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.
Who
Charlie and His Orchestra Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
There'll be just enough
Packaged plastic in my throat to start another one
Cue the organist
And fundamentalists
Who leave their bones in bags untampered by the evidence
Who's counting
Who got time-stamped in the trough
Who's loudest
Who said age would make you soft
Just enough lost
I wanna make my stand
On this stolen land
Wanna grind my borrowed body to some stranger's sand
Put a fence around
My abandoned town
But leave a light on hot to keep the monsters underground
Who's counting
Who got time-stamped in the trough
Wouldn't we be better off
Who's loudest
Who said age would make you soft
Just enough lost
(To buy it)
Feels like a minister died in here
And kept the company card
Who knew luck could be this hard
Keep your trust to yourself, you don't know
How much sway you can stand
And get as old as you can
Who's counting
Who got time-stamped in the trough
Wouldn't we be better off
Who's loudest
Who said age would make you soft
Just enough lost to buy it
The lyrics of Charlie and His Orchestra's song 'Who' seem to dive into the concept of mortality and the meaning of life. The opening line, "When my time is up, there'll be just enough packaged plastic in my throat to start another one," refers to the idea that when one dies, they leave behind a world that continues to move on without them. The reference to "packaged plastic" could indicate the materialistic and disposable nature of society, in which people are easily replaced.
The lyrics go on to mention "fundamentalists who leave their bones in bags untampered by the evidence." This line could be referring to people who cling onto their beliefs without ever questioning or examining them. It may also reference the idea of leaving a physical legacy, while ignoring the consequences of one's actions and the evidence that will remain.
The chorus repeats the lines "Who's counting? Who got time-stamped in the trough? Wouldn't we be better off? Who's loudest? Who said age would make you soft? Just enough lost." This highlights the transient nature of life and the complexities and contradictions within society.
Line by Line Meaning
When my time is up
Upon my death
There'll be just enough
I'll have the bare minimum
Packaged plastic in my throat to start another one
Enough smoking cigarettes to start the next pack
Cue the organist
Signal the musician
And fundamentalists
And extreme religious believers
Who leave their bones in bags untampered by the evidence
Who do not allow evidence to influence their beliefs
Who's counting
Who is keeping track
Who got time-stamped in the trough
Who has been recorded as a statistic
Wouldn't we be better off
Wouldn't it be more advantageous
Who's loudest
Who is the most vocal
Who said age would make you soft
Who believed that aging would weaken you
Just enough lost
Slightly lacking
I wanna make my stand
I want to take a firm stance
On this stolen land
In this land that was taken from someone else
Wanna grind my borrowed body to some stranger's sand
I want my temporary body to be buried in foreign soil
Put a fence around
Erect a barrier
My abandoned town
The town that has been deserted
But leave a light on hot to keep the monsters underground
But keep a light on to prevent danger
Feels like a minister died in here
It feels like there has been a significant loss or change
And kept the company card
And kept the evidence of the loss hidden
Who knew luck could be this hard
Who knew that success could be so difficult
Keep your trust to yourself, you don't know
Do not trust others, as you cannot predict their actions
How much sway you can stand
The amount of influence you can handle
And get as old as you can
And live as long as possible
Just enough lost to buy it
Just enough of a loss to make a decision
Lyrics © DistroKid
Written by: Joshua Schultz
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@travellingdild0s770
About this song, Michel Chedjou says it best "Great historical song, nice to chill out with" lol
@yes3020
😂
@helloman1051
Lol I didnt understand this comment or who that guy is until I scrolled down to see the other comments
@DavidWade66
Thanks for posting! If we don't learn from history, we are bound to repeat it.
@Baathist_Brawler_1565
Or we can learn how to repeat it :D
@darker_angel5463
@@Baathist_Brawler_1565 exactly what is happening
@stover14
@@darker_angel5463I wish :(
@michelchedjou4372
Great historic song, nice to chill out with
@michelchedjou4372
Great historical song nice to chill out with
@michelchedjou4372
Great historical song nice to chill out with.