Marshal Dear

Album: Silence Yourself (2013)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • This haunting, jazzy number includes a clarinet solo from English multi-instrumentalist Duke Garwood.
  • The goth-cabaret number is about Field Marshal Rommel, a Nazi who was part of a failed German command unit attempt to assassinate Adolf Hitler. Vocalist Jehnny Beth explained to NME: "He was very famous and it was difficult for Hitler to execute him outright, so he sent officers to his house saying that if he didn't get into their car and take these cyanide pills, they'd kill his family. He had 15 minutes to do it."
  • The dark video was directed by Gergely Wootsch. It was the first music clip by the Hungarian animator, whose short The Hungry Corpse, played at the 2013 London Animation Festival. Producer Steve Smith told Promo News: "Gergely went to a Savages gig before production and realised the raw energy the band communicated was essential to communicate in the clip too. He tried to keep this in mind all the way through the production."

    Savages guitarist Gemma Thompson came up with the video concept based on Kurt Vonnegut's time-travelling anti-war novel Slaughterhouse Five about the terrible impact of the bombing of Dresden at the end of World War 2, The clip focuses on a woman in a munitions factory and the destruction wreaked by the bomb she made. She explained to NME: "Two or three years ago I read Slaughterhouse Five, and there's one scene in particular that replayed in my head. The main character, Billy Pilgrim, becomes unstuck in time and loses his grip on reality. There's a war film playing backwards on his TV, so the bombs are being sucked out from the city, back into the bombers."
  • So how does the video link with the song? Thompson explained to NME: "It's about Field Marshall Rommel, who was part of a group that tried to assassinate Hitler. He was caught, and was quietly given 15 minutes to take his own life. So it's a very dark song about these 15 minutes."

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

Scott Gorham of Thin Lizzy and Black Star Riders

Scott Gorham of Thin Lizzy and Black Star RidersSongwriter Interviews

Writing with Phil Lynott, Scott saw their ill-fated frontman move to a darker place in his life and lyrics.

James Bond Theme Songs

James Bond Theme SongsMusic Quiz

How well do you know the 007 theme songs?

Supertramp founder Roger Hodgson

Supertramp founder Roger HodgsonSongwriter Interviews

Roger tells the stories behind some of his biggest hits, including "Give a Little Bit," "Take the Long Way Home" and "The Logical Song."

Tom Waits Lyrics Quiz

Tom Waits Lyrics QuizMusic Quiz

Pool balls, magpies and thorns without roses - how well do you know your Tom Waits lyrics?

90210 to Buffy to Glee: How Songs Transformed TV

90210 to Buffy to Glee: How Songs Transformed TVSong Writing

Shows like Dawson's Creek, Grey's Anatomy and Buffy the Vampire Slayer changed the way songs were heard on TV, and produced some hits in the process.

Jon Anderson

Jon AndersonSongwriter Interviews

Jon Anderson breaks down the Yes classic "Seen All Good People" and talks about his 1000 Hands album, which features Chick Corea, Rick Derringer, Ian Anderson, and many other luminaries.