Tom Lehrer: Wernher von Braun (1965)
Spoken introduction: Well, speaking of bombs, what is it that makes America the world's greatest nuclear power? And what is it that will make it possible for us to spend twenty billion dollars of your money, to put some idiot on the moon? Well, it was the great enormous superiority of american technology, of course, as provided by our great american scientisrs, such as Dr Wernher von Braun!
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.
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, oder Englisch, I know how to count down
Und I'm learning Chinese! says Wernher von Braun.
