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.

Makin' Whoopee
Marlene Dietrich Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Every time I hear the march from Lohengrin
I am always on the outside lookin' in
Maybe that is why I see the funny side
When I see a fallen brother take a bride
Weddings make a lot of people sad
But if you're not the groom, it's not so bad

Another bride, another June

Another sunny honeymoon
Another season
Another reason
For makin' whoopee

A lot of shoes, a lot of rice
The groom is nervous, he answers twice
It's really killin'
That he's so willin'
To make whoopee

Now picture a little love nest
Down where the roses cling
Now picture that same sweet love nest
Think what a year can bring

He's washing dishes
And baby clothes
He's so ambitious
He even sews
So don't forget, folks
That's what you get, folks
For makin' .

It is a year
Or even less
What's that I hear?
Well, can't you guess?
She feels neglected
And he's suspected
Of makin' .

She sits alone
'Most every night
He doesn't phone
He doesn't even write
He says he's busy
But she says: "Is he?
He's makin' ...!"

He doesn't make much money
Only five-thousand per
Some judge thinks, he's funny
Says: "You pay six to her!"

Now he says: "Judge
Suppose I fail?"
And he says: "Budge
You go to jail!
You better keep her, ha ha
Because it's cheaper
Than making ...!"

So don't forget, folks
That's what you get, folks
For makin' whoopee
For makin' whoopee
For makin'

Whoopee!

Overall Meaning

The song "Makin' Whoopee" by Marlene Dietrich is a playful take on the institution of marriage. The beginning of the song highlights the unique perspective of a person who is not a part of the wedding party, standing on the outside of the ceremony. The mention of the march from Lohengrin, specifically the Bridal Chorus, is an allusion to the traditional wedding tune that plays as the bride walks down the aisle. However, instead of feeling sentimental about the occasion, the singer sees the humorous side, especially when witnessing a "fallen brother," someone who has had a great time as a bachelor, take a bride.

As the song progresses, it becomes clear that the singer's view of marriage is cynical. "Another bride, another June, another sunny honeymoon" implies that weddings are predictable and formulaic. The line "a lot of shoes, a lot of rice" reflects common wedding traditions, but the following line suggests that the groom is not entirely enthusiastic about the wedding night. The final verse is the most telling, revealing the dark consequences of marriage, specifically when things do not go as planned. The judge is depicted as a jokester who expects the husband to pay his ex-wife more than he earns. The song finishes with the ironic and upbeat exclamation of "Whoopee!"

Line by Line Meaning

Every time I hear the march from Lohengrin
Whenever I listen to music from Lohengrin, I always feel like an outsider

I am always on the outside lookin' in
I never feel included in what's going on around me

Maybe that is why I see the funny side
Perhaps that's why I tend to laugh at things that other people find sad

When I see a fallen brother take a bride
When I see someone who has experienced a recent loss get married

Weddings make a lot of people sad
Marriages can sometimes bring feelings of sorrow or regret

But if you're not the groom, it's not so bad
If you're not the person actually getting married, weddings can be more enjoyable

Another bride, another June
It seems like there are always more weddings happening in the summer

Another sunny honeymoon
Another happy vacation for the newlyweds

Another season
Another period of time when people tend to tie the knot

Another reason
Another justification for getting married

For makin' whoopee
For having sex

A lot of shoes, a lot of rice
Many pairs of shoes and a lot of rice thrown as a symbol of good luck at weddings

The groom is nervous, he answers twice
The groom is anxious and repeats himself

It's really killin'
It's really agonizing

That he's so willin'
That he's willing to go through with the marriage despite his nervousness

To make whoopee
To have sex

Now picture a little love nest
Imagine a small, intimate place where a couple can be together

Down where the roses cling
Somewhere where roses grow and cling to walls or trellises

Think what a year can bring
Reflect on how much things can change in a year

He's washing dishes
He's washing the dishes

And baby clothes
He's washing laundry for a baby

He's so ambitious
He's striving to achieve his goals

He even sews
He's able to sew clothes and mend things

So don't forget, folks
Remember, listeners

That's what you get, folks
That's what happens to you when you get married

For makin'
For making

It is a year
It's already been a full year

Or even less
Or maybe even less time than that

What's that I hear?
What's that sound I'm hearing?

Well, can't you guess?
Surely you can figure it out

She feels neglected
She feels ignored and unimportant

And he's suspected
She has doubts that he's been faithful to her

Of makin'
Of having sex with other people

She sits alone
She spends her evenings by herself

'Most every night
Almost every evening

He doesn't phone
He doesn't call her on the phone

He doesn't even write
He doesn't even write her letters

He says he's busy
He claims to have a lot of work to do

But she says: "Is he?
But she wonders if he's really as busy as he claims to be

He's makin' ...!"
He's probably having sex with other women!

He doesn't make much money
He has a low-paying job

Only five-thousand per
He makes only $5,000 per year

Some judge thinks, he's funny
Some judge thinks he's a joke

Says: "You pay six to her!"
Orders him to give her $6,000

Now he says: "Judge
Now he replies to the judge

Suppose I fail?"
What if I can't pay?

And he says: "Budge
But the judge insists

You go to jail!
You will be sent to prison!

You better keep her, ha ha
You'd better stay with her, ha ha

Because it's cheaper
Because staying together is more cost-effective

Than making ...!"
Than having to pay more money or being sent to jail!

For makin' whoopee
For having sex

For makin'
For making

Whoopee!
Sex!

Writer(s): Gus Kahn, Walter Donaldson

Contributed by Camden V. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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8y↑1

S U B L I M E

MarleneXtreme2

Thanks a lot ! :-))

MarleneXtreme2

11y

Thanks a lot, you`re most welcome :-)) I wish you the same, dear ! See ya, soon ! Irene xox.

bobinobaker

12y

War das nicht in Rio ?

thrunsalmighty

10y↑1

Strange.
This is a brilliantly clever song.
But the introduction is entirely inappropriate for a female singer.

MarleneXtreme2

10y↑5

Marlene was well aware, this actually was a men`s song, so, she sang it dressed in men `s clothes,
also brilliantly clever :-))
Thanks for your comment !

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