Marlene Dietrich's Favorite Poem

Album: Deep (1989)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • A track from Bauhaus frontman Peter Murphy's third solo album, "Marlene Dietrich's Favorite Poem" was inspired by a documentary he saw about the famous German actress. Dietrich was always coy when it came to revealing details about her life, but when she was asked to read her famous poem, she seemed to reveal her true self.

    Murphy has taken a similar approach in his public persona, leaving much of his life and work open to question.
  • These lines:

    Oh Marlene suffer all the fools
    Who write you on the wall


    Are likely a reference to the 1985 Suzanne Vega song "Marlene On The Wall," where Vega sings about the poster of Dietrich she had on her wall.

Comments: 2

  • Musicihaveloved from Here Of CourseI always thought it was a ballad to his mother.
  • Crow Boy from The UniverseWhile that's an interesting take on the lyric about the writing on the wall, a more common definition of the phrase might be more appropriate. "The writing is on the wall" means that something will cease to exist. That can be interpreted as her life, or the memory of her, or even the truth which could be replaced by lies about who she was.
see more comments

Editor's Picks

Melanie

MelanieSongwriter Interviews

The singer-songwriter Melanie talks about her spiritual awakening at Woodstock, "Brand New Key," and why songwriting is an art, not a craft.

We Will Rock You (To Sleep): Pop Stars Who Recorded Kids' Albums

We Will Rock You (To Sleep): Pop Stars Who Recorded Kids' AlbumsSong Writing

With the rise of Kindie rock, more musicians are embracing their inner child with tunes for tots - here, we look at pop stars who recorded kids' albums.

Michael Franti

Michael FrantiSongwriter Interviews

Franti tells the story behind his hit "Say Hey (I Love You)" and explains why yoga is an integral part of his lifestyle and his Soulshine tour.

Tom Keifer of Cinderella

Tom Keifer of CinderellaSongwriter Interviews

Tom talks about the evolution of Cinderella's songs through their first three albums, and how he writes as a solo artist.

Lori McKenna

Lori McKennaSongwriter Interviews

Lori's songs have been recorded by Faith Hill and Sara Evans. She's performed on the CMAs and on Oprah. She also has five kids.

Stand By Me: The Perfect Song-Movie Combination

Stand By Me: The Perfect Song-Movie CombinationSong Writing

In 1986, a Stephen King novella was made into a movie, with a classic song serving as title, soundtrack and tone.