One of my favourite anthems remains the Internationale. Yes, I know that for many people it has bad connotations. Historical mistakes of monumental proportion, bloodshed, tyranny - the spectacular failure of the entire communist movement to present a humanist side. I cannot help it, it is still a great song. Rousing. Aspiring. Hopefull.
[And it's French, as this article explains:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Internationale
The French, you will recall, are also the owners of that other great anthem, La Marseillaise, written by Captain Claud Joseph Rouget de Lisle.]
Here is the Internationale in Russian:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nTMQJi_wDi8&feature=related
Here it is sung by Norwegian Smurfs:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HdxpnqF1x0U
[And yes, the similarity between Smurf society and the ideal socialist workers paradise envisioned by Marx and Engels is striking - including, disturbingly, the scarcity of women.
I like women.]
Here's version that would've given Hitler a kramp in di kishkes.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UXKr4HSPHT8&feature=related
If you thought the song was strictly old-school, here's the Leuven Socialists doing a sincere but anemic rendition on MayDay 2007:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vu7RdtuEVss&feature=related
And this is probably how you remember it best if you're American - the version from the movie Reds (preceded by some old-style lefty gibberish):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PDY0BAe_qGQ
These are the lyrics:
DE INTERNATIAUNALE
Ontwaak! veworrepene deâh Aahde
Ontwaak! vedoem in hongren sfeâh
Reidlijk wille straum auvâh de Aahde
En die straum rès al meâh en meâh
Sterref, gè âhwe vorme en gedache
Slaaf geboâhnen, ontwaak! ontwaak!
De weireld stuint op nieuwe krache
Begeâhte hep ons aangeraak
Makkers! ten laaste male
Tot de strèd ons geschaagt
En de Internatiaunale
Zâh morge heâhse op Aahd!
Makkers! ten laaste male
Tot de strèd ons geschaagt
En de Internatiaunale
Zâh morge heâhse op Aahd!
De staat vedruk; de wet is lauge
De rèkaahd leif zellefzuchtag voâht
Tot t merg wogt d'arreme ùitgezauge
En zèn rech is een èdel woâhd
Wè zèn t moe naah andrâh wil te leive
Broedars! hoâht hoe gelèkhèd spreik
Gein rech waah plich is opgeheive
Gein plich leâht zè waah rech ontbreik
Makkers! ten laaste male
Tot de strèd ons geschaagt
En de Internatiaunale
Zâh morge heâhse op Aahd!
Makkers! ten laaste male
Tot de strèd ons geschaagt
En de Internatiaunale
Zâh morge heâhse op Aahd!
De heâhsers doâh dùivelse liste
Bedwelme ons met bloedgen damp
Broedars! strèdt nie meâh voâh andrâh twiste
Breik de rèje hieâh is uw kamp
Gè die ons tot helde wil make
Au! Barbare denk wat gè doet
Wè hebbe waapnen hen te rake
Die dorstag schène naah ons bloed
Makkers! ten laaste male
Tot de strèd ons geschaagt
En de Internatiaunale
Zâh morge heâhse op Aahd!
Makkers! ten laaste male
Tot de strèd ons geschaagt
En de Internatiaunale
Zâh morge heâhse op Aahd!
Yes, I know you cannot understand those lyrics. You aren't meant to. I do not want you to sing it. Communism was a ghastly failure, and I have no wish for you to repeat the errors of the past. I encourage you to make your own horrid mistakes.
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5 comments:
What the Deuce language is that? It looks like Dutch, using Vietnamese orthography. Perplexing.
If you want more postmodern glosses of Smurf Socio-politic gestalt, I would recommend a scene towards the end of SLACKER, Richard Linklater's brilliant film set in Austin of the mid-80's.
Yes, these songs were very inspiring. The Internationale still sends shivers down my spine.
Here is another inspiring march (in Italiano) - Bandiera Rossa
Avanti o popolo, alla riscossa
Bandiera rossa, bandiera rossa
Avanti o popolo, alla riscossa
Bandiera rossa trionferà.
Bandiera rossa la trionferà
Bandiera rossa la trionferà
Bandiera rossa la trionferà
Evviva il socialismo e la libertà!
(Forward people, on to the counterattack, red flag, red flag, etc...)
BTW, I keep meaning to do a post on Marx, but can't quite get my thoughts together. I think it will start with this quote:
"there are few thinkers in modern history whose thought has been so badly misrepresented, by Marxists and anti-Marxists alike."
My favorite Marxian anthems: a flatfooted tie between "Lydia the Tattooed Lady" and "Whatever It Is, I'm Against It", honorable mention to "Hooray for Captain Spalding".
e-kvetcher - I look forward to your post! I used to refer to myself as a "Marxian" to avoid being linked to the misunderstandings that were Marxism.
People who accept the theory of gravity take a Newtonian view of physics, people who agree that natural selection effects the development of species take a Darwinian view of biology, people who construe female behavior through the construct of penis envy are Freudians...so how is it that those who think that Karl Marx may have had a useful understanding of sociology and economics are refered to as Marx-ists? We ain't talking about a religion here.
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