Marie Magdelene Dietrich von Losch (aka Marlene) was born in Schöneberg bei… Read Full Bio ↴Marie Magdelene Dietrich von Losch (aka Marlene) was born in Schöneberg bei Berlin, Germany on December 27, 1901. Her father was an army officer who had served in the Franco-Prussian War. Because of his constant absences due to his army duties, Marlene and the family had to rely on themselves. After he died, while she was 11, Marlene's mother married Eduard von Losch and he adopted the Dietrich children.

Marlene was known in school for her "bedroom eyes" and her first affairs were at this stage in her life - a professor at the school was terminated.

Marlene enjoyed music and attended concerts. She was adept at playing the violin and piano. By the time she was in her mid-teens, Marlene had discovered the stage. Acting was to be her vocation. In 1921, Marlene applied for an acting school run by Max Reinhardt. She was accepted. She appeared in several stage productions, but never had more than a couple of spoken lines. In short, she wasn't setting the stage world on fire.

She attempted films for the first time in 1922 Her first film was So sind die Männer (The Little Napoleon) (1923) which was followed by Tragödie der Liebe (Love Tragedy) (1923). On this last project, she met Rudolf Sieber and married him in 1924. The union lasted until his death in 1976 although they didn't live together the whole time.

The remainder of her early film career was generally filled with bit roles. After being seen in the German production of Der blaue Engel (The Blue Angel) (1930) in 1930, Marlene was given a crack at Hollywood. Her first US film was Morocco (1930) with Gary Cooper, which was followed by Dishonored (1931). This latter movie had her cast as a street walker who is appointed a spy. The film was rather boring but was a success because of Marlene's presence. In 1932, Marlene filmed Shanghai Express (1932) which proved to be immensely popular, grossing $3 million. Once again, she was cast as a prostitute. The next film was Blonde Venus (1932) which turned out to be a horrible production. Her co-star was Cary Grant and once again she was cast as a prostitute.

During this period Dietrich had been typecast as a woman of low morals and she wanted different parts. Her chance came in 1939 in Destry Rides Again (1939) when she was cast as "Frenchy", a Western saloon hostess. This began a new direction for Marlene since it shed the previous typecasting. All through the 1940s, she appeared in well-produced, well-directed films such as Manpower (1942), The Spoilers (1942), The Lady Is Willing (1942) and Pittsburgh (1942).

Afterwards the roles came less frequently, perhaps one to two films every year. In 1945, Marlene didn't appear in any. She only made seven productions in the 1950's. Her last role of any substance was Judgment at Nuremberg (1961). Despite the lack of theatrical roles, Marlene still made appearances on the stage. However, by 1979, she was a shell of her former self. After breaking her leg in one performance, she never made a go of it in show business again.

Spending the last 12 years of her life bed-ridden, Marlene died on May 6, 1992 in Paris, France of kidney failure at the age of 90.

Allein in einer großen Stadt
Marlene Dietrich Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

ALLEIN IN EINER GROSSEN STADT

Man lebt in einer großen Stadt
und ist doch so allein.
Der Mann, nach dem man Sehnsucht hat,
scheint noch nicht da zu sein
Man kennt ihn nicht - und kennt ihn doch genau
Und man hat Angst, daß er vorübergeht

Und sucht bei andern ihn - und bleibt doch seine Frau
bis man ihm plötzlich gegenübersteht

Und da weiß man nicht, was man sagen soll
und man findet alles so banal.
Und man nahm doch früher gern den Mund so voll,
Und nun stottert man mit einem Mal
Alles das, was man sich vorgenommen hat
Ihm sofort im ersten Augenblick zu sagen
Das vergißt man glatt, denn es sagt sein Blick,
daß er einen längst verstanden hat.

Man hat jetzt alles, was man will,
Man könnte glücklich sein
Die große Stadt ist plötzlich still,
Man lebt für ihn allein.
Man denkt an nichts - So schön ist diese Zeit.
Man hat nur Angst, daß sie vorübergeht
Und denkt ganz leise heimlich an den ersten Streit,
Bis man ihm plötzlich gegenübersteht.

Und da weiß man nicht, was man sagen soll
und man findet alles so banal.
Und er nahm doch früher nie den Mund so voll,
Und nun schreit er so mit einem Mal.
Und man schweigt und fühlt genau, jetzt ist es Schluß
Und es lohnt nicht einmal mehr ein Wort zu sagen.
Jetzt ist alles aus,

Eine Welt stürzt ein...
Man ist wieder einmal so allein.

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Marlene Dietrich's song "Allein in einer großen Stadt" depict a person living in a big city, yet feeling alone. The individual longs for their desired partner who they feel is yet to be found. Despite not knowing the person, they feel as though they already know them intimately, and the fear of missing an opportunity to find them consumes them. The individual searches for their desired partner amongst others but remains committed to waiting for their true love.

When the individual eventually encounters their intended partner, they struggle to find the right words to express their feelings. They feel that everything they had planned to say becomes banal and unimportant in this moment of realization. The power of their partner's gaze communicates understanding and acceptance without the need for verbal communication. The song then transitions to describe the happiness that the individual feels after finally finding their desired partner, however, the happiness is short-lived as a sudden argument leads to the end of their relationship. As the relationship falls apart, the individual is left feeling alone once again, with memories of their short-lived happiness fading away.

Overall, "Allein in einer großen Stadt" is a timeless song that captures the feelings of isolation and loneliness that can come with living in a big city. The song provides a glimpse into the intense emotions that can come with finding and losing love. Understanding the lyrics not only enhances our appreciation of the song but also helps us to explore our own experiences of loneliness, love, and loss.

Line by Line Meaning

Man lebt in einer großen Stadt und ist doch so allein.
Living in a big city can still feel lonely.

Der Mann, nach dem man Sehnsucht hat, scheint noch nicht da zu sein
The man one desires may not have arrived yet.

Man kennt ihn nicht - und kennt ihn doch genau Und man hat Angst, daß er vorübergeht Und sucht bei andern ihn - und bleibt doch seine Frau bis man ihm plötzlich gegenübersteht
One may recognize the man they desire but fear missing the opportunity to connect with them, causing them to search for him in other places. Until finally, the man stands before them.

Und da weiß man nicht, was man sagen soll und man findet alles so banal. Und man nahm doch früher gern den Mund so voll, Und nun stottert man mit einem Mal
When face-to-face with the man one desires, they may suddenly become tongue-tied and feel that they have nothing important to say, despite having had grand plans beforehand.

Alles das, was man sich vorgenommen hat Ihm sofort im ersten Augenblick zu sagen Das vergißt man glatt, denn es sagt sein Blick, daß er einen längst verstanden hat.
Even if one had rehearsed what to say, when they finally meet, the man's look is enough to make them forget everything and understand each other without needing to say a word.

Man hat jetzt alles, was man will, Man könnte glücklich sein Die große Stadt ist plötzlich still, Man lebt für ihn allein.
After finally being with the desired man, one may feel content and happy, with the big city sensibly fading into the background, leaving only oneself and the man one loves.

Man denkt an nichts - So schön ist diese Zeit. Man hat nur Angst, daß sie vorübergeht Und denkt ganz leise heimlich an den ersten Streit, Bis man ihm plötzlich gegenübersteht.
In this beautiful time, one may think of nothing else except the present moment with the man they love, but may also worry about the possibility of losing it. One may also think about future arguments while waiting for the man to arrive once again.

Und er nahm doch früher nie den Mund so voll, Und nun schreit er so mit einem Mal. Und man schweigt und fühlt genau, jetzt ist es Schluß Und es lohnt nicht einmal mehr ein Wort zu sagen. Jetzt ist alles aus, Eine Welt stürzt ein... Man ist wieder einmal so allein.
Suddenly, the man one has desired and finally found begins to act unreasonable, and to the heartbreak of the artist, the relationship comes to a screeching halt. In the aftermath, the artist is left feeling alone and heartbroken once again.

Writer(s): Max Kolpe, Franz Wachsmann Copyright: Claus Ogermann Pres. D/B/a Helios Music Corp.

Contributed by Ethan L. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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