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Mr. Hitler

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"Mr. Hitler"
Song by Lead Belly
from the album Let It Shine on Me
Released1942 (1942)
GenreBlues
Length4:35
LabelMelodisc
Songwriter(s)Lead Belly

"Mr. Hitler" or "Hitler Song"' is a blues song written by Huddie 'Lead Belly' Ledbetter about German chancellor Adolf Hitler released in 1942.

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

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References

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  1. ^ 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.
  2. ^ 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.
  3. ^ "Preach, Leadbelly, Preach". Jewish Telegraphic Agency. July 25, 2012. Retrieved March 12, 2020.
  4. ^ "Hitler Song by Leadbelly". Songfacts. Retrieved March 12, 2020.
  5. ^ Light, Alan (February 22, 2015). "Lead Belly, Folk-Music Giant, Has a Smithsonian Moment". New York Times. Retrieved March 12, 2020.
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