Schroeder toasts pop success

The chancellor is amused by the drinking song

German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder is set to become an unlikely pop star after the release of a track sampling him demanding beer.

Earlier this year Mr Schroeder joked to an autograph hunter "Get me a beer or I'll go on strike!" as he toured eastern Germany to rally support for his centre-left Social Democrats.

But his remark was recorded, and comedian Stefan Raab mixed it into a drinking song called Get Me A Beer!

The song has already been performed on Raab's television show, and has been a hit on the internet. Now it is in the shops as a single.

'Super sack'

Raab, who dubs himself "the sensational super sack of German television", said the chancellor could only benefit from the track's release.

"There's a major Social Democrat body of thought lurking in there. The line about going on strike is a direct reference to the working man's right to take action," he said.

Raab came fifth in this year's Eurovision Song Contest with his spoof track Wadde Hadde Dudde Da? - What Do You Have There?

A spokesman for Mr Schroeder said the chancellor had smiled when he heard the song, and there would be no attempt to block its release.