Dickhead Uber Alles

So I havent posted in a while. No shit. Well, exams are over and while I still have a Summer Course to stay on top of expect to hear more of Dave's inane and irrelevant opinions over the next few weeks. This was originally gunna be a review post but I couldnt help myself when a certain article about a certain twat caught my attention.

VIDEO: Doherty sings Nazi anthem

OR


At a gig in Munich recently the 'frontman' - if you can call him that - of the 'band' - if you can call them that - babyshambles Pete Doherty was recently booed off stage. Nothing new there I can hear you imagining as you hit your bass drum and snare for an internal punchline. Why were they booed off stage I hear you asking - were they an appalling band? was he wearing a douchey hat? was it generally about as good as a tabasco aenema? All of these and more were no doubt applicable but the thing that sent people off this time was his cover selection as he played 'Deustchland, Deustchland über alles' (The song is actually called 'Das Deustchlandlied'). 'So what?' you say - Germany, Germany Above All? Sounds like a great, not to mention appropriate song to play at a festival in Munich. What are all those sensitive Germans complaining about? That poor Mr. Doherty was just trying to raise morale a little bit...

The song itself was originally composed in the 1840s as an Ode the German nation. It was a song of love and nationalism and in 1922 it was finally made the official National Anthem of Germany. Unfortunately some bad shit went down in Germany in the 1940's (click here for more info) and the song was hijacked by Hitler and his Nazis. They gave it more militant undertones and unfortunately ended up ruining it for most people.


After the war and subsequent division the East came up with their own National Anthem (no doubt more Communist-y) and the West simply went without for a whlie and it wasnt until 1990, just before the reunification, that it was decided to protect only the THIRD stanza. In 1991 the reunited republic adopted the third verse as its official national anthem. While the other verses still fluttler about in Germany, the first verse in particular is frowned upon for its right-wing fascism and nationalist undertones and the only people associated with it are those who try to perpetuate the message.

Doherty's performance was cut short, which apparently featured mic-throwing and a spokesperson has released an apology saying that: "[He] wanted to celebrate his appearance in Munich by assimilating and integrating with the crowd, something he tries do wherever he goes, Peter himself is from Jewish descent and has fought against racism and fascism with numerous organisations including Love Music Hate Racism, He was unaware of the controversy surrounding the German national anthem and he deeply apologises if he has caused any offense,"

What a load of shite, honestly. If you found the words to the first verse you would have NO DOUBT realised the undertones of what you were doing. If you wanted to fit in you would have made sure of this, I mean, come on. And he's a jew? He's almost certainly a non-practicing one then. Not only could any of his German crew, or friends, tell him if he had been deciding and consulting, his family very well could have told him. By singing that he offends both the Jews that died and the Germans that are constantly trying to move past a post-war image conceived by dickheads that all Germans are Nazis.

So there are two things to learn from this. If you are ever in Germany and feel like bursting into song, make sure of what you're singing, don't be an ignorant fuck. The other thing we've all learnt, and most of us knew, is that the sad junkie train-wreck piece of shit that is Pete Doherty REALLY needs to FOAD. Why can't he and Lily Allen drive a bus off a cliff?

See you next time.