"Mr. Hitler" or "Hitler Song"' is a blues song written by Huddie 'Lead Belly' Ledbetter about German chancellor Adolf Hitler released in 1942.
| "Mr. Hitler" | |
|---|---|
| Song by Lead Belly | |
| from the album Let It Shine on Me | |
| Released | 1942 |
| Genre | Blues |
| Length | 4:35 |
| Label | Melodisc |
| Songwriter(s) | Lead Belly |
Lead Belly was part of a group of left-leaning musicians and had some sympathies for the Communist Party, explaining why he did not sing about Hitler during the Molotov–Ribbentrop Pact.[1] He had previously performed topical songs, but he became outspoken about the rise of fascism during World War II. Lead Belly frequently performed "Mr. Hitler" before standing-room-only audiences. His listeners particularly appreciated the line about "tearing Mr. Hitler down someday."[2]
With lyrics such as "Hitler started out in nineteen hundred and thirty two/When he started out, he took the homes from the Jews", Lead Belly encapsulated the threat of the Nazi regime with plenty of anger.[3] Lead Belly believed that Hitler incited the Japanese to start their march of aggression.[1] It has been suggested that the song was inspired by Lead Belly's brief association with Woody Guthrie.[4]
In 2015, "Mr. Hitler" was included on the five-CD set, "Lead Belly: The Smithsonian Folkways Collection.”[5]
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ a b van Rijn, Guido (1997). Roosevelt's Blues: African American Blues and Gospel Songs on FDR. University of Mississippi Press. p. 174. ISBN 1604731656.
- ^ National Museum Of African American History (2010). "The Apollo and Civil Rights". Ain't Nothing Like the Real Thing: How the Apollo Theater Shaped American Entertainment. Smithsonian Institution. p. 170. ISBN 978-1588342690.
- ^ "Preach, Leadbelly, Preach". Jewish Telegraphic Agency. July 25, 2012. Retrieved March 12, 2020.
- ^ "Hitler Song by Leadbelly". Songfacts. Retrieved March 12, 2020.
- ^ Light, Alan (February 22, 2015). "Lead Belly, Folk-Music Giant, Has a Smithsonian Moment". New York Times. Retrieved March 12, 2020.