"Roosevelt and Hitler" Buster Ezell's World War II Song, March 1944

Courtesy of Library of Congress, Ezell, Buster, "The Peachite Vol. II, No. 2, Folk Festival Number," March 1944

Description

This song was written during World War II. John Work arranged the song with Bus Ezell. Bus Ezell heard an old blind guitarist in Mississippi sing a 1917 version of this song, in which President Woodrow Wilson and the German Kaiser were the chief protagonists. The refrain is a theme familiar in old mountain ballads of Civil War days.

Transcript of "Roosevelt and Hitler" Song

Source-Dependent Questions

How did the lyrics describe German goals in World War II? How did the lyrics characterize the Germans?
How was patriotism portrayed in this song? How did this message signal the way the conflict would be fought in Europe? How does the lyric "Hitler tried to fool the Negroes," connect to the actions of the Double V campaign?

Citation Information

Ezell, Buster, "The Peachite Vol. II, No. 2, Folk Festival Number," March 1944. Courtesy of Library of Congress