Each Friday I pick a song–new, old, borrowed, blue–that’s been on my mind and in my ears, and write a short post about it.

This is “Lili Marleen” by Marlene Dietrich:

Tonight I’m talking about and reading from my novel, Noon in Paris, Eight in Chicago at the Nelson Algren Museum in Miller Beach, Indiana. This song plays a small but (to me, anyway) significant role in the novel. Though the lyrics seem like their supposed to be hopeful and warm, like a traditional love song, to my ear it’s an almost unbearably sad song, and Marlene Dietrich sings it so beautifully.