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 MĆ¼ck, 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.
Youre The Top
Charlie and His Orchestra Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
That I always have found it best,
Instead of getting 'em off my chest,
To let 'em rest unexpressed,
I hate parading my serenading
As I'll probably miss a bar,
But if this ditty is not so pretty
At least it'll tell you
You're the top!
You're the Coliseum.
You're the top!
You're the Louver Museum.
You're a melody from a symphony by Strauss
You're a Bendel bonnet,
A Shakespeare's sonnet,
You're Mickey Mouse.
You're the Nile,
You're the Tower of Pisa,
You're the smile on the Mona Lisa
I'm a worthless check, a total wreck, a flop,
But if, baby, I'm the bottom you're the top!
Your words poetic are not pathetic.
On the other hand, babe, you shine,
And I can feel after every line
A thrill divine
Down my spine.
Now gifted humans like Vincent Youmans
Might think that your song is bad,
But I got a notion
I'll second the motion
And this is what I'm going to add;
You're the top!
You're Mahatma Gandhi.
You're the top!
You're Napoleon Brandy.
You're the purple light
Of a summer night in Spain,
You're the National Gallery
You're Garbo's salary,
You're cellophane.
You're sublime,
You're turkey dinner,
You're the time, the time of a Derby winner
I'm a toy balloon that's fated soon to pop
But if, baby, I'm the bottom,
You're the top!
You're the top!
You're an arrow collar
You're the top!
You're a Coolidge dollar,
You're the nimble tread
Of the feet of Fred Astaire,
You're an O'Neill drama,
You're Whistler's mama!
You're camembert.
You're a rose,
You're Inferno's Dante,
You're the nose
On the great Durante.
I'm just in a way,
As the French would say, "de trop".
But if, baby, I'm the bottom,
You're the top!
You're the top!
You're a dance in Bali.
You're the top!
You're a hot tamale.
You're an angel, you,
Simply too, too, too diveen,
You're a Boticcelli,
You're Keats,
You're Shelly!
You're Ovaltine!
You're a boom,
You're the dam at Boulder,
You're the moon,
Over Mae West's shoulder,
I'm the nominee of the G.O.P.
Or GOP!
But if, baby, I'm the bottom,
You're the top!
You're the top!
You're a Waldorf salad.
You're the top!
You're a Berlin ballad.
You're the boats that glide
On the sleepy Zuider Zee,
You're an old Dutch master,
You're Lady Astor,
You're broccoli!
You're romance,
You're the steppes of Russia,
You're the pants, on a Roxy usher,
I'm a broken doll, a fol-de-rol, a blop,
But if, baby, I'm the bottom,
You're the top!
The lyrics of Charlie and His Orchestra's song "You're The Top" is a playful back-and-forth between two lovers who are trying to one-up each other with complimentary comparisons. The first singer admits to being "pathetic" at expressing himself poetically, but he attempts to praise his lover by comparing her to famous landmarks, artists, and cultural icons. He even goes as far as to compare her to Mickey Mouse and cellophane, highlighting her importance in his life. The second singer responds in turn and compliments the first singer's words and the feeling they evoke in her. She then compares him to figures such as Mahatma Gandhi and Dante, highlighting his nobility and intellect. The back-and-forth continues throughout the song with each singer trying to top the other in their compliments.
The lyrics of "You're The Top" can be seen as a commentary on the power of language and the importance of expressing oneself poetically. Throughout the song, the singers try to outdo each other with their words, indicating that language can be used to create feelings of love and admiration. The various comparisons also demonstrate the reach of culture and how even far-off places and artists can be brought into the context of a love story.
Line by Line Meaning
At words poetic, I'm so pathetic
I'm not great at writing beautiful poetry
That I always have found it best, Instead of getting 'em off my chest, To let 'em rest unexpressed
Instead of expressing my feelings through poetry, I keep them inside
I hate parading my serenading As I'll probably miss a bar
I don't like performing my music because I might mess up a note
But if this ditty is not so pretty At least it'll tell you How great you are.
Even if this song isn't perfect, it's still a tribute to how amazing you are
You're the top! You're the Coliseum.
You are second to none. You are equivalent to the grand and awe-inspiring Coliseum
You're the top! You're the Louver Museum.
You are without equal. You are like the world-renowned Louvre Museum
You're a melody from a symphony by Strauss You're a Bendel bonnet, A Shakespeare's sonnet, You're Mickey Mouse.
You are a beautiful melody from a famous symphony, a high-fashion bonnet, a timeless Shakespearean sonnet, and an iconic character like Mickey Mouse
You're the Nile, You're the Tower of Pisa, You're the smile on the Mona Lisa
You are like the majestic Nile River, the wondrous Tower of Pisa, and the enigmatic smile of the Mona Lisa
I'm a worthless check, a total wreck, a flop, But if, baby, I'm the bottom you're the top!
I am insignificant and useless compared to you, but even so, you are the best
Your words poetic are not pathetic. On the other hand, babe, you shine, And I can feel after every line A thrill divine Down my spine.
Your poetry is not bad at all, in fact, it's remarkable. After every line, I feel an exciting sensation throughout my body
Now gifted humans like Vincent Youmans Might think that your song is bad, But I got a notion I'll second the motion And this is what I'm going to add;
Others may criticize your song, but I personally think it's amazing and I support it
You're the top! You're Mahatma Gandhi. You're the top! You're Napoleon Brandy.
You are like the wise and noble Mahatma Gandhi and the refined and sophisticated Napoleon Brandy
You're the purple light Of a summer night in Spain, You're the National Gallery You're Garbo's salary, You're cellophane.
You are like the captivating purple light of a summer evening in Spain, the impressive works of art in the National Gallery, the high salary of famous actress Garbo, and the versatile cellophane material
You're sublime, You're turkey dinner, You're the time, the time of a Derby winner
You are excellent and awe-inspiring like the concept of the sublime, the deliciousness of Thanksgiving turkey dinner, and the triumphant moment of a horse race victory
I'm a toy balloon that's fated soon to pop But if, baby, I'm the bottom, You're the top!
I am insignificant and temporary compared to you, but even so, you are the best
You're the top! You're an arrow collar You're the top! You're a Coolidge dollar, You're the nimble tread Of the feet of Fred Astaire, You're an O'Neill drama, You're Whistler's mama! You're camembert.
You are like the exclusive Arrow collar, the prestigious Coolidge dollar, the graceful movements of Fred Astaire's feet, the deep and complex plays of O'Neill, the mother of famous artist Whistler, and the famous French cheese Camembert
You're a rose, You're Inferno's Dante, You're the nose On the great Durante.
You are like the delicate beauty of a rose, the masterful works of Dante, and the unique and recognizable nose of famous comedian Durante
I'm just in a way, As the French would say, "de trop". But if, baby, I'm the bottom, You're the top!
I am insignificant and can be disregarded, as the French phrase "de trop" implies, but regardless, you remain the best
You're the top! You're a dance in Bali. You're the top! You're a hot tamale. You're an angel, you, Simply too, too, too diveen, You're a Boticcelli, You're Keats, You're Shelly! You're Ovaltine!
You are like the exotic and stunning Balinese dance, the spicy and delicious hot tamale, the divine and heavenly angel, the beautiful and inspired works of Botticelli, Keats, and Shelley, and even the beloved Ovaltine drink
You're a boom, You're the dam at Boulder, You're the moon, Over Mae West's shoulder, I'm the nominee of the G.O.P. Or GOP! But if, baby, I'm the bottom, You're the top!
You are like the loud and powerful boom, the impressive Hoover Dam in Boulder, the radiant presence of the moon over Mae West's shoulder, and even I, who may be part of the Republican Party, cannot compare to how amazing you are
You're the top! You're a Waldorf salad. You're the top! You're a Berlin ballad. You're the boats that glide On the sleepy Zuider Zee, You're an old Dutch master, You're Lady Astor, You're broccoli! You're romance, You're the steppes of Russia, You're the pants, on a Roxy usher, I'm a broken doll, a fol-de-rol, a blop, But if, baby, I'm the bottom, You're the top!
You are like the classy and refined Waldorf salad, the captivating and emotional Berlin ballad, the serene and peaceful boats on the Zuider Zee, the illustrious works of an old Dutch master, the elegant Lady Astor, and even the nutritious and versatile broccoli. You are also like the concept of romance, the sweeping landscapes of the Russian steppes, and the stylish pants worn by a Roxy theatre usher. Even though I am insignificant and trivial, you are still the best
Lyrics Ā© BMG Rights Management, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Cole Porter
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@hrbooksmusic7878
@@GrzegorzSkoczylas
Thank you, sir, for your answer. (Which, 9 months later, seems to be gone... Or is there a failure in the program...? š¤)
Itās interesting that you see Germany in the position of a leader of the EU... In my opinion France took over awhile ago. Iām not even sure whether Germany really, really wants to take the lead (sometimes, in dreams) - most of the time Germans are too busy striving to please everyone, something a true leader cannot afford. You usually get either respect or love. Germans want to be liked even more than respected, so they often end up entangled in foul compromises...
I do not agree that Western politicians in particular are hypocrites - Iād rather say that most politicians all over the world tend to be hypocritical. But thereās one thing we just canāt deny: That all politicians in all countries are responsible for their own people, and sometimes for their own people first. They have taken an oath to work for the interests of their respective country and its citizens (which of course doesnāt mean to neglect the responsibility toward the world completely!) They are obliged to try and keep their country out of harmās way. Ukrainian politicians do nothing else by demanding full support from the West. They do it for their country and their people, not for the sake of the whole world. Some of them are even willing to risk another World War by making impossible demands that could provoke this very World War. Itās understandable - but itās not reasonable.
Furthermore, itās completely useless to divide the world into black and white, good and bad. Itās been done before, and sadly nothing good ever came of it.
Good people on all sides. Bad people on all sides. Good people in Ukraine, good people in Russia. Good people in the West, good people in the East. And just the opposite as well! Accusations that donāt see the whole picture as well as the many tiny detailed ones lead to nothing.
As long as the enemy is in our heads, there will be no understanding, no tolerance, and no peace.
We could go on talking - about the EU for instance... but this is not the time or place.
Take care and stay safe whereever you are!
@AlexisKasperavicius
Thank you so much for posting! This stuff is of huge historical interest!
@henryhallfan
Out of the propaganda recordings I have heard, this one flows together the best in my opinion. Very interesting and rare piece of history!
@jurivlk5433
These times are coming back. But without the good music, as propagandistic it may have been! 1930-45 propaganda was more or less overt. Today, it is much more subtile. Anyway, let's enjoy the music!
@darker_angel5463
Ah informagional warfare through the internet
@tedlawrence4189
I have collected 78's since 1970. I have a huge and valuable collection. I do not however have any of these very clever German progaganda discs. Here is a bit of trivia for collectors: Both Germany and England used a higher quality shellac on their 78's. US used cheaper and more gritty quality.
@Finglesham
Heard this stuff last week on SKY. I was amused by this and thought how incredible to waste resources on it by the Germans. My parents did not mention it and my father was in the invasion forces. The British would have had a laugh as we understand satire, but the Nazi? No idea/
@Oldtimemusiclover
Would this record be for sale?
@HansPaetsch-yf7tc
It should be Propaganda. But it sounds like an unintentional parody.
@andretoivonen9737
say what you want about the lyrics but the music is cool (Y)
@iq1548
He didn't say 'no homo' so i really don't know what to make of this...