These lines support the Jewish refugee/concentration camp scenario:
There's a ringing of bells, a dunderhead's curse
Fingers are pointing at you
And you take work in hell, be glad it's not worse
And you get to the back of the queue
I think the old man survived because he was a Sonderkommando, a prisoner made to do the terrible work of clearing up the gas chambers and ovens in return for being spared immediate death. He was identified perhaps for gassing, but chose instead "to take work in hell", and "get to the back of the queue".
He was also identified as someone with watchmaking skills and the German officer, in that customarily callous way, said if you don't fix it, you die.
Astonishing song, moving from the reality of 50s London, through surreal Fantasia-style scenes in the shop, to concentration camps and musings on heaven and hell.
These lines support the Jewish refugee/concentration camp scenario:
There's a ringing of bells, a dunderhead's curse Fingers are pointing at you And you take work in hell, be glad it's not worse And you get to the back of the queue
I think the old man survived because he was a Sonderkommando, a prisoner made to do the terrible work of clearing up the gas chambers and ovens in return for being spared immediate death. He was identified perhaps for gassing, but chose instead "to take work in hell", and "get to the back of the queue".
He was also identified as someone with watchmaking skills and the German officer, in that customarily callous way, said if you don't fix it, you die.
Astonishing song, moving from the reality of 50s London, through surreal Fantasia-style scenes in the shop, to concentration camps and musings on heaven and hell.