Holland, 1945
Encyclopedia
"Holland, 1945" is the sixth track from the 1998 Neutral Milk Hotel
album In the Aeroplane Over the Sea
. It was released as a single
in October 1998.
The song contains references to Anne Frank
. In 1945, World War II
ended and Frank and her sister Margot
died of typhus
. The lyric "all when I'd want to keep white roses in their eyes" could be seen as a reference to the White Rose
resistance group that existed in Nazi Germany
in the early 1940s, though songwriter Jeff Mangum
claims that he had never heard of the movement before In the Aeroplane Over the Sea was released.
Also referenced in the song is a "dark brother wrapped in white". In the liner notes for the song, Mangum initialed the letters "(h.p.)" after the words "your dark brother". A critic of the Boston Phoenix
wrote in 1998 that this "dark brother" was someone who committed suicide
, a family member of one of Mangum's close friends.
Musically, "Holland, 1945" is one of the album's louder, more upbeat songs, featuring overdriven and distorted guitars. The song also showcases fuzz noise on all of the instruments, a quality created by producer Robert Schneider
.
The song was one of the last to be written for In the Aeroplane Over the Sea and remained untitled until art director Chris Bilheimer asked Mangum what to title the song in the liner notes for the album. Mangum told him to use either "Holland" or "1945" and Bilheimer suggested simply combining the two.
In September 2010 Pitchfork Media
included the song at number 7 on their Top 200 Tracks of the 90s.
released some un-numbered versions through its website. A rare promo
CD
was released on October 19, 1998.
The single contains the b-side track "Engine", which was recorded live in a London Underground station underneath Piccadilly Circus.
Neutral Milk Hotel
Neutral Milk Hotel was an American indie rock band formed by singer, guitarist and songwriter Jeff Mangum in the early 1990s. The band was noted for its experimental sound, obscure lyrics and eclectic instrumentation....
album In the Aeroplane Over the Sea
In the Aeroplane Over the Sea
In the Aeroplane Over the Sea is the second studio album by American indie rock band Neutral Milk Hotel, released in the United States on February 10, 1998 on Merge Records...
. It was released as a single
Single (music)
In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
in October 1998.
The song contains references to Anne Frank
Anne Frank
Annelies Marie "Anne" Frank is one of the most renowned and most discussed Jewish victims of the Holocaust. Acknowledged for the quality of her writing, her diary has become one of the world's most widely read books, and has been the basis for several plays and films.Born in the city of Frankfurt...
. In 1945, World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
ended and Frank and her sister Margot
Margot Frank
Margot Betti Frank was the older sister of Anne Frank, whose deportation order from the Gestapo hastened the Frank family into hiding, and who subsequently perished in Bergen-Belsen...
died of typhus
Typhus
Epidemic typhus is a form of typhus so named because the disease often causes epidemics following wars and natural disasters...
. The lyric "all when I'd want to keep white roses in their eyes" could be seen as a reference to the White Rose
White Rose
The White Rose was a non-violent/intellectual resistance group in Nazi Germany, consisting of students from the University of Munich and their philosophy professor...
resistance group that existed in Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany , also known as the Third Reich , but officially called German Reich from 1933 to 1943 and Greater German Reich from 26 June 1943 onward, is the name commonly used to refer to the state of Germany from 1933 to 1945, when it was a totalitarian dictatorship ruled by...
in the early 1940s, though songwriter Jeff Mangum
Jeff Mangum
Jeff Mangum is a musician best known for being the lyricist, vocalist and guitarist of the band Neutral Milk Hotel, as well as being one of the cofounders of The Elephant 6 Recording Company. Mangum, along with the other founding members of the Elephant 6, attended Ruston High School in the late...
claims that he had never heard of the movement before In the Aeroplane Over the Sea was released.
Also referenced in the song is a "dark brother wrapped in white". In the liner notes for the song, Mangum initialed the letters "(h.p.)" after the words "your dark brother". A critic of the Boston Phoenix
The Phoenix (newspaper)
The Phoenix is the name of several alternative weekly newspapers published in the United States by Phoenix Media/Communications Group of Boston, Massachusetts including the Boston Phoenix, the Providence Phoenix, the Portland Phoenix and the now-defunct Worcester Phoenix...
wrote in 1998 that this "dark brother" was someone who committed suicide
Suicide
Suicide is the act of intentionally causing one's own death. Suicide is often committed out of despair or attributed to some underlying mental disorder, such as depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, alcoholism, or drug abuse...
, a family member of one of Mangum's close friends.
Musically, "Holland, 1945" is one of the album's louder, more upbeat songs, featuring overdriven and distorted guitars. The song also showcases fuzz noise on all of the instruments, a quality created by producer Robert Schneider
Robert Schneider
Robert Peter Schneider is one of the co-founders of The Elephant 6 Recording Company, along with Will Cullen Hart, Bill Doss, and Jeff Mangum...
.
The song was one of the last to be written for In the Aeroplane Over the Sea and remained untitled until art director Chris Bilheimer asked Mangum what to title the song in the liner notes for the album. Mangum told him to use either "Holland" or "1945" and Bilheimer suggested simply combining the two.
In September 2010 Pitchfork Media
Pitchfork Media
Pitchfork Media, usually known simply as Pitchfork or P4k, is a Chicago-based daily Internet publication established in 1995 that is devoted to music criticism and commentary, music news, and artist interviews. Its focus is on underground and independent music, especially indie rock...
included the song at number 7 on their Top 200 Tracks of the 90s.
Single release
The single version of "Holland, 1945" was released in October 1998. It was the second single released by the band, and has since become the band's last official release before entering an indefinite hiatus. Orange Twin RecordsOrange Twin Records
Orange Twin Records is an Athens, Georgia-based record label run by Laura Carter, a multi-instrumental member of Elephant 6 popsters Elf Power....
released some un-numbered versions through its website. A rare promo
Promotional recording
A promotional recording, or promo, is an audio or video recording distributed for free, usually in order to promote a recording that is or soon will be commercially available...
CD
Compact Disc
The Compact Disc is an optical disc used to store digital data. It was originally developed to store and playback sound recordings exclusively, but later expanded to encompass data storage , write-once audio and data storage , rewritable media , Video Compact Discs , Super Video Compact Discs ,...
was released on October 19, 1998.
The single contains the b-side track "Engine", which was recorded live in a London Underground station underneath Piccadilly Circus.