I have a question about the music in the movie, Casablanca.?

Question

My husband and I watch it frequently when it comes on t.v. About an hour into the movie, the Nazis are a table at Rick's. Laszlo is trying to convince Rick to give him the letters of transit when a song interupts their conversation. The Nazis are singing what appears to sound like a propaganda song. The rest of the night club is silent and sullen until Laszlo asks the orchestra to play the "Marsielles" (the National Anthem of France). There is a 'battle' between the two groups until the French Anthem wins out.

What we want to know is, what is the name of the song the Nazis are singing? How would we get the lyrics in English or German.

Thanks!

I think the correct spelling of the French National Anthem is "Marseillaise"

Answer 1

The song that the German officers sing around Sam's piano is "Die Wacht am Rhein" ("The Watch on the Rhine"). It is neither the German national anthem ("Das Lied der Deutschen" -- with music by Franz Joseph Haydn), nor is it the Nazi Party Anthem ("Das Horst Wessel Lied").

Even though "Die Wacht am Rhein" is presented in CASABLANCA as a kind of malignant musical pinnacle of Nazism, the piece is actually an old patriotic German song dating back to the 19th Century

Answer 2

I don't know the name of the song, but there is a website available for lyrics. It's called lyrics.com. Even if you don't know the name, there may be other ways of searching this site for it.
Good luck.

Answer 3

Die Wacht Am Rhein

lyrics in german here:

http://www.reelclassics.com/Movies/Casablanca/wachtamrhein-lyrics.htm

english and german lyrics here:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Die_Wacht_am_Rhein