The even more famous“Arbeiter-Marseillaise”(“Workers’Marseillaise”), with
lyrics byJacobAudorf (1834–1898), was originallywritten for the ADAV and reg-
ularlyperformedatSPD party conventions; theauthor addedastanza to be sung
at Lassalle’sfuneral in the sameyear.The 1864version citedbelow is the orig-
inalversion inspired byFreiligrath’s1848revolutionary songReveille,with the
later changes again giveninparentheses. The second stanza is cited here be-
cause it includesarare referencetothe difficulties of proletarian mobilization.
Perhaps to compensate for this, therevisions come withamoremilitant tone:
The enemythatwe hate the most,
that surrounds us thick and black,
it is the foolishness of the masses
that can onlybebroken with the sword of the spirit.
If we can overcome this obstacle,
whowould daretoresist us?
Soon on all heights
the banner of freedom will fly.
In unity and strength, (1873:The new rebellion,)
youfreefraternity,(1873:The full rebellion,)
stayfirm! (1873:March! march!)
sayfirm! (1873:March, march!)
and do notsway!(1873:March, if need be, till death,)
the slave shackle is breaking! (1873:for our flag is red!)²⁵As expressed openlyinthe lyrics, the main psychological function of choral sing-
ing was to promoteunity,solidarity,and class pride, and to advancethe cause of
socialism. Through the rhetorical questions at the beginning (“Who makes/ham-
mers/ weaves?”)the collective subjectisinvited to recognize the conditionsof
oppression and, at the sametime, believeinthe certaintyofvictory.Addressed
to theaudience and the chorus itself, admonitions such as“Stayfirm!”or,inthe
laterversion,“March! March!”servetostrengthen commitment to the cause.
Meanwhile, familiar symbols of oppression such as shackles and swords allow
the workers to see their local battles as part of world historical struggles.
All of these encouragementsrequired the careful management of emotions
and attachments. If“the singing ofauthentic songsstimulate[d] andrevive[d]
the comrades’spirits and allowed them to contributemore actively to the task
of politicalagitation,”²⁶closer attention needsto be paid to the performative na-
“Arbeiter-Marseillaise,”inMost’sProletarier-Liederbuch, 41 – 42.Anewverse was added after
the death of Lassalle but not included in the various Most editions.
Anon, citedbyHellkuhl,Empor zum Licht,51.
On WorkersSinging in OneVoice 93