A friend asked me about my previous mention of “Heidi,” which they remembered, but they had no idea what “Edelweiss” was. What exactly is it? Honestly, this song might not be directly related to my current journey; it mostly belongs to the pop culture of about sixty years ago. But thinking back, the story behind this song is quite fascinating and worth adding a few words about here.

“Edelweiss” comes from the classic Hollywood musical “The Sound of Music.” This film is adapted from the real-life memoir of Maria von Trapp, telling the story of how a young governess used music to build a deep bond with her employer’s seven children. Towards the end, the tone of the story shifts, and the background moves to the historical moment of 1938 when Nazi Germany annexed Austria. The male protagonist, a retired Austrian naval officer, not only refused the Nazis’ attempts to recruit and draft him but ultimately decided to flee with his entire family over the mountains toward freedom.

I remember when I was little, my late parents took me to the cinema to see this movie. Being so young, I naturally didn’t understand the heavy historical background, and I’m quite sure they probably didn’t fully comprehend it either. However, the songs from the movie were deeply etched into our minds, becoming cross-generational classics. For example, “Do-Re-Mi,” the song the heroine used to teach the children musical notes, cleverly connected the scale with vivid metaphors. Its popularity was so high that “Do-Re-Mi” almost became synonymous with the movie for many people.

As I mentioned earlier when discussing the impact of the radio on American culture and musical development, music truly has a magic that transcends language and borders. Sometimes, even if we don’t fully understand the exact meaning of the lyrics or know nothing about its historical context, that beautiful and moving melody can still strike a chord in our hearts.

“Edelweiss” is exactly such a touching song. In reality, Edelweiss is the national flower of Austria. This small white flower can only grow in the severe cold and barren cliffs of the high Alps, thus symbolizing a brave, pure, and unyielding national character. In the movie, by praising this little flower, the male protagonist subtly and affectionately expressed his reluctance to part with his soon-to-be-annexed homeland, as well as a silent protest.

However, there is an extremely interesting contrast here: this “Edelweiss,” which sounds so traditionally Austrian, is neither Austria’s national anthem nor a centuries-old local folk song. It is a 100% “Made in America” creation—written specifically for this musical by American Broadway musicians. Yet, because the song was written so beautifully and convincingly, countless audiences in English-speaking countries, and even expectant tourists visiting Austria, have been deeply mistaken into believing it is a traditional patriotic song originating from Austria.