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.

When Day Is Done
Charlie and His Orchestra Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

When day is done
And shadows fall
I dream of you!

When day is done
I think of all
The joys we knew!

That yearning, returning,
To hold you in my arms,
Won't go love, I know love,
Without you, night has lost it's charms!

When day is done
And grass is wet
With twilight's dew,
My lonely heart is sinking
With the sun!

Although I miss your tender kiss
The whole day through,
I miss you most of all
When day is done!

Although I miss your tender kiss
The whole day through,

I miss you most of all
When day is done!

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of "When Day Is Done" by Charlie and His Orchestra convey a deep sense of longing and nostalgia for a lost love. The singer describes their feelings at the end of the day when shadows fall and they are left to reminisce about their beloved. The repetition of the line "I dream of you!" highlights the intensity of the longing and the presence of the loved one in the singer's thoughts.

As the song progresses, the singer reflects on the joyful memories shared with their love and how those moments continue to bring them comfort and happiness. The imagery of holding the loved one in their arms and the idea of not being able to go on without their presence emphasize the depth of the emotional connection and the emptiness felt in their absence.

The lyrics further explore the melancholy of the evening, with references to the damp grass and sinking sun adding to the atmosphere of loneliness and longing. The contrast between the beauty of twilight's dew and the singer's sinking heart symbolizes the bittersweet nature of memories and the pain of missing someone deeply.

The song concludes with a poignant declaration of the singer's feelings, expressing that despite missing their loved one throughout the day, it is when the day is done that the longing is most acute. The repeated refrain of missing the tender kiss and yearning for the presence of the beloved underscores the enduring ache of separation and the deep emotional impact of their absence. Overall, "When Day Is Done" paints a vivid portrait of love and loss, capturing the timeless theme of longing for a lost love in a poignant and heartfelt manner.

Line by Line Meaning

When day is done
At the end of the day

And shadows fall
And darkness arrives

I dream of you!
I think of you and wish to be with you

I think of all
I remember

The joys we knew!
The happiness we shared

That yearning, returning,
That longing, coming back

To hold you in my arms,
To embrace you

Won't go love, I know love,
Love will not fade, I understand love

Without you, night has lost it's charms!
Without you, nighttime is not as special

And grass is wet
And the grass is damp

With twilight's dew,
With the evening's moisture

My lonely heart is sinking
My sad heart is becoming heavier

With the sun!
As the day ends

Although I miss your tender kiss
Even though I long for your gentle kiss

The whole day through,
All day long

I miss you most of all
I miss you the most

When day is done!
When the day comes to a close

Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Songtrust Ave, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: KATSCHER ROBERT, B.G. DESYLVA

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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