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Popular song during World War II From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
"Beer Barrel Polka", originally in Czech "Škoda lásky", also known as "The Barrel Polka", "Roll Out the Barrel", or "Rosamunde", is a 1927 polka composed by Czech musician Jaromír Vejvoda. Lyrics were added in 1934, subsequently gaining worldwide popularity during World War II as a drinking song.[1]
| "Škoda lásky" | |
|---|---|
Memorial plaque of the author with the song's name in Czech, German and English | |
| Song | |
| Language | Czech |
| English title | "Beer Barrel Polka" |
| Written | 1927 (music), 1934 (lyrics) |
| Composer(s) | Jaromír Vejvoda (from "Modřanská polka") |
| Lyricist(s) | Vašek Zeman |
In 1927, the music for the polka was composed by the Czech musician Jaromír Vejvoda.[2][3]: 131 Eduard Ingriš wrote the first arrangement of the piece, after Vejvoda came up with the melody and sought Ingriš's help in refining it. At that time, it was played without lyrics as "Modřanská polka" (English: "Polka of Modřany").[4]
In 1934, the first text for the polka was written by Vašek Zeman – with the title "Škoda lásky"(English: "Unrequited Love"[lower-alpha 1])[3]: 131 [5] Around that same time, Shapiro Bernstein acquired the rights to the song and English lyrics were written by Lew Brown and Wladimir Timm. Zeman's original Czech lyrics framed the polka as a love song, whereas Brown and Timm's English version framed it as a song celebrating the repeal of Prohibition in the United States. At first the English version of the song was relatively unknown and unpopular, but it gained a great deal of popularity after The Andrews Sisters recorded it in 1939.[3]: 131–33 . Subsequently, many other artists released versions, including the Glenn Miller Orchestra; Benny Goodman; Bobby Vinton;[6]: 330 Billie Holiday; John Serry Sr (RCA Thesaurus, 1954)[7] and Joe Patek, who sold over a million copies of his album "Beer Barrel Polka".[5][8]
The polka soon became famous around the world. In 1939 Will Glahé recorded an instrumental version that was a big hit in the United States, being ranked #3 by the radio program Your Hit Parade in June of that year.[3]: 132 .[9]: 1662 The June 17, 1939 edition of Billboard magazine noted that "Beer Barrel Polka" was the 12th most popular song by radio plays on New York City radio stations WJZ, WEAF and WABC. Daniel Richman wrote "There's hardly a [jukebox] machine from Maine to California that still isn't inviting patrons to roll out the barrel, and from all indications it will probably be another couple of weeks before the 'roll out' can be changed to 'throw out.'"[10]: 13, 76
During World War II, versions in many other languages were created and the song was popular among soldiers, regardless of their allegiances.[1][11] Italian writer Primo Levi wrote that when he was deported to Auschwitz, the camp's orchestra was playing Rosamunda, the German version of "Beer Barrel Polka," as he arrived.[12] According to TIME magazine, when the first Australian contingent of troops arrived in England, they were singing the polka.[13] On VE Day — May 8 or 9, 1945 — Humphrey Lyttelton played it standing on a handcart outside Buckingham Palace, a performance that could be heard in the BBC broadcast from the victory celebrations.[14][15]
It was claimed many times that the song was written in the country where it had just become a hit. TIME wrote that "Germans insisted it was an old Bavarian drinking song. Americans and British thought it was one of their own. Anyhow, they all sang it."[11] Its actual composer was not widely known until after the war.[4]
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