“Nur der Tod gewinnt im Krieg”
[“Only death succeeds in war”]
–KANONENFIEBEREarlier this year, Germany’s KANONENFIEBER released “Soldatenschicksale”, a compilation featuring rerecorded songs alongside two new tracks. The band also launched a special fan initiative, inviting supporters to share their “Soldatenschicksal” (“soldier’s fate”) as inspiration and background stories for a brand-new song.
Now they are unveiling “Meine Lieben.” Click here to listen to the song: https://kanonenfieber.lnk.to/MeineLieben-Single
And here to watch the gut-wrenching lyric video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q8blCOFqdVo
KANONENFIEBER comments:
“The year is 1916.
Between exhausting marches, seemingly endless hours of waiting, and harrowing battles, the Hessian fusilier Philipp Schopp writes letters and field postcards to his mother.
In his accounts of daily life at the front—marked by exhaustion, hunger, and relentless hardship—one wish returns again and again: he wants to go home. Back to the life he once knew.
He longs to help his younger brother Josef with his schoolwork, support his mother through the challenges of everyday life, and spend time with his friends. It is a life he will never return to.
With every letter, it becomes increasingly clear that Philipp no longer believes he will make it home alive. His words grow more desperate, filled with prayers and quiet resignation. He writes his final letter on June 21, 1916. Shortly afterward, he is struck and killed by a shell fragment. He is buried nearby in a mass grave.
The song “Meine Lieben” draws upon Philipp Schopp’s final letters. Its lyrics are based on three original field postcards that were kindly entrusted to me by Philipp’s descendants. I would like to express my sincere gratitude to them for making these invaluable historical documents available.
Once again, we are reminded that war tears families apart, breaks hearts, and destroys countless lives with ruthless indifference. That is why it is so important that stories like Philipp’s continue to be heard and remembered—not only as a tribute to those who were lost, but also as a warning to future generations.
Because one thing has never changed: War always remains the same.”
A special feature on the well-known Arte Tracks offers a rare behind-the-scenes look at KANONENFIEBER, check it out here: https://youtu.be/i_1TKxRMIXY?si=oHKYa_X1yyzfPXhO (use auto translate).
In other news, the band recently announced a massive European tour set to take place in November and December 2027:
“We Proclaim the War Days!
A cloud in the shape of a clenched fist gathers above, looming ominously over Franconia. The Kanonenfieber Regiment prepares to march across Europe – not as conquerors, but as a warning voice from the horrors of battles long past.
From the 18th of November until the 11th of December, for 23 days, we shall bring the face of war to the stages. Through thunder, smoke, and the sound of steel, we recount the frontlines of the Great War and the fates of those who were lost in its inferno.”
