The "Sturmlied" ("Storm Song" or "Assault Song") was the de facto anthem of the SA until it was gradually supplanted by the "

Horst-Wessel-Lied The "" ("Horst Wessel Song"; ), also known by its opening words "" ("Raise the Flag", ), was the anthem of the Nazi Party (NSDAP) from 1930 to 1945. From 1933 to 1945, the Nazis made it the co-national anthem of Germany, along with the first sta ...

History

The lyrics for this Nazi song were written by

National Socialist Nazism ( ; german: Nazismus), the common name in English for National Socialism (german: Nationalsozialismus, ), is the far-right totalitarian political ideology and practices associated with Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party (NSDAP) in Na ...

poet

Dietrich Eckart Dietrich Eckart (; 23 March 1868 – 26 December 1923) was a German '' völkisch'' poet, playwright, journalist, publicist, and political activist who was one of the founders of the German Workers' Party, the precursor of the Nazi Party. Eckart ...

, with the second stanza being written in 1919, the third in 1921 and the first in 1923. The stanzas were later rearranged into the now common order. The music was composed by Hans Gansser in 1921.http://gunka.sakura.ne.jp/mil/deutschlanderwache.htm The third stanza was usually excluded in the "Sturmlied" as it does not fit in the rhyme scheme of the first two stanzas. The phrase ''Deutschland erwache!'' ("Germany, awake!") was taken from this poem and came to be one of the most influential slogans of the

NSDAP The Nazi Party, officially the National Socialist German Workers' Party (german: Nationalsozialistische Deutsche Arbeiterpartei or NSDAP), was a far-right politics, far-right political party in Germany active between 1920 and 1945 that crea ...

Text

Sturm! Sturm! Sturm! Sturm! Sturm! Sturm! Läutet die Glocken von Turm zu Turm! Läutet, daß Funken zu sprühen beginnen, Judas erscheint, das Reich zu gewinnen, Läutet, daß blutig die Seile sich röten, Rings lauter Brennen und Martern und Töten, Läutet Sturm, daß die Erde sich bäumt Unter dem Donner der rettenden Rache! Wehe dem Volk, das heute noch träumt! Deutschland, erwache! Erwache! Sturm! Sturm! Sturm! Sturm! Sturm! Sturm! Läutet die Glocken von Turm zu Turm, Läutet die Männer, die Greise, die Buben, Läutet die Schläfer, aus ihren Stuben, Läutet die Mädchen herunter die Stiegen, Läutet die Mütter hinweg von den Wiegen. Dröhnen soll sie und gellen die Luft, Rasen, rasen im Donner der Rache, Läutet die Toten aus ihrer Gruft! Deutschland, erwache! Erwache! Sturm! Sturm! Sturm! Sturm! Sturm! Sturm! Läutet die Glocken von Turm zu Turm, Los ist die Schlange, der Höllenwurm! Torheit und Lüge zerbrach seine Kette, Gier nach dem Gold im scheußlichen Bette! Rot wie von Blut stehet der Himmel in Flammen, Schauerlich krachen die Giebel zusammen. Schlag auf Schlag, die Kapelle, auf sie! Heulend peitscht sie in Trümmer der Drache! Läutet zum Sturme jetzt oder nie! Deutschland, erwache! Erwache! Storm! Storm! Storm! Storm! Storm! Storm! Ring the bells from tower to tower! Ring until sparks begin to fly,

Judas Judas Iscariot (; grc-x-biblical, Ἰούδας Ἰσκαριώτης; syc, ܝܗܘܕܐ ܣܟܪܝܘܛܐ; died AD) was a disciple and one of the original Twelve Apostles of Jesus Christ. According to all four canonical gospels, Judas betraye ...

appears to win the

Reich ''Reich'' (; ) is a German language, German noun whose meaning is analogous to the meaning of the English word "realm"; this is not to be confused with the German adjective "reich" which means "rich". The terms ' (literally the "realm of an emp ...

, Ring until the ropes turn red from blood, With only burning, torture and murder around, Ring the storm until the earth rises, Under the thunder of liberating vengeance! Woe to the people that is still dreaming today! Germany, awake! Awake! Storm! Storm! Storm! Storm! Storm! Storm! Ring the bells from tower to tower! Ring the men, the old and the young, Ring the sleepers out of their parlours, Ring the girls down the stairs, Ring the mothers away from the cradles! The air shall clang and cannonade, Rushing forth in the thunder of vengeance! Ring the dead out of their grave! Germany, awake! Awake! Storm! Storm! Storm! Storm! Storm! Storm! Ring the bells from tower to tower! The serpent is let loose, the worm of hell! Folly and lie has broken its chain, Greed for gold in the hideous bed! Bloody red the sky stands in flames, Gruesomely the gables crash together, Blow for blow on the chapel they crash! Blustering the dragon smashes it to pieces! Call the storm, now or never! Germany, awake! Awake!

References

External links

Recording

Imperial War Museum Imperial War Museums (IWM) is a British national museum organisation with branches at five locations in England, three of which are in London. Founded as the Imperial War Museum in 1917, the museum was intended to record the civil and military ...

{{German patriotic songs, state=collapsed Nazi songs German patriotic songs 1919 songs Sturmabteilung