In the end of the film "Fury" the protagonists come upon a marching squad of SS soldiers who marched to a song. I have failed to find a song that reminds me of it. Will post link if I find it.
My absolute favorite topic for WW2, songs.
My post is going to be consisted of mostly Japanese songs during the time period. Also, English is not my first language so if anything is unclear feel free to ask about them!
The most famous of the marching songs for the Imperial Japanese army is probably this song. The song has a long history though, way before WW2/WW1.
First impression of the song, it sounds a bit depressing isn't it? Well, you will find out that is true when I translate it later. Let's dive into the history of the song first though.
This song, named 抜刀隊, which translates into "The Sword Drawing Corp" is the de-facto marching song when it came to parades. The song's origin is actually from the South-West War (Satsuma Rebellion). Where the Imperial faction and the Satsuma faction clashed during the turn of the century.
The song is about a group of volunteers from the police force that fought in the war. They were called into the war because of a dire need of soldiers and more specifically, soldiers to do close combat for. Which came to be the name sake of the group of volunteers as the sword drawing corp.
The song itself is written and published in 1882 in a poem/song book 新体詩抄. The lyrics writer 外山正一 (Masahiro Sotoyama) wrote the song in a way to resemble "La Marseillaise Chante de guerre pour l'armée du Rhin" and "Die Wacht am Rhein". Mainly the morale rising part of both songs. Basically to copy the theme of "Not should we only remember the past, but to see it that we learn from the unnamed heroes in the past" both the above mentioned songs
As an aside, the Ministry of Army hired France musician Charles Edouard Gabriel Leroux to write the melody of the song in 1885, and used the lyrics written by Sotoyama in 1882 to complete the final song.
Emperor Meiji reportedly loved the song when he heard it.
Now, I am going to do my best to translate the first 2 verses from lyrics. (The song is 8 minutes long, translating all would mean I won't get any work done!)
- Lyrics -
吾は官軍我が敵は 天地容れざる朝敵ぞ
We are the Imperial Army, Our enemies are enemies that are not even forgiven by the Heavens and earth.
敵の大将たる者は 古今無双の英雄で
The enemies general is a hero that has no second (Refering to Saigo Takamori, leader of the Satsuma faction)
これに従ふ兵は 共に慄悍決死の士
His followers are all going to follow him to death.
鬼神に恥じぬ勇あるも 天の許さぬ反逆を
They have bravery that does not even lose to gods and devils
起こしし者は昔より 栄えしためし有らざるぞ
but even in their strength they are against the gods and they will not succeed.
敵の亡ぶるそれ迄は 進めや進め諸共に
Until the our enemies are all but destroyed, move forward and forward!
玉散る剣抜き連れて 死ぬる覚悟で進むべし
With the swords pointed ahead, move forward with a dying conviction!
皇国の風と武士の その身を護る魂の
In following with our Imperial origins, with the sword that protects our body and soul.
維新このかた廃れたる 日本刀の今更に
Even though under the Meiji reform it is thrown away, it's time to shine rises again.
また世に出づる身の誉 敵も味方も諸共に
The sword will come out into the world, and because of the conflict will bring both the enemy and us glory.
刃の下に死ぬべきぞ 大和魂ある者の
People with the soul of yamato, we shall die under enemies blade.
死ぬべき時は今なるぞ 人に遅れて恥かくな
The time to die is now! And don't bring shame to others by falling behind!
敵の亡ぶるそれ迄は 進めや進め諸共に
Until the our enemies are all but destroyed, move forward and forward!
玉散る剣抜き連れて 死ぬる覚悟で進むべし
With the swords pointed ahead, move forward with a dying conviction!
-End translation-
Now, after reading my horrible translation. You can also take a peak into another topic that is sort of tangent to this. It is the Japanese solider's concept of death. That would require a whole another posts though.
Another side note, the current JSDGF (Japanese Self-Defense Ground Force) and the Japanese Metropolitan Police force both use this song as their general marching song.
Now there are a myriad of other songs from the Japanese army that also has interesting history. But for the sake of variation let's discuss a song from the Imperial Japanese Navy.
The song is this,
Gunkan Shinkin Kyouku (The Warship Marching Song)
Very cheerful as oppose to the Army song isn't it?
The song was written in 1897 by 瀬戸口藤吉(Setouguchi Tougichi) with the name of "Gunkan" or simply "Warship". The song also went through several key changes through the Taisei era because the original key a tad hard for the military man to sing.
One very interesting part of the song (Aside from it's amazing post-war popularity in...Pachinko stores. We'll get to that later) is that it includes another song within the song in the Pacific war time version of it.
The song that is in there is called 海行かば, "Let's head to the sea".
The song's lyrics is actually a part from a poem that is written in 785 AD from the Nara Era. It was later written into a song in 1937 and was set as the theme song in various "Citizen Spirit Strengthening Week" by the Imperial government.
It's also common played during any announcements of victories during the war. With the Pearl Harbor bombing and the start of the Pacific war the most famous one. The original radio announcement is here, you can hear the melody of the song in the beginning.
And now for the lyrics translation of the Warship Marching song.
- Lyrics -
守るも攻むるも黒鐵の 浮かべる城ぞ頼みなる
The black steel that protects and attacks. The floating castles that is dependable.
浮かべるその城日の本の 皇國の四方を守るべし
The floating castle that protects our empire from the four corners.
眞鐵のその艦日の本に 仇なす國を攻めよかし
The steel, and the ship will protect out country, and if there is enemy we will attack.
石炭の煙は大洋の 龍かとばかり靡くなり
The smoke from the coal, rises from the ship like a dragon
彈撃つ響きは雷の 聲かとばかり響むなり
The sound from the cannons, like a thunder that blitz through the air
萬里の波濤を乘り越えて 皇國の光輝かせ
Riding through the tides from miles away, and shines the light of the empire.
-End translation-
The songs not so much about death to the enemy and destruction like contemporary army songs, but more about the glory of the navy.
This song was played all day on December 8th, 1941 after the major attack on all fronts. (It's not just Pearl Harbor that got attack, the incursion into south-east Asia was started on the same day)
As a side note, the song is still the official marching song of the JSDMF (Japanese Self-Defense Maritime Force).
I am going to follow up with even more songs later. Japanese marching songs, and war-time folk songs are wacky beyond belief.
Source:
「はやり歌」の考古学―開国から戦後復興まで (Popular song from the pre war to post war, by Kurada Yoshihiro, 2001)
陸軍軍歌集 (Army song collection, Ministry of Army, 1944)
新体詩抄 (New poem draft, Masahiro Sotoyama, Meiji 15 (1882)) - and link to the Kinda Digital Archive for those of you that REALLY want to read the original like me http://kindai.ndl.go.jp/info:ndljp/pid/876377/28
Yes, it is an SS marching song called SS Marschiert in Feindesland, though this version is taken a little faster than the usual.
Here is a video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=arYDHkWPmQs