Sink the Bismarck

Johnny Horton

About Sink the Bismarck

Sink the Bismarck! is a 1960 black-and-white CinemaScope British war film based on the book The Last Nine Days of the Bismarck by C. S. Forester. It stars Kenneth More and Dana Wynter and was directed by Lewis Gilbert. To date, it is the only film made that deals directly with the operations, chase and sinking of the battleship Bismarck by the Royal Navy during the Second World War. Although war films were common in the 1960s, Sink the Bismarck! was seen as something of an anomaly, with much of its time devoted to the "unsung back-room planners as much as on the combatants themselves". Its historical accuracy, in particular, met with much praise despite a number of inconsistencies. Sink the Bismarck! was the inspiration for Johnny Horton's popular 1960 song, "Sink the Bismarck". The film had its Royal World Premiere in the presence of the Duke of Edinburgh at the Odeon Leicester Square on 11 February 1960. 


Year:
1995
389 
#1

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In May of nineteen forty-one the war had just begun
The Germans had the biggest ship, they had the biggest guns
The Bismarck was the fastest ship that ever sailed the sea
On her deck were guns as big as steers and shells as big as trees

Out of the cold and foggy night came the British ship, the Hood
And every British seaman, he knew and understood
They had to sink the Bismarck, the terror of the sea
Stop those guns as big as steers and those shells as big as trees

 We'll find the German battleship that's makin' such a fuss
 We gotta sink the Bismarck  cause the world depends on us
 Hit the decks a-runnin' boys and spin those guns around
 When we find the Bismarck we gotta cut her down

The Hood found the Bismarck on that fatal day
The Bismarck started firin' fifteen miles away
"We gotta sink the Bismarck" was the battle sound
But when the smoke had cleared away, the mighty Hood went down

For six long days and weary nights they tried to find her trail
Churchill told the people "put every ship a-sail
'Cause somewhere on that ocean I know she's gotta be
We gotta sink the Bismarck to the bottom of the sea"

 We'll find that German battleship that's makin' such a fuss
 We gotta sink the Bismarck 'cause the world depends on us
 Hit the decks a-runnin' boys and spin those guns around
 When we find the Bismarck we gotta cut her down

The fog was gone the seventh day and they saw the mornin' sun
Ten hours away from homeland the Bismarck made its run
The admiral of the British fleet said "turn those bows around
We found that German battleship and we're gonna cut her down"

The British guns were aimed and the shells were comin' fast
The first shell hit the Bismarck, they knew she couldn't last
That mighty German battleship is just a memory
"Sink the Bismarck" was the battle cry that shook the seven seas

We found that German battleship been makin' such a fuss
We had to sink the Bismarck 'cause the world depends on us
We hit the deck a-runnin' and we spun those guns around
Yeah, we found the mighty Bismarck and prepared to cut her down

We found that German battleship been  makin' such a fuss
We had to sink the Bismarck 'cause the world depends on us
We hit the deck a-runnin' and we spun those guns around
We found the mighty Bismarck and then we cut her down

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Johnny Horton

John Gale "Johnny" Horton (April 30, 1925 – November 5, 1960) was an American country music and rockabilly singer most famous for his semi-folk, so-called "saga songs" which began the "historical ballad" craze of the late 1950s and early 1960s. With them, he had several major successes, most notably during 1959 with the song "The Battle of New Orleans" (written by Jimmy Driftwood), which was awarded the 1960 Grammy Award for Best Country & Western Recording. The song was awarded the Grammy Hall of Fame Award, and during 2001 ranked No. 333 of the Recording Industry Association of America's "Songs of the Century". more »

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Written by: JOHNNY HORTON, TILLMAN FRANKS

Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind


10 facts about this song

Release and Popularity
"Sink the Bismarck" was released in 1960 and quickly became a top hit, reaching number three on the Billboard Hot 100 in America.
Historical Origins
The song tells the story of Operation Rheinübung, a Nazi Germany naval mission during World War II. This operation aimed to disrupt British shipping lines with their most formidable battleship - the Bismarck.
Tribute to British Navy
Although an American country singer sings the track, the song pays homage to the British Royal Navy, praising their courage and determination in their mission to sink the Bismarck.
Film Connection
"Sink the Bismarck" was written to promote the British drama film of the same name. However, due to a mix-up with the film titles in different markets, some versions of the song replace 'Bismarck' with 'Bismark'.
Songwriter
The song was written by Johnny Horton and Tillman Franks.
Genre
It is an example of saga song or historical ballad genre which Johnny Horton specialized in. These songs tell detailed epic stories and are usually inspired by historical events.
Posthumous Hit
Horton experienced a tragic death in a car accident months after the song's release. "Sink the Bismarck" was one of the last songs he released while alive and it went on to be a posthumous hit.
Misinterpretation
Despite being a factual recount of a historical event, the song has been erroneously dubbed by some as pro-Nazi propaganda owing to a misunderstanding of the lyrics.
Cover Versions
The song has been covered by various artists including Les Humphries Singers, Blues Brothers Band, and The Boarding Crew.
Impact on Pop Culture
The song has left a significant mark on pop culture too. It was featured in Stephen King's book "Christine" and also found its way into an episode of "The Simpsons."

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