After Adolf Hitler's coming to power in January 1933, the situation for left-wing movements in Germany drastically deteriorated.

After the Nazis banned both parties and labour unions in the summer of 1933, many people, including Bertolt Brecht, believed that only a united front of social democrats and communists could fight back against fascism.

[1] Its first record was printed in 1937, during the Spanish Civil War, performed by communist actor and singer Ernst Busch.

[3] Hanns Eisler, who would later go on to compose the East German national anthem "Auferstanden aus Ruinen", intentionally kept the composition of "Einheitsfrontlied" simple and easy to follow, so it could be sung by workers without much musical training.

In 1948, Eisler wrote a symphonic version, which was also sung by Ernst Busch and recorded for his Aurora-Projekt.

Es macht ihn ein Geschwätz nicht satt, das schafft kein Essen her.

Es macht ihn ein Geschwätz nicht warm und auch kein Trommeln dazu.

—Refrain Singable[6] And just because he's a human, a man would like a little bite to eat; he wants no bull and a lot of talk that gives no bread or meat.

His work references the Fareynikte Partizaner Organizatsye (FPO), a Jewish resistance organisation in the Vilna Ghetto in Lithuania.

A partisan sajn lebn lejgt in shlakht, Farn groysn frayhayt tsil!

Es zaynen fest di glider, Gemusklt in schtol un in blay, Mir geyen bloyz oyf haynt funem geto aroys Kedey morgn aykh tsu brengen di fray!

Baym blut fun shvester, brider, Mir shvern tsu kemfn biz van Mit hitlers yeder glid baputst vet zayn, Di vofn fun partizan.

Muscles of steel and lead, We are leaving the ghetto today In order to bring you freedom tomorrow.

Upon the blood of our sisters and brothers, We vow to fight until Hitler's every limb will adorn The weapons of the partisans.

—Refrain[9] Ton Steine Scherben covered the song on their 1971 album Warum geht es mir so dreckig?.