In Heaven There Is No Beer
| "Im Himmel gibt's kein Bier" | |
|---|---|
| Song | |
| English title | "In Heaven There Is No Beer" |
| Published | 1956 |
| Genre | Drinking song |
| Composer(s) | Ralph Maria Siegel |
| Lyricist(s) | Ernst Neubach |
| Language | German |
"In Heaven There Is No Beer" is a song about the existential pleasures of beer drinking. The title of the song is the reason for drinking beer while you are still alive. The song in German is "Im Himmel gibt's kein Bier", in Spanish, "En El Cielo No Hay Cerveza". It was originally composed as a movie score for the film Die Fischerin vom Bodensee, 1956, by Ernst Neubach and Ralph Maria Siegel. The English lyrics are credited to Art Walunas.
Atongo Zimba recorded the original as well as Dr. Demento. The song was the inspiration for the title of the 1984 film and 1985 Sundance Film Festival winner, In Heaven There Is No Beer?, which also featured the song "Who Stole the Kishka?". A version with different lyrics, titled "Es gibt kein Bier auf Hawaii" ("There Is No Beer in Hawaii") was performed by the German singer Paul Kuhn in 1963.
The Polka may have origins in the inscription over the doorway to the dining hall of a German or Austrian monastery. The Yale Precision Marching Band plays as a brass feature. It is played for tailgaters at Yale University football games. The band has written various other verses attacking other schools in the Ivy League. The song is played by the University Pep Band after Iowa Hawkeye athletic team wins. The song is played by the Michigan Tech. University Pep band regularly at events. The song is played by the Fort Hays State University pep band at sporting events. An extended version of the song, with 5 verses, is played by the North Dakota State University Gold Star Marching Band and Bison Pep Band after a Bison victory. University of North Dakota fans sing a version throughout the season, particularly at hockey games. The University of Wyoming band plays it at all home games, football and basketball. The band also goes to every bar the night before home football games playing both the fight song and the beer song.
In heaven there is no beer.
That's why we drink it here (Right Here!)
and when we're gone from here,
our friends will be drinking all our beer!
Im Himmel gibt’s kein Bier,
Drum trinken wir es hier.
Denn sind wir nicht mehr hier,
Dann trinken die andern unser Bier.
...
Wikipedia