Bismarck – English Lyrics

• By: Sabaton

Lyrics & Translation

Dive into the epic tale of the German battleship Bismarck with Sabaton's powerful song. This track, rich in historical detail and delivered with compelling vocals, offers a unique way to immerse yourself in English vocabulary related to naval warfare, history, and emotion. The clear, narrative-driven lyrics make it an excellent resource for language learners to grasp storytelling and dramatic phrasing in English.

[English]

So, did you find the boat?

From the mist a shape, a ship is taking form

And the silence of the sea is about to drift into a storm

Sign of power

Show of force

Raise the anchor, battleship plotting its course

Pride of a nation, a beast made of steel

Bismarck in motion

King of the ocean

He was made to rule the waves across the seven seas

To lead the war machine

To rule the waves and lead the Kriegsmarine

The terror of the seas

The Bismarck and the Kriegsmarine

Two thousand men, and fifty thousand tonnes of steel

Set the course for the Atlantic

with the Allies on their heel

Firepower

Firefight

Battlestations, keep the targets steady in sight

Into formation, the hunt has begun

Death and damnation

The fleet is coming

He was made to rule the waves across the seven seas

To lead the war machine

To rule the waves and lead the Kriegsmarine

The terror of the seas

The Bismarck and the Kriegsmarine

At the bottom of the ocean the depths of the abyss

They are bound by iron and blood

The flagship of the navy the terror on the seas

His guns have gone silent at last

Pride of a nation

A beast made of steel

Bismarck in motion

King of the Ocean

He was made to rule the waves across the seven seas

To lead the war machine

To rule the waves and lead the Kriegsmarine

The terror of the seas

The Bismarck and the Kriegsmarine

To lead the war machine, rule the waves and lead the Kriegsmarine

The terror on the seas, Bismarck and the Kriegsmarine

To lead the war machine, rule the waves and lead the Kriegsmarine

The terror on the seas, Bismarck and the Kriegsmarine

He writes and translates into several languages: Joachim Moczko

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
sign /saɪn/ B1	noun - a symbol, mark, or indication verb - to indicate or demonstrate
force /fɔːrs/ B1	noun - strength or power verb - to make great effort
pride /praɪd/ B2	noun - a feeling of deep pleasure or satisfaction
steel /stiːl/ A2	noun - a hard, strong metal
motion /ˈmoʊʃən/ B1	noun - movement or activity
battle /ˈbætəl/ B1	noun - a fight between armies
ship /ʃɪp/ A2	noun - a vessel for traveling on water
ocean /ˈoʊʃən/ A2	noun - a large body of salt water
depths /dɛpfθs/ B2	noun - deep parts of something
blood /blʌd/ A2	noun - red liquid in the body
ocean /ˈoʊʃən/ A2	noun - a large body of salt water
guns /gʌnz/ B2	noun - weapons that fire bullets
fleet /fliːt/ B2	noun - group of ships or vehicles
blood /blʌd/ A2	noun - red liquid in the body
iron /ˈaɪərn/ A2	noun - a strong metal used in construction

Key Grammar Structures

• From the mist a shape, a ship **is taking** form

  ➔ Present Continuous (Progressive)

  ➔ The present continuous describes an action happening now or around now. Here, it emphasizes that the ship's form is gradually becoming visible through the mist: 'is taking'.

• And the silence of the sea **is about to** drift into a storm

  ➔ Be about to + infinitive

  ➔ 'Is about to' expresses an action that will happen very soon. In this case, the silence is on the verge of being broken.

• Raise the anchor, battleship **plotting** its course

  ➔ Participle Clause (Present Participle)

  ➔ 'Plotting' acts as a present participle, modifying 'battleship'. It's a reduced relative clause, meaning 'battleship which is plotting its course'. It describes an action happening at the same time as the main action (raising the anchor).

• He **was made to** rule the waves across the seven seas

  ➔ Passive Voice with 'be made to'

  ➔ 'Was made to' indicates that Bismarck was designed or created specifically for a particular purpose (ruling the waves). It implies an external force or decision.

• Set the course for the Atlantic **with** the Allies on their heel

  ➔ Preposition 'with' indicating accompaniment/circumstance

  ➔ The preposition 'with' indicates that the action of setting course for the Atlantic happens while the Allies are closely pursuing ('on their heel'). It describes a circumstance of the journey.

• Battlestations, **keep** the targets steady in sight

  ➔ Imperative Mood

  ➔ 'Keep' is used in the imperative mood, giving a direct command or instruction. It means 'You (at the battlestations) keep the targets steady'.

• At the bottom of the ocean the depths of the abyss, They **are bound by** iron and blood

  ➔ Passive Voice

  ➔ 'Are bound by' is the passive voice form of 'bind'. It indicates that the subject ('they', referring to the Bismarck and its crew) is acted upon by something (iron and blood). The iron refers to the ship, and blood to the crew.