Einheitsfrontlied

"Einheitsfrontlied", literally meaning "United Front Song", is one of the most famous songs of the German labour movement. It was written by Bertolt Brecht and composed by Hanns Eisler. The best-known rendition was sung by Ernst Busch.

History

After Hitler's coming to power in January, 1933, the situation for left-wing movements in Germany drastically deteriorated. The antagonism between the Social Democratic Party and the Communist Party had long made the German left divided. After the Nazis banned both parties and labour unions in the summer of 1933, many people, including Bertolt Brecht, realized that only a united front of social democrats and communists could fight back against fascism. In 1934, at the request of fellow theatre director Erwin Piscator, Bercht wrote the "Einheitsfrontlied", calling for all workers to join the Arbeiter-Einheitsfront, Workers’ United Front. The song was performed the next year in the First International Musical Olympiad held in Strasbourg by a choir of 3,000 workers. Its first record was printed in 1937, during the Spanish Civil War, performed by communist actor and singer Ernst Busch.

Composition

Hanns Eisler, the famous Austrian musician who would later go on to compose the East German national anthem "Auferstanden aus Ruinen", intentionally keeps the composition of "Einheitsfrontlied" simple and easy to follow, so it could be sung by workers without much musical training. In doing so, the song is quite march-like. In 1948, Eisler wrote another symphonic version, which as also sung by Ernst Busch and recorded for his Aurora-Projekt.

Cover versions

Ton Steine Scherben covered the song on their 1971 album Warum geht es mir so dreckig?. Hannes Wader recorded a cover version of it on his 1977 album called Hannes Wader singt Arbeiterlieder.

Lyrics

German	Literal English translation	Singable English (Songbook of the International Brigades)
[1. Und weil der Mensch ein Mensch ist, drum braucht er was zum Essen, bitte sehr! Es macht ihn ein Geschwätz nicht satt, das schafft kein Essen her. Refrain: Drum links, zwei, drei! Drum links, zwei, drei! Wo dein Platz, Genosse, ist! Reih dich ein in die Arbeitereinheitsfront, weil du auch ein Arbeiter bist. 2. Und weil der Mensch ein Mensch ist, drum braucht er auch noch Kleider und Schuh! Es macht ihn ein Geschwätz nicht warm und auch kein Trommeln dazu. Refrain 3. Und weil der Mensch ein Mensch ist, drum hat er Stiefel ins Gesicht nicht gern! Er will unter sich keinen Sklaven seh'n und über sich keinen Herr'n. Refrain 4. Und weil der Prolet ein Prolet ist, drum wird ihn kein anderer befrei'n. Es kann die Befreiung der Arbeiter nur das Werk der Arbeiter sein. Refrain] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help)	1. And while a person is a person, he'll need something to eat, please! He gets tired of prattle for it does not give him food. Refrain: So left, two, three! So left, two, three! To where your place, comrade, is! Join up with the workers' United Front, for you are a worker too! 2. And while a person is a person, he will need clothes and shoes! Prattle will not keep him warm, and neither will the drums [of war]. Refrain 3. And while a person is a person, he doesn't need a boot to the face! He wants no slaves under him, and no masters above! Refrain 4. And while a prole is a prole, no one else will free him. The liberation of the working class is the job of the worker. Refrain	1. And just because he's a human, a man would like a little bite to eat; he wants no bull and a lot of talk that gives no bread or meat. Refrain: So left, two, three! So left, two, three! To the work that we must do. March on in the workers' United Front, for you are a worker too! 2. And just because he's a human, he doesn't like a pistol to his head. He wants no servants under him, and no boss overhead. Refrain 3. And just because he's a worker, no class can free him but his own. The emancipation of the working class is the task of the worker alone. Refrain

Links

• Lied der Einheitsfront (1937) on YouTube (sung by Ernst Busch in Spanish, English, French and German)
• Song of the United Front on YouTube (International Brigades translation)