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.
Lili Marleen-English
Marlene Dietrich Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
By the corner light
I always stand and wait for you at night
We will create a world for two
I'll wait for you, the whole night through
For you, lili Marleen
For you, lili Marleen
I want another evening with it's charms
Then we will say goodbye and pass
I'll always keep you in my heart
With me, lili Marleen
With me, lili Marleen
give me a rose to show how much you care
Tie to the stem a lock of golden hair
Surely tomorrow, you'll feel blue
But then will come a love that's new
For you, lili Marleen
For you, lili Marleen
when we are marching in the mud and cold
And when my pack seems more than I can hold
My love for you renews my might
I'm warm again, my pack is light
It's you, lili Marleen
It's you, lili Marleen
my love for you renews my might
I'm warm again, my pack is light
It's you, lili Marleen
It's you, lili Marleen
The lyrics to Lili Marleen by Marlene Dietrich are a love song that tells the story of two lovers who often meet outside the barracks by the corner light. The singer eagerly waits for her lover all through the night, promising to create a world for just the two of them. The song is a testament to the enduring power of love, even in the face of hardship and war.
The lyrics also describe the struggles of a soldier at war, with the singer talking about marching in the mud and cold and feeling overwhelmed by the weight of his pack. But the thought of his lover, Lili Marleen renews his strength and he feels warm and light again. The song is a poignant reminder of the sacrifices made by soldiers on the battlefield, and the love that keeps them going.
Overall, Lili Marleen is a beautiful and timeless love song that perfectly encapsulates the themes of love, sacrifice and resilience in times of war.
Line by Line Meaning
Outside the barracks
I stand outside the military barracks every night.
By the corner light
I wait near the corner light for you to arrive.
I always stand and wait for you at night
I patiently wait for you every night to spend time together.
We will create a world for two
Together we will create a unique, beautiful world for just us two.
I'll wait for you, the whole night through
I will wait for you no matter how long it takes.
For you, lili Marleen
I do all these things for the one I love, Lili Marleen.
Tonight, don't play the call to arms
Let's not think about our duties and responsibilities in the military for a little while.
I want another evening with its charms
I want another special evening with you filled with love and happiness.
Then we will say goodbye and pass
Eventually, we will have to part ways, but it won't be forever.
I'll always keep you in my heart
Even when we are apart, I will always cherish you and hold you dear in my heart.
With me, lili Marleen
Regardless of where we are, you will always be with me in my heart, Lili Marleen.
Give me a rose to show how much you care
Spend time and effort to show how much you care about me and our love.
Tie to the stem a lock of golden hair
Attach a lock of your hair to the rose as a symbol of our love and romance.
Surely tomorrow, you'll feel blue
Tomorrow, when I have to leave, you will feel sad and miss me.
But then will come a love that's new
However, in the future, we will find new ways to love and grow together.
When we are marching in the mud and cold
When we have to perform our military duties and face tough conditions.
And when my pack seems more than I can hold
When I feel overwhelmed and weighed down by the challenges of military life.
My love for you renews my might
My love for you gives me strength and motivation to keep pushing through.
I'm warm again, my pack is light
With thoughts of you and our love, the weight of my responsibilities feels less heavy.
It's you, lili Marleen
You are the source of my strength and inspiration, Lili Marleen.
It's you, lili Marleen
You are the one I love and the one who makes all these difficult moments worth it, Lili Marleen.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: HANS LEIP, NORBERT SCHULTZE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Wanderreis
Lili Marlene
Marlene Dietrich
Outside the barracks
By the corner light
I always stand and wait for you at night
We will create a world for two
I'll wait for you, the whole night through
For you, Lili Marlene
For you, Lili Marlene
beugler tonight, don't play the call to arms
I want another evening with it's charms
Then we will say goodbye and pass
I'll always keep you in my heart
With me, lili Marleen
With me, lili Marleen
give me a rose to show how much you care
Tie to the stem a lock of golden hair
Surely tomorrow, you'll feel blue
But then will come a love that's new
For you, Lili Marlene
For you, Lili Marlene
when we are marching in the mud and cold
And when my pack seems more than I can hold
My love for you renews my might
I'm warm again, my pack is light
It's you, Lili Marlene
It's you, Lili Marlene
my love for you renews my might
I'm warm again, my pack is light
It's you, Lili Marlene
It's you, Lili Marlene
CC Dolfin
Outside the barracks
By the corner light
I always stand and wait for you at night
We will create a world for two
I'll wait for you, the whole night through
For you, lili Marleen
For you, lili Marleen
Beugler tonight, don't play the call to arms
I want another evening with it's charms
Then we will say goodbye and pass
I'll always keep you in my heart
With me, lili Marleen
With me, lili Marleen
Give me a rose to show how much you care
Tie to the stem a lock of golden hair
Surely tomorrow, you'll feel blue
But then will come a love that's new
For you, lili Marleen
For you, lili Marleen
When we are marching in the mud and cold
And when my pack seems more than I can hold
My love for you renews my might
I'm warm again, my pack is light
It's you, lili Marleen
It's you, lili Marleen
My love for you renews my might
I'm warm again, my pack is light
It's you, lili Marleen
It's you, lili Marleen
Robert Miller
At 78, I am the youngest of the 5 Miller brothers who proudly served Our Country. My oldest brother Harold fought in Africa, Sicily under General Patton and then fought in Italy against the Italian’s and German’s, which are my ancestors. My brother introduced me to this song and I always loved it and still do. Some of my brothers were in Korea and Vietnam and my other brother and I were in between the both wars, 1959 and 1963. Because of the Sullivan Act, we were always kept apart. The movie Saving Private Ryan is a prime example of the act, also known as the last surviving son act and yes, we were fortunate to all come back home safely.
Tiernan Wearen
Woah my uncle was in the RAF he was killed in May 1941
Robert Miller
@Tiernan Wearen Sadly, your uncle paid the ultimate price to help save Great Britain in her hour of need. Thank you for his service and for remembering him in a time in our lives when the world was in crisis.
Tiernan Wearen
@Robert Miller he was meant to go into the army the next day and it was his officially his last combat mission he was shot down and forced to land in trees that's when he was killed.
Allyanna
Robert Miller. What a beautiful crew your brothers. Thank you fir your services. Great piece of history pal. By the way, I'm from Bonnie Scotland.
sherp2u1
Thanks Bob, we owe you guys soo much, and your brothers as well...You and your bothers are my heroes, don't ever forget that...! Be well and happy Sir. I only hope to be half the man you were Sir....!
Daloki
It's poignant to remember that this song was originally written in German and was loved by soldiers on both sides of the war. The German boys in the trenches weren't really different from the Allied boys. They just had monsters running their country.
C Z
Trenches? What war are you thinking of? WW2 was mostly mobile.
Max Srama
@C Z Ah yes because trenches didn't exist anywhere, soldiers in WW2 thought defending standing up in the wide open was the better tactic. I bet in almost every battle in WW2 you will find some type of trench being used.,
Dawn Holmes
YES