Songs:Grandmother Was A Hero (92405)
From WWR
Contents |
Trivia, story behind the song, etc.
About the song
From the sleevenotes, by Des:
Grandmother Was A Hero is about my own grandmother, Liesbeth de Moor-Zumper (1907-95) who, just as the song tells it, was born in Germany but ended up resisting the German occupation of the Netherlands during World War II.
Historical Background
"Grandmother was from Dresden, long gone by that awful night that china ran in molten streams..."
The German city of Dresden, famed for its china, was firebombed with enormous loss of civilian life by American and British bombers during WWII - an event that is controversial to this day. Many opponents of the N*zi régime fled to the Netherlands (Holland) which was later occupied by the Germans.
"Just think how it must have been as a hausfrau in poor holland wen the Wehrmacht goosestepped in"
A hausfrau is a housewife. The Wehrmacht is the German army.
"...all your two kids have to eat is potato peelings..."
Near the end of the war, as US and allied troops fought to Berlin, Holland (and some of the occupying Germans, it must be said) starved.
"...they're handing out the yellow stars that one by one blink out..." Jews in Germany and the occupied countries were initially required to wear yellow stars sewed to their clothes; later they were deported and...
Lyrics
Please help by doing a Google lyrics search for the correct lyrics for this particular song and pasting them here between the 'pre' statements. Thanks!
Listener comments about this song
I see that some WWR listeners don't like this song. I think it's fantastic - the second best on the album. I can see the relationship between Des and his grandmother build, from being dragged over from England to Holland as a child (from Harwich to the Hook of Holland is a 3 hour ferry journey, I should think) and his parents being no keener on the journey than he was. Then the realisation that Grandmother had had this extraordinary life and was, literally, a hero. Then visits over the years, with her reminiscing. The song builds, till he's practically shouting when he describes the occupation of Holland.
Well, I can't make you like it, but I hope I've explained why I do. DaveR 23:36, May 10, 2006 (AKDT)
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on the album
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