“Lili Marlene”: the song that united Allied and Axis troops

By G.O.

ON the outbreak of the first world war, Sir Edward Grey, Britain’s foreign secretary, stated that “the lamps are going out all over Europe; we shall not see them lit again in our lifetime.” When Europe was thrown once again into the darkness of conflict, the association of lamp light with peace was taken up by a German voice. “Lili Marlene”—originally written as a poem and set to music years later—came to rule the European airwaves between 1941 and 1945. Marlene Dietrich, one of the song’s most notable performers, said she sang it through Africa, Sicily, Italy, Alaska, Greenland, Iceland, England, France, Belgium, Germany and Czechoslovakia during the war. Its popularity is not merely a testament to its brilliant words and melody; it speaks to a shared longing for peace.

In 1915 Hans Leip, a German fighter, penned “Das Lied eines jungen Soldaten auf der Wacht” (“The Song of a Young Soldier on Watch”), a poem in which the soldier declares that he will be reunited with his lover once again. He is summoned to the barracks and laments the forced separation, risking reprimand for a few more seconds with his love. Throughout, the anticipation of seeing her again provides hope. In 1938, Norbert Schultze, a German composer of film music, set the poem to music. It was recorded the following year by Lale Andersen.

Yet it remained relatively unknown. The song was rediscovered in 1941 in Vienna by a German soldier asked to browse old records for the German forces radio station. “Lili Marlene” was first aired to troops on August 18th 1941, despite previously being banned by Joseph Goebbels for its anti-war sentiment. It rapidly became one of the most popular hits; soon it was played on a daily basis, often just before 10pm—as if it were a lullaby for soldiers at the numerous fronts.

This popularity spread throughout war-torn Europe. The British army fighting the German Africa Corps adopted it after picking up the German broadcast; it was later co-opted for British forces radio. A version in English was recorded by Lale Andersen but the British government held concerns over a German singer’s track being too popular. Instead a new recording, featuring vocalist Anne Shelton, was produced. Yet the true symbol of British reverence for “Lili Marlene” is that it was covered by Vera Lynn, the greatly-loved singer of wartime songs such as “We’ll Meet Again” and “The White Cliffs of Dover”. Today, her rendition has been viewed more than 1.2m times on YouTube.

Surprisingly, “Lili Marlene” was not just a wartime phenomenon. In 1950, a British film of the same name told the fictional story of a young French woman who was the girl beneath the lantern. In 1981, Rainer Werner Fassbinder released another film, “Lili Marleen”, in which a German singer and her Jewish lover help a group of Jews to hide from the Nazis. In the 1960s, a version of the song reached number nine in the German charts; in the 1970s, Italy’s version reached number 12 in their domestic charts. It was a recognisable tune in Spain during the 1980s and has been translated into nearly 50 languages, from French to Hebrew and even Hawaiian. More subtle references to the song can be found, too. In the 1983 film “The Right Stuff”, about the first Americans in space, the German scientists celebrate a successful mission by singing a rendition around the piano.

Why did so many grow to love “Lili Marlene”? When the question was put to Lale Andersen she is said to have answered: “Can the wind explain why it became a storm?” Perhaps its longevity lies in its expression of love over war and the pain of duty and obligation. When the bugle calls the soldier back to the barracks, he declares “Wie gerne wollt ich mit dir geh’n | Mit dir Lili Marleen” (“How much I want to go with you | with you Lili Marlene”). The song suggests that the reunion beneath the lantern is symbolic not only of a love restored, but also a world restored to a pre-war state: “wie einst, Lili Marleen”—“as once, Lili Marlene”.

Few things express the idea of the futility of war better than “Lili Marlene”. While its words do not allude to it specifically, the fact that both Allied and Axis troops adored it demonstrates a general yearning for salvation from conflict. This classic song may not be a conventional symbol of remembrance, but it serves as a reminder of the universal longing for a peaceful world. As we remember the fallen of all nationalities, we must also remember our shared humanity. In a warless world, Lili Marlene will never stand beneath the lantern alone.