LILY MARLENE
Marlene Dietrich


Devant la caserne
Quand le jour s'enfuit
La vieille lanterne
Soudain s'allume et luit.
C'est dans ce coin la que le soir
On s'attendait remplis d'espoir
Tous deux Lily Marlene
Tous deux Lily Marlene.

Et dans la nuit sombre
Nos corps enlaces
Ne faisaient qu'une ombre
Lorsque je t'embrassais
Nous echangions ingenument
Joue contre joue bien des serments
Tous deux
Lily Marlene.
Tous deux
Lily Marlene.

Le temps passe vite
Lorsque l'on est deux
Helas! on se quitte
Voici le couvre-feu
Te souviens-tu de nos
regrets
Lorsqu'il fallait nous separer?
Dis moi
Lily Marlene?
Dis moi
Lily Marlene?

La vieille lanterne
S'allume toujours
Devant la caserne
Lorsque finit le jour.
Mais toutme parait etranger
Aurais-je donc beaucoup change?
Dis-moi
Lily Marlene
Dis-moi
Lily Marlene.

Cette tendre histoire
De nos chers vingt ans
Chante
en ma memoire
Malgre les jours
les ans
Il me semble entendre ton pas
Et je te serre entre mes bras
Lily ... Lily Marlene.
Lily ... Lily Marlene.


*****


LILI MARLENE
(Hans Leip / Norbert Schultze)
Lale Anderson - 1940


Vor der Kaserne,
Vor dem grossen Tor
Stand eine Laterne
Und steht sie noch davor
So woll'n wir uns da wieder seh'n
Wie einst Lili Marlene, wie einst Lili Marlene

Unsere beide Schatten
Sah'n wie einer aus
Das wir so lieb uns hatten
Das sah man gleich daraus
Und alle Leute soll'n es seh'n
Wie einst Lili Marlene, wie einst Lili Marlene

Schon rief der Posten,
Sie blasen Zapfenstreich
Das kann drei Tage kosten
Kam'rad, ich komm sogleich
Da sagten wir auf Wiedersehn
Wie gerne wollt ich mit dir geh'n
Mit dir Lili Marlene, wie einst Lili Marlene

Deine Schritte kennt sie,
Deinen zieren Gang
Alle Abend brennt sie,
Doch mich vergaus sie lang
Und sollte mir ein Leids gescheh'n
Wer wird bei der Laterne stehen
Mit dir Lili Marlene, wie einst Lili Marlene

Aus demm stillen Raume
Aus der erde Grund
Hebt mich wie im Traume
Dein verliebte Mund
Wenn sich die spaten Nebel drehn
Werd' ich bei der Laterne steh'n
Wie einst Lili Marlene. wie einst Lili Marlene


*****


LILI MARLENE
(English version)
(Dietrich/L/S)
Marlene Dietrich 


Outside the barracks by the corner light
I'll 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 

Bugler tonight, don't play the Call To Arms
I want another evening with her charms
Then we will say goodbye and part
I'll always keep you in my heart
With me, Lili Marlene
With me, Lili Marlene 

Give me a rose to show how much you care
Tied 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


******


LILI MARLENE
(English Version)
(Norbert Schultze / J.J. Phillips / Tommy Connors)

Anne Shelton - 1942
Hildegarde - 1944
Martha Tilton - 1944
Al Martino - 1968 


Underneath the lantern by the barrack gate, 
Darling I remember the way you used to wait, 
'Twas there that you whispered tenderly, 
That you loved me, you'd always be, 
My Lili of the lamplight, 
My own Lili Marlene.

Time would come for roll call, time for us to part, 
Darling I'd caress you and press you to my heart, 
And there 'neath that far off lantern light, 
I'd hold you tight, we'd kiss "good-night," 
My Lili of the lamplight, 
My own Lili Marlene.

Orders came for sailing somewhere over there, 
All confined to barracks was more than I could bear; 
I knew you were waiting in the street, 
I heard your feet, but could not meet, 
My Lili of the lamplight, 
My own Lili Marlene.

Resting in a billet just behind the line, 
Even tho'we're parted your lips are close to mine; 
You wait where that lantern softly gleams, 
Your sweet face seems to haunt my dreams, 
My Lili of the lamplight, 
My own 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...


*****


LILI MARLENE
Perry Como - 1944


(This is the story of Lili Marlene, 
doo, doo, doo doo, doo!) 

Would you like to hear the story, 
of a girl that many soldiers know? 
It's a tale of love in all it's glory, 
they tell when the lights are soft an' low! 

Underneath the lamp post by the brigades 
standing all alone every night you'll see her wait, 
she waits for a boy who marched away 
and though he's gone, she hears him say: 

"Oh promise you'll be true, 
fare thee well Lili Marlene, 
'till I return to you, 
fare thee well Lili Marlene!" 

(This is the story of Lili Marlene!) 

With a kiss she gave her promise, 
to be constant as the stars above, 
every soldier knows she's kept her promise, 
and she has been faithful to her love! 

(Underneath the lamp post by the brigade 
standing all alone every night you'll see her wait, 
for this is the place a vow was made 
and breezes sing her serenade....) 

"Oh promise you'll be true, 
fare thee well Lili Marlene, 
'till I return to you, 
fare thee well Lili Marlene," 

(This is the story of Lili Marlene! 
Though wee stems have an ending, 
no one knows just what the end will be 
but tonight when twilight is descending, 
if you'll come along, here's what you'll see....) 

Underneath the lamp post by the brigade 
standing all alone every night you'll see her wait, 
and as they go marching to the fray 
the soldiers all salute and say: 

We'll tell him you've been true, 
fare thee well Lili Marlene, 
'till he returns to you, 
fare thee well.... 
Lili Marlene!