or Powell's or me• • •
"Mike and Jon, Jon and Mike—I've known them both for years, and, clearly, one of them is very funny. As for the other: truly one of the great hangers-on of our time."—Steve Bodow, head writer, The Daily Show
•
"Who can really judge what's funny? If humor is a subjective medium, then can there be something that is really and truly hilarious? Me. This book."—Daniel Handler, author, Adverbs, and personal representative of Lemony Snicket
•
"The good news: I thought Our Kampf was consistently hilarious. The bad news: I’m the guy who wrote Monkeybone."—Sam Hamm, screenwriter, Batman, Batman Returns, and Homecoming
February 17, 2006
Exuberant Songsters, Or Nazi Youth? An Exchange On "Stomping Out The Reds"
Last year I posted something about a song called "Stomping Out the Reds." Sung to the tune of "Bringing in the Sheaves," it's a favorite of the College Republican National Committee, and was performed at the banquet at their 2003 convention. I characterized it as being "literally sung from the point of view of Nazi Germany."
Recently I received email from the song's author, Tiomoid of Angle. (His name, while unusual, is genuine.) With his permission, I've posted it below. As you'll see, he disagrees with my perspective.
Comments are encouraged, but please keep them friendly.
(For those not steeped in the history of undergraduate Ivy League political parties, the Party of the Right was founded at Yale in 1953. Tiomoid of Angle graduated from Yale in 1978.)
Date: Wed, 15 Feb 2006 09:49:17 -0800 (PST)
From: Dr Tiomoid of Angle
Subject: http://www.tinyrevolution.com/mt/archives/000517.html
To: tinyrevolution@yahoo.com
I would have left a comment with the original post but I couldn't find any way to do it -- apparently archiving something preserves it as if in aspic for all time. Pity.
I (not "the Party of the Right") happen to be the writer of the song in question (and it's "panzers forward *steaming*", not "streaming" - which, if you think about it, makes no sense), and I'd appreciate a credit at your earliest convenience.
It is, to be sure, taken from The Party of the Right Songbook, of whom I had the honor to be the editor mumbledy-mumble years ago, and if you'd like I'd be happy to send you a copy -- no doubt half of the songs in it would melt your humor-challenged soul faster than the Wicked Witch of the East.
I'm certainly happy to learn that it is both popular on the Right and irritative of the Left, but it is neither pro-Nazi nor anti-semitic, except in the fevered brains of those who think that all things German must be one or the other, if not both.
The term "panzer" was chosen (as was the term "barbecue") solely for reasons of assonance and scansion. (Feel free to look them up; we can wait.) After all, when have "panzers" ever used steam engines? The song was created, not to give expression to the darkness visible of the right-wing soul, but solely to provide a tub-thumper that we could sing while drinking. A disappointment, perhaps, but I'm sure that you can cope.
Just to give your tender little progressive conspiracy gene another tweak, I can reveal that the Federalist Society was founded by members of the Party of the Right (Gene Meyer, Lee Liberman, and Steve Calabresi). Be careful where you step -- our tentacles are everywhere.
Have a nice day.
Tiomoid M. of Angle
-------------------------------------------
SCITIS IMPERTI * NOSCE IGNOTIS
Again, my own views, including the lyrics to "Stomping Out the Reds," can be found here.
UPDATE: Link fixed.
Posted at February 17, 2006 08:57 AM | TrackBackHaha, I like that guy. :)
Posted by: BRG at February 17, 2006 09:31 AMAlso, your link to the Stomping out the Reds article isn't working.
Posted by: BRG at February 17, 2006 09:32 AMmy own views, including the lyrics to "Stomping Out the Reds," can be found here.
or not.
However,
There are so many two syllable words which don't denote vehicles driven by the Nazis, I fail to see how this exonerates the gentleman in question.
"chosen...solely for reasons of assonance and scansion"?
Something is steaming here, and it is not Panzers.
I think that "clown cars" also fits in the verse we are discussing. As does, hmmm.... "pantloads."
"Pantloads" happens to retain some of the sizzling scansion of the original word, actually. It just lacks the zest of implied Blüt und Ehre.
Methinks the good Dr. of Angle is equivocating with the truth about his heady days as an undergraduate red-baiter.
Posted by: patrick at February 17, 2006 09:37 AM"It is, to be sure, taken from The Party of the Right Songbook, of whom I had the honor to be the editor -"
"Of whom"? The songbook lives and breathes? Maybe "of which"? I dunno, grammar was not my forte, and I'm further hobbled by the fact that English was not my first language, and when pressed, I from time to time think first in Spanish, if only for its magnificent trove of nasty cuss words. Now, them Nazis really knew how to sing:
Ade, mein liebes Schätzelein,
Ade, ade, ade,
Es muß, es muß geschieden sein
Ade, ade, ade,
Es geht um Deutschlands Gloria,
Gloria, Gloria,
Sieg Heil! Sieg Heil! Viktoria!
Sieg Heil! Viktoria!
Visier und Ziel sind eingestellt
Ade, ade, ade,
Auf Stalin, Churchill, Roosevelt,
Ade, ade, ade,
Es geht um Deutschlands Gloria,
Gloria, Gloria,
Sieg Heil! Sieg Heil! Viktoria!
Sieg Heil! Viktoria!
Wir ruhen und wir rasten nicht
Ade, ade, ade,
Bis daß die Satansbrut zerbricht,
Ade, ade, ade,
Es geht um Deutschlands Gloria,
Gloria, Gloria,
Sieg Heil! Sieg Heil! Viktoria!
Sieg Heil! Viktoria!
Reich mir die Hand zum Scheidegruß
Ade, ade, ade,
Und deinen Mund zum Abschiedskuß
Ade, ade, ade,
Es geht um Deutschlands Gloria,
Gloria, Gloria,
Sieg Heil! Sieg Heil! Viktoria!
Sieg Heil! Viktoria!
Scansion uber alles!
P.S. can somone learned in the tongue please translate the above WWII gem?
Posted by: Jesus B. Ochoa at February 17, 2006 10:01 AM"streaming" makes no sense, thus "steaming" -- which the author admits also makes no sense...
"assonance and scansion" and condescension too...
for this, he wants credit?
The merits of "streaming" or "steaming" aside, the real question ought to be,
How on EARTH did Dr. Tiomoid M of Angle, Yale '78, JD, MBA, happen to run across your posting in the first place?
He seems to spend far too much time writing up legal memos in Arthurian English for the Society for Creative Anachronism to have stumbled across it on his own. (Google him - I'm not kidding.)
Posted by: Aaron Datesman at February 17, 2006 12:13 PMFeh.
Whatever happened to "if you can't say something nice, don't say anything at all?"
I enjoy a good 4/4-time military beat as much as anybody... but at least I recognize it as the jingo it is.
Posted by: Darryl Pearce at February 17, 2006 12:32 PMHuh? Who in Bush's red hell sings "tub-thumpers" at any time, let alone while drinking?? God, that's just creepy. Maybe that's why the administration wants to be above the constrainsts of the Geneva Conventions, because such behavior would truly be torture.
Posted by: Chris Grayson at February 17, 2006 12:57 PMI am reminded of the foolish brouhaha over the episode of "Da Ali G Show" when "Borat" led a chorus of bar patrons in several rousing choruses of "Throw the Jew down the well." Those fine Americans, too, were unfairly accused of exposing their own racist attitudes, when in fact they were simply taking part in a tub-thumping drinking song.
And Jon, the man has a point about your humor-challenged soul. Perhaps if YOU had devoted your time in college to writing and editing for a humorous publication, instead of assembling with other like-minded politicos to congratulate yourself on your shared reactionary views, you might be a healthier, more mature person today.
"chosen...solely for reasons of assonance and scansion"? given how strong the subconscious associations are likely to be with these folks and their Nazi brethren, it is a plausible assertion.
Posted by: at February 17, 2006 01:43 PMAll bow before the facile, humour-laden vocabulary of Dr. Pedant A. Condescention... I aquiece to your superior dark powers of "satire" sir... If it quacks like a duck....
Posted by: stupidbaby at February 17, 2006 04:41 PMAuthoritarianism is being selected and promoted these days, despite the Frank Capra mythology of America that's been hammered into us for the past 60 years. (I wonder what this turd thinks about "It's a Wonderful Life"?)
If I had kids, I'd be warning them about it.
Posted by: spaghetti happens at February 17, 2006 10:48 PMI did not realize that the chicken tenderloin and celery tops I ate in 1984 were still intact. I now know they are, for they were preserved in aspic. I am glad I read the Internets.
Posted by: hedgehog at February 18, 2006 12:15 AMBayonets bright gleaming, panzers forward steaming,
Hear the Commies screaming, underneath our treads!
Just because German tanks are crushing commies doesn't mean that these are Nazi panzers. He's referring to West German tanks when they fought the Soviets in the 1980's. You know the war I'm talking about -- Tom Clancy wrote about it.
But the fact that this guy would joke about that war is inexcusable to this humorless Lefty, considering all the suffering it caused. (800 pages?! The Horror.)
Authoritarianism is being selected and promoted these days, despite the Frank Capra mythology of America that's been hammered into us for the past 60 years. (I wonder what this turd thinks about "It's a Wonderful Life"?)
-- SH
"Wonderful Life" is really a pretty dark movie when you think about it. If you're an atheist like me and don't believe in divine intervention, the real ending is that Potter won. He wore down an idealistic young man and forced him to choose between jail and suicide.
(OTOH, I can imagine Ken Lay watching this movie and rooting for George Bailey like everyone else, and then going to work and "stuffing $2000 a megawatt-hour up Grandma Millie a**.")
Posted by: Cal at February 18, 2006 02:01 AMThis post/comment thread is wickedly funny.
'Tiomoid of Angle' must be an alias of Fafnir.
Posted by: abb1 at February 18, 2006 03:18 AMIt's not funny, it's mean. I heard someone say the other day, "Well if global warming takes out New Orleans I'm OK with it...I'm not talking about the French Quarter and some of the stuff built higher up but where they chose to put those slums in inexcusable". In other words, 'Let the darkies drown'. The RNC,Reagan, Bushco, Rush, Sean and Bill O. have all been doing the 'hard work' to make it safe for racists and idiots to say think and do horribly mean things.
Fear for the Republic and remember this: Every security measure enacted removes a freedom. From the lock on your door to the surveillance camera to the submarine launched nuke missile. These folks are selling security and nothing more.
a) "panzers forward streaming" makes sense to me; as in, "a stream of panzers flowed toward the barricades".
b) "panzers" is assonant with nothing in its line, nor in the line preceding, nor in the line succeeding; "barbecue", likewise; "barbecue" is used for interior rhyme which, as any high school student should know, is not assonance.
c) this should be a lesson for parents everywhere: be careful what name you give your children. Playground lessons for Tiomoid must have been many and rather unambiguous.
d) how did that whole "Nazis in Russia" thing work out? I forget.
e) this guy wants credit for writing this doggerel?
Posted by: cavanaghjam at February 18, 2006 11:21 AMthis guy wants credit for writing this doggerel?
Actually (as I said in the original post) I do think the song's well written. Of course, I'm sure there are also some well-written, jolly songs about the joy of lynching.
Posted by: Jonathan Schwarz at February 18, 2006 12:20 PMhello
Posted by: mohammad at February 19, 2006 05:04 AMIs it just me or is the chorus the inspiration for the tune of "Eatin' Goober Peas?"
Let the LIberal Media report *that*!
Posted by: Rob at February 19, 2006 11:13 AM
