Lili Marleen

Song Name: Lili Marleen (other spellings include "Lily Marlene" and "Lili Marlene")

Year of Release: 1939 (original), 1945 (cover version)

Written By: Hans Leip and Norbert Schultz (English lyrics were written by Mack David)

Released by: Lale Anderson (original), Marlene Dietrich (cover)

Key Lyrics: "Dort wollen wir uns wiederseh'n/Bei der Laterne woll'n wir steh'n/Wie einst, Lili Marleen (We want to see each other there again/We want to stand by the lantern/Like before, Lili Marleen)."

"Alle Abend brennt sie, doch mich vergaß sie lang/Und sollte mir ein Leid gescheh'n/Wer wird bei der Laterne stehen/Mit dir, Lili Marleen? (She burns every evening, but she forgot for a long time/And should harm happen to me/Who will stand by the lantern/With you, Lili Marleen?)."

Description: The song is based on a 1915 poem written by Hans Leip, which was published in 1937 under the name "Das Lied eines jungen Soldaten auf der Wacht" ("The Song of a Young Soldier on Watch"). It was first recorded and released in 1939 by Lale Andersen under the title "Das Mädchen unter der Laterne" ("The Girl under the Lantern") and rerecorded again in 1942 by Andersen, this time with English lyrics. The most notable cover was performed in German by Marlene Dietrich and released in 1945, though she performed it multiple times for Allied soldiers on makeshift stages before the record was released. The song's lyrics describe a soldier recounting a girl whom he loves, thinking about their encounters under a lantern, and missing her, wondering what will happen to her if he does not make it back.

Why It Was Important: The song gained popularity in both its German and English versions, showing that wartime music transcends language barriers. Furthermore, the song was enjoyed by German and Allied soldiers alike; German forces would play it from their radio stations, while American troops found comfort in the tune during events such as the Western Desert Campaign in Egypt and Libya. The song's lyrics about a man missing his lover resonated with soldiers on both sides of the war, thus enabling it to remain a key part of the wartime experience for Allied and German soldiers alike. British officer Fitzroy Maclean recounted in his memoir that his troops would turn on Radio Belgrade (which was run by the Germans) and listen to the song before the planned liberation of Belgrade by the Soviets, showing that this song transcended linguistic and military boundaries because of its relevance to a universal human experience.

Recordings:

Lili Marleen (studio version, Marlene Dietrich version in German)

Lili Marleen (1963 English Version) (studio version, Lale Andersen version in English)