An ME 262 is a German jet fighter put into service during World War II. The song is sung from the perspective of a German pilot attacking British forces. "Junkers Jumo 004" refers to the kind of engine that was used in the plane.
The Secret Treaties album cover was an illustration of the band standing alongside an ME 262 plane. While the members of Blue Öyster Cult were certainly not Nazi sympathizers, their exploration of Hitler and the Nazi regime baffled some listeners and angered others. They spent a lot of time answering questions about the subject and explaining how Nazism was a kind of art form before it was associated with Hitler, but in the end their exploration of Nazi culture was more trouble than it was worth. The biggest problem came in Germany, where some stores refused to carry the Secret Treaties album and where they were met with some hostility when they performed there.
Sandy Pearlman, who was the group's producer (and Jewish), wrote this song with BOC guitarist Buck Dharma and lead singer Eric Bloom. In various interviews, Bloom explained that Pearlman liked the provocative nature of this song as he seemed to thrive on the controversy, but it was hard for the band to take because they were the ones performing.
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