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 Lambeth walk
Charlie and His Orchestra Lyrics

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Any time you're Lambeth way
Any evening, any day,
You'll find us all
Doin' the Lambeth walk.
Ev'ry little Lambeth gal
With her little Lambeth pal,
You'll find 'em all
Doin' the Lambeth walk.

Ev'rything free and easy,
Do as darn well pleasey,
Why don't you make your way there'
Go there, stay there,
Once you get down Lambeth way
Ev'ry evening, ev'ry day,

You'll find yourself
Doin'the Lambeth walk.

Overall Meaning

The Lambeth Walk is a song by Charlie and His Orchestra that is a cheerful and playful ode to the Lambeth district in London during the 1930s. The lyrics describe the joy and freedom of the working-class people living in the area, who dance and sing the Lambeth Walk every day and night. The song invites the listener to join them, promising an easy and carefree life full of fun and happiness. The lyrics convey a sense of community and togetherness, emphasizing the shared experience of the Lambeth Walk.

The song's lyrics are light-hearted and playful, but they also carry a deeper meaning about the struggles of the working-class people in London during the Depression era. The Lambeth Walk was a symbol of hope and resilience in the face of economic hardship and social inequality. The song's upbeat melody and catchy chorus made it a hit, and it quickly became a part of the popular culture of the time. Even today, the Lambeth Walk is remembered as a symbol of the working-class spirit and the resilience of the human spirit.

The Lambeth walkCharlie and His Orchestra Lyrics

Ryan Murphy

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The Lambeth walk
Charlie and His Orchestra Lyrics