Want to know the story behind the German Christmas song ‘O Tannenbaum’? Check out this post for a closer look at the beautiful O Tannenbaum lyrics.
From the moment the Christmas season began in Germany, ‘O Tannenbaum’ was the one German Christmas song I heard over and over while I was there. My host kids at the time would sing it all the way home after I picked them up from daycare to the point where the lyrics got stuck in my head.
However, it’s a shame to say I never took the time to learn the story behind the theme of the song in general. I mean I knew it sounded familiar to “Oh Christmas Tree” but I never stopped to think about how the song went from “O Tannenbaum” in Germany to “Oh Christmas Tree” in the U.S.
So, if you want to learn more about the story behind the German Christmas song ‘O Tannenbaum’, keep reading! The post alone highlights the history behind the O Tannenbaum lyrics and how the song came about in Germany.
German Language & Culture Series
P.S. This is a post in my German Language & Culture series. Here is the complete series:
German Addresses: German Address Format: How to Mail a Letter to Germany
German Time: The Non-Native Speaker Guide to Telling Time in German
German Greetings: The 10 Most Common German Greetings and Introductions
German Numbers: The Ultimate Guide for Learning German Numbers 1 to 100
German Alphabet: The Best Alphabet Guide of All Time
German Days of the Week: A Beginner’s Guide to the Days of the Week in German
German Emails: The American Guide to Writing German Emails
German Body Parts: A Step-by-Step Guide to the Body Parts in German
German Vegetables: The Ultimate Guide to Vegetables in German
German Pronouns: The American Guide to Learning German Pronouns
German Colors: Colors in German: A One Stop Resource
German Fruits: Fruits in German: What You Need to Know
German TV: 10 German TV Shows You Need to Watch
German Curses: German Swear Words: What You Need to Know
German Idioms: 10 German Idioms Every American Should Know
O Tannenbaum Lyrics
| Deutsch | English |
|---|---|
| O Tannenbaum, o Tannenbaum, wie treu sind deine Blätter! Du grünst nicht nur zur Sommerzeit, Nein auch im Winter, wenn es schneit. O Tannenbaum, o Tannenbaum, wie treu sind deine Blätter! | O Christmas tree, o Christmas tree How loyal are your leaves/needles! You’re green not only in the summertime, No, also in winter when it snows. O Christmas tree, o Christmas tree How loyal are your leaves/needles! |
| O Tannenbaum, o Tannenbaum! Du kannst mir sehr gefallen! Wie oft hat nicht zur Weihnachtszeit Ein Baum von dir mich hoch erfreut! O Tannenbaum, o Tannenbaum! Du kannst mir sehr gefallen! | O Christmas tree, o Christmas tree You can please me very much! How often has not at Christmastime A tree like you given me such joy! O Christmas tree, o Christmas tree, You can please me very much! |
| O Tannenbaum, o Tannenbaum! Dein Kleid will mich was lehren: Die Hoffnung und Beständigkeit Gibt Trost und Kraft zu jeder Zeit. O Tannenbaum, o Tannenbaum! Das soll dein Kleid mich lehren. | O Christmas tree, o Christmas tree Your dress wants to teach me something: Your hope and durability Provide comfort and strength at any time. O Christmas tree, o Christmas tree That’s what your dress should teach me. |
The History Behind O Tannenbaum Lyrics
The history of the “O Tannenbaum” song dates all the way back to 1824 in Leipzig, Germany when Ernst Anschütz, the cantor of the Saint Georg church, was preparing for Christmas festivities. He was looking for suitable old songs that could be adapted for young listeners and along the way he came across a song written by Joachim August Zarnack. The song he found was a love song contrasting the infidelities of a maiden with the steadfastness of an evergreen fir tree. Translated into English, the song started with “O Christmas tree, o Christmas tree”.
Knowing the fir tree or the Christmas tree had been a popular festive icon in Germany since the Middle Ages, Ernst got the idea to create a new song from the doleful love song. One way he did this was by replacing the word “treu” (loyal) in German with “grün” (green) to reference the fir tree’s leaves. With that being done, Ernst then knew he could turn the love song Joachim wrote into an atmospheric Christmas carol.
Political Takes on O Tannenbaum Lyrics
The German Christmas song “O Tannenbaum” didn’t become a beloved Christmas carol in Germany until after World War II since the melody was used as a satirical song about the abdication of Kaiser Wilhelm II. He was Germany’s last emperor who saw his final days in exile after fleeing from Germany in 1918. So, carolers would sing “O Christmas tree, o Christmas tree, the Kaiser’s packing it all in” to make fun of him.
Other political versions of the song even circulated during World War I like “O Hindenburg, o Hindenburg, how beautiful are your victories” after the Germans won the First Battle of the Masurian Lakes.
O Tannenbaum Lyrics in Battle Songs and Party Anthems
German immigrants even went so far as to bring the song to America which is where the melody proved its durability. The song then became “O Christmas Tree” and it was appropriated as early as 1861. The lyrics were then switched to “Maryland, my Maryland” so that they could be used as a battle song for the Confederate soldiers during the American Civil War. That battle song was then adopted in 1939 as the official state song of Maryland.
Furthermore, even London was fascinated by the catchy melody since in 1909 another version of the song, “The Red Flag”, was used in the “Little Red Songbook” which was a book of protest songs that were used in The International Labor Movement. The song around 1945 even became the unofficial party anthem for the UK’s Labour Party. Delegates, to this day, in that party still begin every conference with the chorus of “The Red Flag” song which shows that the infidelities of the flighty maiden who inspired the original song are long from being forgotten.
O Tannenbaum Lyrics FAQs
All in all, to end this post, I thought it would be important to also answer some frequently asked questions people might have about O Tannenbaum Lyrics!
What is a Tannenbaum in English?
The German word Tannenbaum translates to “Christmas tree” or “fir tree” in English.
What is unusual about the German Christmas song “O Tannenbaum”?
There are several unusual things about the German Christmas song “O Tannenbaum”. For one thing, the song’s lyrics don’t refer to Christmas or the Christmas Tree. Instead, they focus on the fir tree’s evergreen quality as a symbol of faithfulness and constancy.
Furthermore, the popularity of this song didn’t grow until after World War II since it was used as a satirical song in Germany. In addition, the German word treu (true) in the lyrics was once changed to greun (green) at some point in the 20th century to focus more on the fir tree’s evergreen quality.
Regarding translations, the song’s traditional melody has been used in non-Christmas songs which is a little unusual since the melody gives a very Christmas vibe in my head. Four states in the U.S. have even borrowed the melody for their state songs which shows how much people connect to the melody even though it’s based on the tune of an old German folksong called “Es lebe hoch der Zimmermannsgeselle” (“Long live the carpenter’s apprentice”).
What is the story behind the song “Oh Christmas Tree”?
The song “Oh Christmas Tree” is a translation of a 16th-century Silesian folk song about the fir tree’s resilience and evergreen nature. The original title of the song was called “Ach Tanenbaum” and it was written by Melchior Franck in the 16th century. The song wasn’t translated into English though until the 20th century.
Overall, I hope you enjoyed this post on the story behind the ‘O Tannenbaum’ lyrics. Please let me know in the comments below what you love the most about this German Christmas song. I would love to hear from you! 🙂
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