Sink the Bismark

Johnny Horton

About Sink the Bismark

"Sink the Bismark" (later "Sink the Bismarck") is a march song by country music singer Johnny Horton and songwriter Tillman Franks, based on the pursuit and eventual sinking of the German battleship Bismarck in May 1941, during World War II. Horton released this song through Columbia Records in 1960, when it reached #3 on the charts. As originally released, the record label used the common misspelling "Bismark"; this error was corrected for later releases of the song. It was inspired by the 1960 British war movie Sink the Bismarck! and was in fact (with the producer John Brabourne's approval) commissioned from Johnny Horton by 20th Century Fox who were worried about the subject's relative obscurity in the United States. While the song was used in U. S. theater trailers for the film, it was not used in the film itself. 


Year:
2006
3:04
158 
#1

 Become A Better Singer In Only 30 Days, With Easy Video Lessons!

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

 Become A Better Singer In Only 30 Days, With Easy Video Lessons!


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 »

7 fans

Written by: JOHNNY HORTON, TILLMAN FRANKS

Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind


10 facts about this song

Historical Context
"Sink the Bismark" was inspired by the real-life event of World War II when the British Royal Navy sunk the German battleship Bismark.
Song Composition
The song was written by Johnny Horton and Tillman Franks, Horton's manager.
Popular Culture
The song reached number 3 on the Billboard Hot 100 in the U.S. in 1960, making it one of Horton's most successful songs.
Album Release
The song was included in Johnny Horton's 1960 album, "Johnny Horton Makes History."
Spelling Error
The title of the song "Sink the Bismark" misspelled the name of the German battleship, Bismarck. This error persisted on the record's label and in the published sheet music, but it was corrected in some TV performances.
Relevance to Movie
The song was released during the same year as the movie 'Sink the Bismarck!', which also tells the story of the fated German battleship. Although the song was not featured in the movie, it helped boost the film's popularity.
Cover Version
The song was later covered by blues rock band, Blue Cheer, on their 1969 album "New! Improved!"
Genre
"Sink the Bismark" is considered part of the country and rockabilly genre.
Posthumous Success
The song was released after Johnny Horton's death, adding to his posthumous success.
Influence
The melody of the song was reused in Horton's later single, "North to Alaska".

Discuss the Sink the Bismark Lyrics with the community:

0 Comments

    Citation

    Use the citation below to add these lyrics to your bibliography:

    Style:MLAChicagoAPA

    "Sink the Bismark Lyrics." Lyrics.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 29 Mar. 2024. <https://www.lyrics.com/lyric/9079936/Johnny+Horton/Sink+the+Bismark>.

    Missing lyrics by Johnny Horton?

    Know any other songs by Johnny Horton? Don't keep it to yourself!

    Watch the song video

    Sink the Bismark

    37,980
    490     38

    Top Hot 100 Songs 1960

    Billboard #3


    Browse Lyrics.com

    Quiz

    Are you a music master?

    »
    Blank Space Taylor Swift: got a ____ ____ __ _______ they'll tell me i'm insane.
    A lot of Starbucks lovers
    B lot of Starbucks mothers
    C long list of some lovers
    D long list of ex lovers

    Free, no signup required:

    Add to Chrome

    Get instant explanation for any lyrics that hits you anywhere on the web!

    Free, no signup required:

    Add to Firefox

    Get instant explanation for any acronym or abbreviation that hits you anywhere on the web!

    Johnny Horton tracks

    On Radio Right Now

    Loading...

    Powered by OnRad.io


    Think you know music? Test your MusicIQ here!