Soldatenchöre – Im Wald, im grünen Walde Lyrics - Genius
In the forest, in the green forest, there stands a forester's lodge. Der Förster und die Tochter / Die schossen beide gut. The forester and his daughter, they both shot well. Chorus
While the exact author is often listed as "unknown" or "traditional," the song gained significant traction around the time of the First World War and remained popular through the Second World War as a morale booster for soldiers.
A key stanza describes both the forester and his daughter as good shots. While the father hunts deer ( Hirschlein ), the daughter "shoots" a young man ( Bürschlein ) "deep into his young heart"—a metaphor for falling in love. Lyrics Structure
Lore, Lore, Lore, Lore / Schön sind die Mädchen von siebzehn, achtzehn Jahr. Lore, Lore... Beautiful are the girls of 17, 18 years. Grüß mir die Lore noch einmal / Heidi, heido, heida. Greet my Lore once more / (Folk ad-libs). Historical and Cultural Context
Today, it is largely viewed as a piece of cultural history or a vintage folk song ( Volkslied ), though its historical association with wartime military units can make it a subject of academic study regarding historical morale and propaganda.
Lore (short for Hannelore) is the central figure. She is described as being 17 or 18 years old and "fresh and free of worries".
