Cannon Song from "The Threepenny Opera" (Kurt Weill/Bertolt Brecht) sung by James Bierney

Cannon Song (“Kanonensong”)
From “The Threepenny Opera (Die Dreigroschenoper)
Music Kurt Weill
Lyrics Berthold Brecht
English translation by Ralph Manheim and John Willett
The wonderful accompaniment was provided by Uli Schauerte whose CZcams channel can be found here @UliSchauerte and website is www.uli-schauerte.de
On his great website you can find orchestral accompaniments for all of the musical numbers from “The Threepenny Opera” (Die Dreigroschenoper) all painstakingly, and beautifully, made by this excellent musician.
The master thief, murderer, rapist, swindler and arsonist Macheath has a drink with his old friend Jackie “Tiger” Brown to celebrate his (Mackie's) wedding to Polly Peachum. Brown is now the police chief (of London) and he and Mackie reminisce about their days together in the Army - when they served in India. The song is biting satire about the army’s indifference towards its soldiers and the soldiers' indifference towards the foreign populations that the British colonize. The ‘cannon song’ is a gripping ragtime with a rousing chorus, written in the tempo of the foxtrot.
Bertolt Brecht’s original lyrics
John war darunter und Jim war dabei
Und Georgie ist Sergeant geworden
Doch die Armee, die fragt keinen, wer er sei
Und sie marschierte hinauf nach dem Norden.
Soldaten wohnen
Auf den Kanonen
Vom Kap bis Couch Behar.
Wenn es mal regnete
Und es begegnete
Ihnen 'ne neue Rasse
'Ne braune oder blasse
Da machen sie vielleicht daraus ihr Beefsteak Tartar
Johnny war der Whisky zu warm
Und Jimmy hatte nie genug Decken
Aber Georgie nahm beide beim Arm
Und sagte: "Die Armee kann nicht verrecken".
John ist gestorben und Jimmy ist tot
Und Georgie ist vermisst und verdorben
Aber Blut ist immer noch rot
Und für die Armee wird jetzt wieder geworben
John was all present and Jim was all there,
And Georgie was up for promotion.
Not that the Army gave a bugger who they were
When confronting some heathen commotion.
The troops live under
The cannon's thunder!
From Cape to Cooch Behar.
Moving from place to place,
When they come face to face,
With a different kind of fellow,
Whose skins are black or yellow,
They quick as winking chop him into
Beefsteak tartar!
Johnny found his whiskey too warm
And Jimmy found the weather too balmy.
But Georgie took them both by the arm
And said "Never let down the army!"
Johnny’s a write off ,and Jimmy is dead!
And they shot poor old Georgie for looting.
But young men’s blood goes on being red,
And the army’s still recruiting!
(translation by Ralph Manheim and John Willett)
Though the song is about serving in India, I have used footage of artillery bombardment form World War One.

[@korbinianarnold6919]

Awesome version!

[@EmeryJBaines]

Thank you!