Der Fuehrer's Face

Album: Riot Squad (1942)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • A top 10 hit from October 1942 to January 1943 for Spike Jones & His City Slickers, this novelty tune sold over one million copies and was one of the biggest hits during the Second World War. Not that RCA records initially saw any potential in the recording: They pressed a mere 500 copies of the disc at the outset and it was only when New York DJ Martin Bloc decided to play the song every half an hour during his then popular Make Believe Ballroom show that the record took off.
  • The song was penned by a British composer, Oliver Wallace, who contributed music to nearly 150 Walt Disney productions including an Oscar-winning score for Dumbo.
  • This is a parody of the Nazi anthem, "Horst Wessel Song." Spike Jones and his band were noted for their takeoffs of popular tunes.
  • This featured in the 1943 Disney animated propaganda short film Der Fuehrer's Face. The cartoon, which features Donald Duck having a nightmare that he lives in Germany under the Nazi regime was made in an effort to sell war bonds. The movie won the Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film , the only Donald Duck film to receive the honor.

    The Der Fuehrer's Face film was originally called "Donald Duck in Nutzi Land." The title was changed after the success of the Spike Jones song.

Comments: 2

  • George from Vancouver Bconly 500? That's more like a personal/vanity pressing than a studio one!I love this song -- such a nice beat & big "Foxtrot Yankee"(F.You) to Hitler, too!
  • Awdryfan1997 from Bitro-siziahitler is my favorite breakfast cereal
see more comments

Editor's Picks

Tommy James

Tommy JamesSongwriter Interviews

"Mony Mony," "Crimson and Clover," "Draggin' The Line"... the hits kept coming for Tommy James, and in a plot line fit for a movie, his record company was controlled by the mafia.

Yoko Ono

Yoko OnoSongwriter Interviews

At 80 years old, Yoko has 10 #1 Dance hits. She discusses some of her songs and explains what inspired John Lennon's return to music in 1980.

U2 Lyrics

U2 LyricsMusic Quiz

How well do you know the lyrics of U2?

Martin Page

Martin PageSongwriter Interviews

With Bernie Taupin, Martin co-wrote the #1 hits "We Built This City" and "These Dreams." After writing the Pretty Woman song for Go West, he had his own hit with "In the House of Stone and Light."

Classic Metal

Classic MetalFact or Fiction

Ozzy, Guns N' Roses, Judas Priest and even Michael Bolton show up in this Classic Metal quiz.

Guy Clark

Guy ClarkSongwriter Interviews

Vince Gill, Emmylou Harris and Lyle Lovett are just a few of the artists who have looked to Clark for insightful, intelligent songs.