Marlene Dietrich: Falling in Love again – Ich bin von Kopf bis Fuss

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Marlene in English and German and then again in English, great German accent; followed by Caroline Nin singing franco-anglo-tinged German.

ICH BIN VON KOPF BIS FUSS AUF LIEBE EINGESTELLT
(Friedrich Holländer)
Marlene Dietrich

Ein rätselhafter Schimmer,
Ein “je ne sais-pas-quoi”
Liegt in den Augen immer
Bei einer schönen Frau.
Doch wenn sich meine Augen
Bei einem vis-à-vis
Ganz tief in seine saugen
Was sprechen dann sie?:

Ich bin von Kopf bis Fuß
Auf Liebe eingestellt,
Denn das ist meine Welt.
Und sonst gar nichts.
Das ist, was soll ich machen,
Meine Natur,
Ich kann halt lieben nur
Und sonst gar nichts.

Männer umschwirr’n mich,
Wie Motten um das Licht.
Und wenn sie verbrennen,
Ja dafür kann ich nicht.
Ich bin von Kopf bis Fuß
Auf Liebe eingestellt,
Ich kann halt lieben nur
Und sonst gar nichts.

Was bebt in meinen Händen,
In ihrem heißen Druck?
Sie möchten sich verschwenden
Sie haben nie genug.
Ihr werdet mir verzeihen,
Ihr müßt’ es halt versteh’n,
Es lockt mich stets von neuem.
Ich find’ es so schön!

Ich bin von Kopf bis Fuß
Auf Liebe eingestellt,
Denn das ist meine Welt,
Und sonst gar nichts.
Das ist, was soll ich machen,
Meine Natur,
Ich kann halt lieben nur
Und sonst gar nichts.

Männer umschwirr’n mich,
Wie Motten um das Licht.
Und wenn sie verbrennen,
Ja dafür kann ich nichts.
Ich bin von Kopf bis Fuß
Auf Liebe eingestellt,
Ich kann halt lieben nur
Und sonst gar nichts.

FALLING IN LOVE AGAIN
(Frederick Hollander / Sammy Lerner)

Falling in love again
Never wanted to
What am I to do?
Can’t help it

Love’s always been my game
Play it as I may
I was born that way
Can’t help it

Men flock around me
Like moths around a flame
And if their wings burn
I know I’m not to blame

Falling in love again
Never wanted to
What am I to do?
Can’t help it

Love’s always been my game
Play it as I may
I was born that way
Can’t help it

Men flock around me
Like moths around a flame
And if their wings burn
I know I’m not to blame

Also recorded by:
The Beatles; Diahann Carrol; Chas & Dave; Petula Clark;
Rosemary Clooney; Sammy Davis Jr.; Doris Day; Roy Eldridge;
Marianne Faithful; Brian Ferry; Crystal Gayle;
Benny Goodman; Billie Holiday; Nana Mouskouri;
André Prévin; Alan Price; Linda Ronstadt; Nina Simone;
Jo Stafford; The Three Degrees; Don Williams; … and others.

Comments

5 Responses

  1. This is no real translation at all. “Ich bin vonKopf zu Fuss” was never even mention. Where is the ENGLISH translation the GERMAN text?

  2. Hi Curtis,
    I like the text she sings in English, but you’re right, it’s not very close.

    Here is my translation for you:

    I AM – FROM HEAD TO TOE! – SET TO LOVE
    (Frederick Hollander)
    Marlene Dietrich

    There is a mysterious shimmer,
    A “je ne sais pas-quoi”,
    Always in the eyes
    Of a beautiful woman.
    So when my eyes
    At a vis-à-vis
    Are drawn down deep into his
    What do they then say?

    I am – from head to toe! –
    Set to love,
    For this is my world,
    And nothing else.
    That is – what am I to do? –
    My nature,
    I can only love
    And nothing else.

    Men flit around me,
    Like moths around the light.
    And when they burn up,
    Well, how am I to blame?
    I am – from head to toe! –
    Set to love,
    I can only love
    And nothing else.

    What it that trembling in my hands,
    Under their hot pressure?
    They want to waste themselves
    They can never get enough.
    You’ll forgive me,
    You’ll have to understand it,
    It keeps attracting me.
    I find it so beautiful!

    I am – from head to toe! –
    Set to love,
    For this is my world,
    And nothing else.
    That is – what am I to do? –
    My nature,
    I can only love
    And nothing else.

    Men flit around me,
    Like moths around the light.
    And when they burn up,
    Well, how am I to blame?
    I am, from head to toe
    Set to love,
    I can only love
    And nothing else.

  3. Miss Anne Hodgson–I just wanted to thank you for this page, and for your excellent translation. I shall look further at whatever you’ve got on this site (I was just googling “Ich bin von kopf bis fuss auf liebe”–well, mistakenly, I had “vom”–to re-learn the lyrics in both languages, and found this, so thanks!).

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