The untold story of the song "Destroy the Fascists" by Nguyen Dinh Thi

In the midst of the historic September days, every time I hear the song "Destroy the Fascists", I remember a son of Hanoi - writer and musician Nguyen Dinh Thi.

Every time I am far from my homeland and country and hear the anthem “Die Fascist” on the Voice of Vietnam (VOV), my heart is filled with excitement and nostalgia. I have experienced those memorable moments a few times, so I love my homeland’s language even more and am proud of it.

Nguyen Dinh Thi (Photo: Army Literature and Arts)

During my time working at VTV, I had the opportunity to meet Mr. Nguyen Dinh Thi - Author of the song "Die fascist" several times when I came to talk with the editorial staff of the art department. Being a member of the "TV" since its early days, as introduced by Editor-in-Chief Tran Lam, every meeting was intimate and sincere. Perhaps that was why he opened his heart, told many happy and sad stories, the worries of the editing profession as well as the artistic path of a great cultural figure full of talent in literature, poetry, painting, music, drama...

I asked him about the birth of the song “Die fascist”. Nguyen Dinh Thi seemed to recall and slowly told: “Around the age of 10, my father made me practice the Nguyet lute, gradually I was able to play some songs such as Co Ban, Tu Dai Canh, Luu Thuy… Finding it interesting, I learned to play the Mandolin and was able to play some Western songs. I learned theory from music books of French elementary schools that my parents bought. I learned music by listening more, maybe that’s why I didn’t write much music.

In early 1945, life in Hanoi was miserable. People were dying of starvation in the inner and outer city. I had never seen such a scene before. We were not dead yet, but we were so hungry that our eyes turned yellow and our bodies became weak.

At that time, I and some of my brothers who were active in the National Salvation Cultural Association received a directive from the Central Committee about the Japanese and French fighting each other. That directive was like a call, like an urge. Viet Minh leaflets and newspapers such as Liberation Flag and National Salvation were passed around to read. The movement to rob rice warehouses, destroy prisons, and seize enemy weapons poured in from the suburbs and surrounding areas. News about the liberated Viet Bac area, news about the Soviet army defeating the Fascist army in Europe, was being pushed into the enemy's lair.

We clearly saw that the Fascists were about to be destroyed. In our country, the Japanese militarists were about to collapse. The time for the peoples to rise up was coming. The things I wrote at that time were in such an atmosphere. The two words Fascist were almost thought of and talked about by everyone. Mr. Van Cao and Mr. Do Nhuan were two classmates and activists in Hai Phong, now they both participated in writing and printing the newspaper Doc Lap.

One day, we discussed each writing a revolutionary song to meet the movement's demands. A few days later, we had 'Tien Quan Ca' (Van Cao), 'Guerrilla Song' (Do Nhuan). I heard that in the South, Luu Huu Phuoc had just finished writing 'Len Dang'. As for me, it was a bit difficult to complete 'Diet Phat Xi'. My song was not published in Doc Lap newspaper like the two songs by Van Cao and Do Nhuan. I only hand-copied a few copies and sent them to several places for young people to practice.

Listen to the song "Destroy Fascists" - Performed by: VTV Choir:

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Perhaps because the song's content was a call for uprising, consistent with the Viet Minh's action program, many people sang it in activities. In mid-August, I went to Tan Trao to attend a meeting, so I did not witness the rally on the 17th. My comrades recounted that, that afternoon, the atmosphere of the masses moving towards a general uprising was boiling, during a speech at the Opera House, a very large red flag with a yellow star was lowered from the roof.

After the group song 'Tien Quan Ca', a young man stepped forward in front of the loudspeaker and sang 'Diet Phat Xi'. Hearing the story made me so happy, tears kept running down my face. After the rally, the Hanoi Music Promotion Association printed more copies, and the Bao An Binh Orchestra (who had joined the revolution) often performed in crowded places, under the direction of musician Dinh Ngoc Lien. This song was also performed to open the Golden Week in Hanoi. Since then, I had the honor of having Mr. Tran Lam use the song 'Diet Phat Xi' as the theme song for VTV…”.

The marching call of the song “Die Fascist” has shown the musical leap of the fourth interval (G) to the urgent and emphatic sound of the brass trumpet: “For years Vietnam has been groaning in misery” (Si la sol la si sol la). On that basis, the author has developed very skillful musical passages that mix lyricism and tragedy: “The day has come to avenge the common enemy… Under the red flag with a yellow star”. Even the urgent musical lines urge quick action: “Compatriots draw their swords and rise up… To regain food, clothing and freedom”.

The opening musical theme is “Vietnam has been groaning in misery for years”. This theme is repeated in the ending verse “Vietnam, Vietnam, Vietnam! Oh beloved Vietnam for a thousand years. Vietnam, Vietnam forever”.

In the midst of these historic September days, every time I listen to the song “Destroy the Fascists”, I remember a son of Hanoi, a People’s Army officer and our colleague, the writer and musician Nguyen Dinh Thi (1924 – 2003). 11 years ago, he flew towards the “High Front”, back to his ancestors and the world of kind people, where there are many “Sunbeams”.

Musician Dan Huyen/VOV