He’s been around, you must forgive him. Du bist nicht die Erste (“You are not the first”) is a charming little love song from 1931, with music by Walter Jurmann and lyrics by Rudolf Österreicher & Rudolph Bernauer. In the song, our singer admits his past while declaring his love for his reizende Frau. Somehow, we think his charming lady doesn’t mind!
| German (original) | English (translation: Maxwell Grand) |
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Wie viele Frauen hab’ ich geküßt auf meiner Lebensfahrt, wie viele Stunden mir schon versüßt auf raffinierte Art! Weiß in der Liebe gründlich Bescheid, nahm mir zum Studium reichlich viel Zeit. Darfst drum nicht bös sein, reizende Frau, wenn ich dir ein gesteh’: Du bist nicht die Erste, Du bist nicht die Erste, |
How many women have I kissed in my life’s travels, how many hours have I sweetened in that refined way! I know much about love, I’ve spent much time studying it. So don’t be angry, charming lady, when I tell you: You are not the first one, You are not the first one, |
Our favorite recording of this song is the one featuring the golden voice of Leo Monosson, with Ben Berlin and his Orchestra. Monosson was a Russian Jew who found success in Germany during the years 1928-1933. He spoke eleven languages and made over 1400 recordings. He left Germany in 1933, eventually immigrating to the United States.
As a bonus, here’s a rare clip of Leo Monosson singing the song from the 1931 film Ihre Majestät die Liebe:
