Sink the Bismark

"Sink the Bismark" (later "Sink the Bismarck") is a march song by American country music singer Johnny Horton and songwriter Tillman Franks, based on the pursuit and eventual sinking of the German battleship Bismarck in May 1941, during World War II. Horton released this song through Columbia Records in 1960, when it reached #3 on the charts. As originally released, the record label used the common misspelling "Bismark"; this error was corrected for later releases of the song. It was inspired by the 1960 British war movie Sink the Bismarck! and was, with the producer John Brabourne's approval, commissioned from Johnny Horton by 20th Century Fox who were worried about the subject's relative obscurity in the United States. Inexplicably, the size comparisons of guns and shells are switched. While the song was used in U.S. theater trailers for the film, it was not used in the actual film.

Blues Brothers recording
The song was later recorded by The Blues Brothers for a scene in the movie, The Blues Brothers, but was cut out.

Cover versions

 * In the UK the song was a hit for Don Lang also in 1960, where it peaked at #43.
 * Czech country band Plavci released a version on its 1976 album Country Our Way.