Wernher von Braun

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Wernher von Braun Lyrics

[Intro]
And what is it that put America in the forefront of the nuclear nations?
And what is it that will make it possible to spend
Twenty billion dollars of your money
To put some clown on the moon?
Well, it was good old American know-how, that's what
As provided by good Old Americans like Dr. Wernher von Braun!

[Verse]
Gather 'round while I sing you of Wernher von Braun
A man whose allegiance
Is ruled by expedience
Call him a Nazi, he won't even frown
"Nazi, Schmazi!" says Wernher von Braun

Don't say that he's hypocritical
Say rather that he's apolitical
"Once the rockets are up, who cares where they come down?
That's not my department!" says Wernher von Braun

Some have harsh words for this man of renown
But some think our attitude
Should be one of gratitude
Like the widows and cripples in old London town
Who owe their large pensions to Wernher von Braun

You too may be a big hero
Once you've learned to count backwards to zero
"In German, und Englisch, I know how to count down
Und I'm learning Chinese!" says Wernher von Braun

About

This satirical Germanic ballad takes as its subject Wernher von Braun (1912-1977), the rocket scientist who indeed began his career helping design the long-range V-2 rocket for the Nazis that killed an estimated 9,000 people in attacks (not counting the concentration camp laborers who died working on it). After World War II, he and about 1,600 other German scientists were quietly transported to America and given citizenship. Von Braun helped develop the ICBM for the U.S. Army and the technology that sent NASA astronauts to the moon. Despite this song and reportedly being the inspiration for the title character in Dr. Strangelove, he was awarded the National Medal of Science in 1975.