To Be Or Not To Be (The Hitler Rap)

Album: Ultimate Broadway (1983)
Charted: 12
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • Only one Jew could dress up as Hitler and rap in a voice reminiscent of Louis Armstrong. This is Mel Brooks at his bad taste worst relating the short but spectacular history of the Third Reich. The title is of course lifted from the Shakespeare play Hamlet; it is also the title of the 1983 film which Brooks produced and starred in with his wife, Anne Bancroft. It is actually a remake of a 1942 comedy, which did not of course include a rapping Führer, and neither did the Mel Brooks version; the song did though appear on the soundtrack, and was released as a single with a video reaching number 12 in the UK charts. It includes snatches of the melody of "Deutschland Ueber Alles," the German national anthem, and the same couplet Brooks contributed to his earlier "Springtime For Hitler."
  • The extended version runs to around seven and three quarter minutes. Brooks co-wrote the song with the British musician, music journalist and producer Pete Wingfield. >>>
    Suggestion credit:
    Alexander Baron - London, England, for above 2

Comments: 1

  • Anonymous from AustraliaWho were the musicians on the hitler rap?
see more comments

Editor's Picks

Did They Really Sing In That Movie?

Did They Really Sing In That Movie?Fact or Fiction

Bradley Cooper, Michael J. Fox, Rami Malek, Reese Witherspoon, Gwyneth Paltrow and George Clooney: Which actors really sang in their movies?

Jackie DeShannon - "Put a Little Love in Your Heart"

Jackie DeShannon - "Put a Little Love in Your Heart"They're Playing My Song

It wasn't her biggest hit as a songwriter (that would be "Bette Davis Eyes"), but "Put a Little Love in Your Heart" had a family connection for Jackie.

James Williamson of Iggy & the Stooges

James Williamson of Iggy & the StoogesSongwriter Interviews

The Stooges guitarist (and producer of the Kill City album) talks about those early recordings and what really happened with David Bowie.

Tanita Tikaram

Tanita TikaramSongwriter Interviews

When she released her first album in 1988, Tanita became a UK singing sensation at age 19. She talks about her darkly sensual voice and quirky songwriting style.

Jesus Christ Superstar: Ted Neeley Tells the Inside Story

Jesus Christ Superstar: Ted Neeley Tells the Inside StorySong Writing

The in-depth discussion about the making of Jesus Christ Superstar with Ted Neeley, who played Jesus in the 1973 film.

Tony Iommi of Black Sabbath, Heaven And Hell

Tony Iommi of Black Sabbath, Heaven And HellSongwriter Interviews

Guitarist Tony Iommi on the "Iron Man" riff, the definitive Black Sabbath song, and how Ozzy and Dio compared as songwriters.