Song of the Day 2/18: Chumbawamba, “The Day the Nazi Died”

I’m not on social media but my wife is, and this Chumbawamba song has popped up on her scroll several times lately. Listening to the lyrics I understand why.

The world is riddled with maggots
The maggots are getting fat
They’re making a tasty meal of all
The bosses and bureaucrats

When Chumbawamba wrote this back in 1994, “maggots” was just a metaphor. Now it sounds literal if you spell it “MAGAt.” Released as part of an extended B-side to “Homophobia” from their “Anarchy” album, Chumbawamba was addressing the mistaken belief that fascism died with the last Nazi. Not enough people listened.

This studio version reflects the band’s incorporation of electronic elements into its previous folk-punk sound, which alienated some of their fans but brought them their first taste of mainstream success when “Anarchy” reached No. 29 on the UK album chart. They had a bona fide hit three years later with “Tubthumping.”

That’s the original, but it’s a live a cappella version that’s going viral. In concert they speed it up a bit, drop the refrain of “They’re here and they’re there and they’re everywhere” and sing with more gusto, making it into a clap-along Irish folk song. And they’re doing it here for a German audience.

Chumbawamba might be needed today more than ever, but they disbanded in 2012.