Busch first rose to prominence as an interpreter of political songs, particularly those of Kurt Tucholsky, in the Berlin cabaret scene of the 1920s. He starred in the original 1928 production of Bertolt Brecht's Threepenny Opera, as well as the subsequent 1931 film by Georg Wilhelm Pabst.
A lifelong Communist, Busch fled Nazi Germany in 1933 with the Gestapo on his heels, eventually settling in the Soviet Union. In 1937 he joined the International Brigades to fight against fascism in Spain. After Spain fell to the Franco, he emigrated to Belgium, where he was interned during the Nazi occupation and later imprisoned in Gurs, France and Berlin. Freed by the Red Army in 1945, he settled in East Berlin, where he worked with Bertold Brecht and Erwin Piscator at the "Berliner Ensemble". A beloved figure in the German Democratic Republic, he is best remembered for his performance in the title role of Brecht's Galileo, and for his stirring recordings of worker's songs, including many written by Hanns Eisler.
Zeit Marsch
Ernst Busch Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Text: Wladimir Majakowski (dt. v. Hugo Huppert); Musik: Hanns Eisler
Sang der Gesänge,
heb dich zur Sonne
über dem Marsch
der roten Kolonne.
Land, sei bereit!
Du, Land der Länder,
brich auf und stürme
tritt in den Staub
das Modergewürme.
Wage den Streit!
Vorwärts, die Zeit!
Freudig, du Land,
der Zukunft verschworen
denn die Kommune
steht vor den Toren.
Halte den Eid!
Vorwärts, die Zeit!
Greif in die Räder
Zahnrad der Wochen
Tagschicht und Nachtschicht!
Ununterbrochen!
Spute dich heut!
Vorwärts, die Zeit!
Meine Kommune,
stoße vom Thron heut
Faulheit und Schlendrian,
alte Gewohnheit!
Herz sei erneut!
Vorwärts, die Zeit!
Text: Wladimir Majakowski
Deutsch: Hugo Huppert
Musik: Hanns Eisler
Zitiert nach Ernst Busch: Lieder. Eisler - Majakowski. Aurora 5 80 004. Erstmals erschienen 1963.
Zeit-Marsch, also known as Sang der Gesänge, was a revolutionary song composed by Hanns Eisler with lyrics by Wladimir Majakowski (translated by Hugo Huppert). The song was performed by Ernst Busch, one of the most popular German socialist singers of the 20th century, and became an anthem of the German labor movement during the Weimar Republic.
The song begins with the lines "Sang der Gesänge, heb dich zur Sonne über dem Marsch der roten Kolonne" which means "Song of songs, rise to the sun above the march of the red column". These lines ask for the spirit of the songs which inspire the people to rise and march against oppression. The next lines, "Land, sei bereit! Vorwärts, die Zeit!" urge the land to prepare for the revolutionary change and for the people to move forward in time.
The song then goes on to call for the overthrow of the old order, urging the people to break free from their oppression and fight for a better future. The lines, "Du, Land der Länder, brich auf und stürme tritt in den Staub das Modergewürme. Wage den Streit! Vorwärts, die Zeit!" calls for the land, which is burdened by the yoke of capitalism, to break free and join the march, and fight for a better future.
Overall, Zeit-Marsch is a call to action, asking the oppressed people to take up the banner of socialism and move towards a brighter and better future.
Line by Line Meaning
Sang der Gesänge,
This is a song about songs that celebrates the revolution through music.
heb dich zur Sonne
The music should lift spirits and inspire revolutionaries to strive for greatness.
über dem Marsch
This music should accompany the march of the red column, a symbol of the communist movement.
der roten Kolonne.
The red column represents the communist movement.
Land, sei bereit!
The song is calling on the country to be prepared for revolution and change.
Vorwärts, die Zeit!
The song calls on revolutionaries to move forward and not look back as they fight for change.
Du, Land der Länder,
The song addresses the idea of a country being made of many regions and people.
brich auf und stürme
The song is calling on the people to rise up and take action.
tritt in den Staub
The song encourages the people to bring down the old, unjust systems.
das Modergewürme.
This refers to the corrupt and decayed systems of the past that need to be destroyed.
Wage den Streit!
The song calls on the people to be brave and fight for change.
Freudig, du Land,
The song speaks of the joy and hope that comes with the revolution and the possibility for change.
der Zukunft verschworen
The song calls on the people to believe in a better future for themselves and their country.
denn die Kommune
The song refers to the idea of the commune, a community built on socialist principles.
steht vor den Toren.
The song is celebrating the idea that communism is close and achievable.
Halte den Eid!
The song is calling on the people to stay true to their revolutionary oath.
Greif in die Räder
The song is urging the people to get involved in the work of building a new society.
Zahnrad der Wochen
This refers to the idea of workers putting in long, hard hours to build a new world.
Tagschicht und Nachtschicht!
This refers to the long hours that workers put in, both day and night.
Ununterbrochen!
The workers are encouraged to keep going and not give up, even if the work is hard and tiring.
Spute dich heut!
The song calls on the workers to work hard and not waste any time building a new society.
Meine Kommune,
This refers to the idea of a socialist commune, a community working together towards the common good.
stoße vom Thron heut
This refers to the need to overthrow the old order and build something new and just.
Faulheit und Schlendrian,
The song is urging people to reject laziness and complacency and instead work hard towards building something new.
alte Gewohnheit!
This refers to the need to break away from old habits that perpetuate an unjust system.
Herz sei erneut!
The song is urging people to have a renewed sense of hope and purpose as they work towards building a new society.
Vorwärts, die Zeit!
The song is a call to continue moving forward and striving for change.
Contributed by Ellie A. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@user-wm9ii9wu7z
Der Barrikaden- Tauber Ernst Busch fehlt in der heutigen Zeit! Ganz toll!!!
@leftpositions9054
Wunderschön
@Rongart
gerhard zwerenz (freund von rainer werner fassbinder) hat mich darauf gebracht. dank!
@dimitrijemitic4143
"Ljubavni slucaj ili tragedija sluzbenice PTT" brought me here...
@Don_BenLP
At the end it was a good Idea
@solidaritet2010
@Rongart - glad to read!
@lwt9132
Kennt jemand den Rus. Namen des Gedichts ?
@DarkDescent666
Haltet den Eid!
@Creap0fluigi
Download link?
@trystanfranziskus
Creap0fluigi you can download a tool that helps you download every yt vid