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Marlene Dietrich's Favourite Poem Lyrics
My mother loved it so she said
Sad eyed pearl and drop lips
Glancing pierce through writer man
Spoke hushed and frailing hips
Her old eyes skim in creasing lids
A tear falls as she describes
Approaching death with a yearning heart
With pride and no despise
Hot tears flow as she recounts
Her favourite worded token
Forgive me please for hurting so
Don't go away heartbroken no
Just wise owl tones no velvet lies
Crush her velvet call
Oh Marlene suffer all the fools
Who write you on the wall
And hold your tongue about your life
Or dead hands will change the plot
Will make your loving sound like snakes
Like you were never hot
Hot tears flow as she recounts
Her favourite worded token
Forgive me please for hurting so
Don't go away heartbroken no
My mother loved it so she said
Sad eyed pearl and drop lips yeah
Glancing pierce through writer man
Spoke hushed and frailing lips yeah
Old eyes skim in creasing lids
A tear falls as she describes
Approaching death with a yearning heart
With pride and no despise
Hot tears flow as she recounts
Her favourite worded token
Forgive me please for hurting so
Don't go away heartbroken no
Sad eyed pearl and drop lips
Glancing pierce through writer man
Spoke hushed and frailing hips
Her old eyes skim in creasing lids
A tear falls as she describes
Approaching death with a yearning heart
With pride and no despise
Her favourite worded token
Forgive me please for hurting so
Don't go away heartbroken no
Crush her velvet call
Oh Marlene suffer all the fools
Who write you on the wall
And hold your tongue about your life
Or dead hands will change the plot
Will make your loving sound like snakes
Like you were never hot
Her favourite worded token
Forgive me please for hurting so
Don't go away heartbroken no
Sad eyed pearl and drop lips yeah
Glancing pierce through writer man
Spoke hushed and frailing lips yeah
Old eyes skim in creasing lids
A tear falls as she describes
Approaching death with a yearning heart
With pride and no despise
Her favourite worded token
Forgive me please for hurting so
Don't go away heartbroken no
Song Info
Submitted by
girgo On May 11, 2004
More Peter Murphy
Cuts You Up
Strange Kind Of Love
All Night Long
I'll Fall With Your Knife
Indigo Eyes
Add your song meanings, interpretations, facts, memories & more to the community.
Marlene Dietrich was a diva, who's personal life was kept out of the public view. ("hold your tongue about your life") had many lovers, among them famous writers ("writer man"). There's also a reference to Dietrich's singing style: "Just wise owl tones - no velvet lies crush her velvet call" - who sounded bitterly-"sober", and disenchanted. The song describes someone (Marlene?, or the writer's mother?) on her death-bed, remembering a "token" - either used on her, or one that she used (Perhaps a line from one of Dietrich's songs, or a poem she loved?) - "Forgive me please, for hurting (you) so, don't go away heartbroken". "the fools who write you on the wall" might refer to ownership in love, either read literally as: To try to own in love is a foolish thing, or ironicly: What a fool was I to give you my heart.
Peter Murphy saw the documentary film "Marlene" by Maximilian Schell. In it, Schell talks with Dietrich, though only the audio is recorded, she wouldn't allow herself to be filmed. She is at times funny, guarded, caustic, coy, and downright mean. But towards the end of the film, Schell and Dietrich read a poem together that was a favorite of her mother's, and she becomes quite emotional.
The poem is (in German) O lieb’, solang du lieben kannst” by Ferdinand von Freiligrath written in 1845. According to Google Translate :) that title means "O love, as long as you can love" and the poem speaks of a woman by the grave of her deceased love, lamenting a harsh word spoken while he was still alive. You can read it (in German of course, but Google translate does a pretty good job) at http://www.germansociety.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/MarleneProgram.pdf
Beautiful song. Marlene was an actress, I believe, from the 1920's, but I'm not sure what it means.
Beautiful song. Marlene was an actress, I believe, from the 1920's, but I'm not sure what it means.
Beautiful song. Marlene was an actress, I believe, from the 1920's, but I'm not sure what it means.
This is a great and beautiful poetic song coupled with peter murphys great voice. i think the song is about an old woman who is lying on her deathbed abd telling a bout someone she loved and the story brings up buried tears.it also seems as if she was eternally hurt by this man andhe betrayed her somehow.
in spite of this, love deeply and passionatly,it may hurt but is the only way to live life to the fullest
The Philosopher