Press the green flag to play. Use the sliders to change instrument and tempo. Changes will only take effect after the green flag has been pressed again. Tap screen to toggle repeat on/off. The Internationale is the anthem of the international working class. Its lyrics were written by Eugène Pottier, a radical socialist, in 1871, after the defeat of the Paris Commune by the French bourgeoisie. The lyrics were set to music by Pierre Degeyter in 1888 and the song has since been translated into dozens of languages.
Translations: ‘prisoners of want’ = poor and starving people ‘cant’ = hypocritical and rubbishy talk, typically of a political nature ‘superstitions’ = religious and/or reactionary beliefs ‘scorn the dust to win the prize’ = reject the old in favour of the new ‘the International(e)’ = the International Workingmen’s Association, an organisation of leftist trade unions that fought for socialism in the 1860–70s
