Sheet music, Der Fuehrer's Face

First recorded in late 1942 by the popular satirical music group Spike Jones and his City Slickers, Der Fuehrer’s Face was a parody of an actual Nazi song complete with rude noise effects. An instant hit on wartime radio broadcasts, it was written by Walt Disney Studios’ composer Oliver Wallace.

Disney released its animated film starring Donald Duck with the song in February 1943, along with the sheet music. Disney’s work during the 1940s focused primarily on informational films for the armed services and anti-German and anti-Japanese animated shorts for the public. Originally titled Donald Duck in Nutzi Land, Der Fuehrer’s Face appealed to American patriotism and encouraged the purchase of war bonds. A familiar character, Donald lives in a nightmare world, a Nazi forced to produce artillery shells under terrible conditions. In the end, he wakes from his dream thankful to live in the U.S. The film won the Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film, and the song re-emerged in later film and television shows, including MASH (1973) and All in the Family (1978).