Obedience unto Death

Could be that the the columns which halt here That these endless rows of men Are scattered in the wind, split up and disperse And will desert me, could be, could be My lips may stammer mad words But the flag will only fall when I fall And be a shroud, covering my corpse Obedience unto death - never to fall aside Forever to stride On deaths wings they ride We must be dominated by one will We must form one unity We must be held together by one discipline And form one obedience Forwards, forwards call the fanfares For the last time the reveille has sounded For battle sees us stand in stern array Obedience unto death.... I shall remain faithful, even though deserted by all I shall carry the flag, staggering and alone We march into eternity For our banner is greater than death Behold the knight in solemn black manner With a skull on his crest and blood on his banner In black we are dressed In blood we are drenched With a death's heads on our collars We stand unshaken Obedience