☝️ Key Points
- The song is about loneliness and the desire for love in a big city.
- It's about longing for a specific man who is not yet known but seems to be known.
- The lyrics express feelings of loneliness, longing, and loss.
- It's about the search for love and the fear of being alone.
- Marlene Dietrich's interpretation gives the song emotional depth.
Interpretation
The song lyrics "Allein in einer großen Stadt" by
Marlene Dietrich are about loneliness and the desire for love in a big city. The text describes how one lives in the midst of a bustling city but still feels alone. It is about the longing for a specific man who is not yet nearby.
The text shows that even though one doesn't know this man, it feels like one knows him somehow. There is a fear that he might just pass by while one is searching for him among others. One remains his woman until suddenly standing face to face with him.
The chorus expresses the sudden inability to know what to say. Everything seems banal and one can no longer speak as confidently as before. Everything one wanted to say is forgotten because his gaze shows that he has already understood.
In the second verse, it is described that one now has everything one wanted and could theoretically be happy. But the big city suddenly seems silent and one lives only for this man. One thinks of nothing else but is afraid that this beautiful time will come to an end. One secretly thinks of the first fight until suddenly standing face to face with him.
The second chorus shows that once again one doesn't know what to say. Everything seems banal and the man who never spoke up before suddenly screams. One remains silent and feels that it's over, that it's not even worth saying a word anymore. Everything is over, a world collapses, and once again one is so alone.