In 1915 during World War I a homesick young German soldier, Hans Leip, wrote a romantic poem that was destined to become a popular song that would endure for decades, Lili Marleen. The romantic poem was not set to music until 1938. The lovely melody by Norbert Schultze along with the sentimental words conquered not only German hearts but the hearts of the Allied and Axis soldiers during World War II because Lili Marleen spoke to each soldier of his loved one back home. Stories abound about marching armies of every nationality singing this song either in German with heavy foreign accents or translated into languages such as English, French, Japanese, and Italian. Lili Marleen was published and/or performed in almost every country from France, England, the United States, Australia and Canada to the Netherlands, Croatia, Uruguay, Argentina and Spain. In 1950 Lili joined the military in Korea. In 1960 the song traveled to war-torn Viet Nam. Despite the fact that Joseph Goebbels, Reich Minister of Propaganda in Nazi Germany, vowed to crush the song because it wasn’t militaristic enough, Lili Marlene became a song for all nations. (Special thanks to my brother, Billy West, who provided background for this piece).
Lili Marleen
(English Words)
Underneath the lantern
By the barrack gate
Darling I remember
The way you used to wait
T’was there that you whispered tenderly
That you love’d me, you’d always be
My Lili of the Lamplight
My own Lili Marlene.
(German Words)
Vor der kaserne
Vor dem grosen tor
Stand eine laterne und steht sie noch davor
So wolin wir da uns wiedersehn
Bei der laterne wolin wir stehn
Wie einst Lili Marleen
Wie einst Lili Marleen
Photo: Carlton Jackson
Figures . . .
I’ve never heard of the “best known song in history.” ; )
By: nrhatch on June 30, 2010
at 3:30 pm
I HAVE heard of it, and I know the tune. I’m not sure if it really is the best known song, however. I believe that the song sung most often around the world is “Happy Birthday”.
Eric Burden and the Animals had a very interesting version of Lili Marleen on one of their more psychadelic albums.
By: Richard W Scott on June 30, 2010
at 3:37 pm
Thanks for the lyrics; I’ve never been able to put them all together before.
Interesting that opposing armed forces were all singing this song….
I also remember that it was sung by a most famous singer, but I can think who.
By: Loreen Lee on June 30, 2010
at 3:43 pm
It’s a beautiful song. It was recorded by many artists including Marlene Dietrich, Bing Crosby, Lale Andersen (first to record it), Edith Piaf and Connie Francis. It was featured in the 1973 movie Judgment at Nuremberg as well as several television programs such as Rat Patrol.
By: nancycurteman on June 30, 2010
at 3:48 pm
Thanks. Great information. How do you gather it! (Just rhetorical question!). It was Edith Piaf who is most remembered by me but yes, I thought of Dietrich, too.
Thanks for the memory!
By: Loreen Lee on June 30, 2010
at 10:22 pm
I’ve always loved Lili Marleen. I remember the character played by Marlene Deitrich in Judgment at Nuremburg saying the German lyrics are sadder than their English translation. Thanks for this post.
By: Kathy on November 30, 2011
at 5:44 pm
I learned the words to Lili Marleen in German and they are very sentimental. The melody is a nice even beat for marching.
By: Nancy Curteman on November 30, 2011
at 8:30 pm
From the book THE ARMS OF KRUPP by William Manchester,Hans Leip the author of LILLE MARLEEN states, I have often had to refute the insulting assumption of english translators that lille marleen was a prostitute and therefore needed bowdlerizing for english sensibilities. The two people concerned were both highly respectable young ladies in Berlin in 1915.Their names were LILLI and MARLEEN and I,then a gaurdsman,fell in love with both of them.I fused their two personalities into one in these verses,which were written as a farewell just before we marched out for the Russian Front.
By: peter heinz on February 24, 2012
at 4:35 am
Peter, Thank you for adding so much more to the history of this well-loved song. The biggest surprise is that it was about two women.
By: Nancy Curteman on February 24, 2012
at 1:57 pm