turned to memories that linger on
The music of the years gone by.
The memories of our love are like sweet music from the past
Sometimes I wonder, how I spend
At times I ponder on how I pass
The lonely nights
The nights when I am alone
Dreaming of a song
I daydream of a tune
The melody
The notes of the music
Haunts my reverie
The melody stays in my thoughts and dreams
And I am once again with you
The tune takes me back to the time when we were together
When our love was new
When our relationship was fresh and budding
And each kiss an inspiration
Each kiss was a spark of motivation
But that was long ago
That time is way behind us
And now my consolation is in the stardust of a song
My comfort now lies in the memories of our love, which are like stardust of a song
Besides the garden wall, when stars are bright
On the other side of the garden wall, when the stars are shining bright
You are in my arms
I am holding you close
The nightingale
The bird that sings at night
Tells his fairytale
It sings a magical story
Of paradise, where roses grew
It sings of a beautiful garden where roses bloomed
Though I dream in vain
Although I dream to be with you in vain
In my heart it will remain
The memory of our love will remain in my heart
My stardust melody
The memories of our love are like stardust that I hold dear
The memory of love's refrain.
The memories of our love are like a recurring musical phrase
Lyrics Β© Universal Music Publishing Group, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: CHRISTOPHER GENTRY, JOHN HUTCHINSON DEAN, MATTHEW EVERITT, SIMON IAN WHITE, STUART BLACK
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Ryan Murphy
on Dinah
Thanks for these lyrics. Fine music.