() is an interwar-era German marching song. The lyrics of the song are sourced from the poem , written by the Bavarian poet and artillery officer in 1888. The melody of the song was arranged by German songwriter Fritz Sotke in 1919. As a song about the German Peasants' War, its lyrics are noted for their strong anti-clerical and anti-noble themes.
The song's title (translates "We are Geyer's Black Bunch") and lyrics are references to Florian Geyer (1490 10 June 1525) and his Black Company, a heavy cavalry unit which fought on the side of the Peasants during the German Peasants' War. Geyer's Black Company was notorious with his contemporaries for their destruction of cathedrals, castles, and summary executions of clerics and noblemen. The song's lyrics capitalize on this notoriety, with references to the actions of the Black Company: "" ("Raise the red rooster [flames] upon the cloister roof!").
As a song composed within the broader context of the Weimar Republic-era German Youth Movements, the song was sung by many different political groups across the political spectrum. The song is notable for its inclusion in the official songbook of the National People's Army of the German Democratic Republic.
In the modern-day, remains a popular song performed by various German music groups. Depending on the specific arrangement and performer, the lyrics of the song may be altered or weakened. Common substitutions include replacing the "cloister roof" with a simple "knight's roof", or even omitting certain lines entirely (e.g. "").
Notably, the antepenultimate line of the song's final stanza ("") is inscribed on a memorial commemorating the 1525 German Peasants' War and the 1945 German Land Reform, in Osterhausen near Eisleben, Saxony-Anhalt. The oath "our grandchildren will fight a better fight" was seemingly fulfilled generations later, in the eyes of the memorial's designers.
Note that depending on the specific performer and arrangement, there may be differences in the lyrics.
Bill Berry sung a shorter version in English: <blockquote></blockquote>