California Uber Alles
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"California Über Alles" was the first single by the Dead Kennedys, a Californian punk rock band. The record was released in June of 1979 on lead singer Jello Biafra's label Alternative Tentacles.
The title is an allusion to the first stanza of the national anthem of Germany, introduced after the downfall of the German monarchy at the end of World War I. It has been Germany's national anthem ever since. The anthem, "Das Lied der Deutschen" is a 19th-century patriotic song, written by Heinrich Hoffmann von Fallersleben on the then British island of Helgoland in 1841. It begins with the words "Deutschland, Deutschland über alles". The word-for-word translation of this line is "Germany above all", and should be understood to mean "I love Germany most". During the days of the Third Reich, anti-German political propaganda claimed the anthem was a typical Nazi expression of racial superiority. To avoid such misunderstanding, only the third verse of the anthem, "Einigkeit und Recht und Freiheit" (literally: Unity and Justice and Freedom) is used anymore, even though the first two verses are by no means expressions of an extreme right-wing or Nazi attitude.
The song's focus is on then-California Governor Jerry Brown, and is sung from what is supposedly his perspective. In it, an imaginary Brown outlines a bizarre hippie-fascist vision for America, in which his "suede denim secret police" kill un-cool people with "organic poison gas" chambers.
On their album In God We Trust, Inc. they recorded an updated version of the song, titled "We've Got a Bigger Problem Now", about then-President Ronald Reagan.
Jello Biafra has frequently made satirical references to the song in his political advocacy. A speech of his appears on the spoken word album Mob Action Against the State that is entitled "We've Got a Bigger Problem Now: War, Terrorism & Beyond". After the election of Arnold Schwarzenegger as governor of California, Biafra commented, "California Über Alles indeed".
In the 1990s, the song was once again updated by The Disposable Heroes of Hiphoprisy, on their album Hypocrisy Is the Greatest Luxury. They replaced references to Jerry Brown with references to Pete Wilson.
Another updated version of this song about Governor Schwarzenegger was performed live (among a few other Dead Kennedys classics) when Biafra toured with The Melvins to support their collaboration album in 2004.