A German naval vessel sailed into London on the River Thames while playing Darth Vader’s “The Imperial March” from Star Wars. Despite this choice of music, the German navy stated that there was no deeper message intended by the ship’s commander. The warship Braunschweig was in the region for training and stopped in London to take on supplies. Another video showed the ship playing “London Calling” by The Clash as it entered port, a song with historical ties to BBC during World War II.
When the Braunschweig departed from London, a tugboat escorted it down the river near Tower Bridge while sailors stood on deck. The ship was named after a German city in Lower Saxony, which is about 420 miles away from London. It belongs to Germany’s newest class of ocean-going corvettes. This was the second time the Braunschweig had visited the British capital, according to information from the German Embassy in London.
The choice of music was explained by embassy officials who stated that the ship’s commander is a huge Star Wars fan and admires the musical scores of John Williams. When the ship visits foreign harbors, the commander typically chooses a different Williams tune to play. The use of “The Imperial March” caused quite a stir when captured on video and shared on social media, but the German navy emphasized that it was merely a personal choice by the ship’s commander.
There was no deeper political or symbolic motive behind the music selection. Despite the potential negative interpretations of using Darth Vader’s theme song while visiting a foreign port, the German navy was quick to clarify that the commander’s choice of music was entirely up to them. The embassy’s explanation shed light on the commander’s personal interest in Star Wars and John Williams’ music, offering insight into why “The Imperial March” was played during the visit to London.
While the choice of music may have initially caused confusion or concern among spectators and onlookers, it ultimately turned out to be a harmless expression of the commander’s individual preferences. The use of iconic Star Wars music on a German naval vessel created a memorable and unique moment for those in London and sparked conversation online. Despite the controversy surrounding the music selection, the German navy assured that there was no underlying message intended by the commander’s decision to play “The Imperial March” while docking in London.
