Falling in Love Again (Can't Help It)

"Falling in Love Again (Can't Help It)" is the English language name for a 1930 German song composed by Friedrich Hollaender as "Ich bin von Kopf bis Fuß auf Liebe eingestellt" (literally: "I am, from head to toe, ready for love"). The song was originally performed, in the 1930 film Der Blaue Engel (English translation: The Blue Angel), by Marlene Dietrich, who also recorded the most famous English version, which became her anthem. Dietrich is backed by the Friedrich Hollaender Orchestra.

"Falling in Love Again
(Can't Help It)"
A-side label of US 78-rpm single
Single by Marlene Dietrich
B-side"Naughty Lola"
Released1930
GenreTraditional pop
LabelVictor Talking Machine Company
Songwriter(s)Friedrich Hollaender (German)
Sammy Lerner (English)

The English lyrics were written by Sammy Lerner, though they do not include a translation of the original version's most erotic verse; when the English version is sung, the first verse is simply repeated. The song is sometimes co-credited to Reginald Connelly.

Cover versions

The Beatles version

"Falling in Love Again" was covered live by The Beatles in 1962, featuring Paul McCartney on lead vocals, and an alteration to the lyrics. The band had updated the song's melody to a rock-'n'-roll style. The Beatles' live version can be found on the double LP Live! at the Star-Club in Hamburg, Germany; 1962 (originally released in 1977) and it is the only known available version of the song by the band.

Kevin Ayers version
"Falling in Love Again"
Single by Kevin Ayers
from the album Yes We Have No Mañanas (So Get Your Mañanas Today)
B-side"Everyone Knows the Song"
ReleasedFeb, 1976
GenreRock
LabelIsland WIP6271 & Harvest
Songwriter(s)see text
Producer(s)Muff Winwood
Kevin Ayers singles chronology
"After the Show"
(1974)		 "Falling in Love Again"
(1976)		 "Star"
(1977)
Harvest single cover
Harvest edition

"Falling in Love Again" was Kevin Ayers’ final release on Island Records. The flip side, "Everyone Knows the Song", was an Ayers original. After the release of this single, Ayers signed to Harvest Records, and both tracks became part of his 1976 album, Yes We Have No Mañanas (So Get Your Mañanas Today). The single was also re-released a few months later by Harvest in parts of Europe but featuring the Ayers original "The Owl" on the B-side.

Track listing

Island release

  1. "Falling in Love Again" (Hollander/Connelly)
  2. "Everyone Knows the Song" (Kevin Ayers)

Harvest release

  1. "Falling in Love Again" (Hollander/Connelly)
  2. "The Owl" (Kevin Ayers)

Personnel

Adicts version
"Falling in Love Again"
Single by The Adicts
ReleasedMay 1985[1]
GenrePunk rock, new wave
LabelSire
Songwriter(s)See text
The Adicts singles chronology
"Tokyo"
(1984)		 "Falling in Love Again"
(1985)

"Falling in Love Again" is a 12-inch single punk band the Adicts, released under the name ADX. It is often included as bonus tracks on reissues of the band's third album, Smart Alex.

Track listing
  1. "Falling in Love Again"
  2. "Come Along"
  3. "It's a Laugh"
  4. "Saturday Night"

Personnel
  • Keith "Monkey" Warren – vocals
  • Mel "Spider" Ellis – bass
  • Pete "Pete Dee" Davison – guitar
  • Michael "Kid Dee" Davison – drums
  • John "Scruff" Ellis – guitar
  • Dan "Fiddle Dan" Graziani – violin, piano, mandolin

Other versions

The song has also been recorded by the Comedian Harmonists (in German, as "Wir sind von Kopf bis Fuß auf Liebe eingestellt", circa 1930); Zarah Leander (1931, in Swedish); Billie Holiday (1940); Doris Day (1961); Sammy Davis, Jr. (1962); Nina Simone (1966); Claudine Longet (1968); Techno Twins (1981); Klaus Nomi (1982); Family Fodder (1983); William S. Burroughs (1990, in German); Ute Lemper, in German and English, on her 1992 Illusions album; Marianne Faithfull (1997); Bryan Ferry (1999); The Puppini Sisters (2006); and Theo Bleckmann (2008). It featured in the Bonzo Dog Doo Dah Band's 40th anniversary tour of 2006; Patricia Kaas (2008, on the album Kabaret); Alain Kan (in English).

Madonna sang a few lines of the song during The Girlie Show Tour in 1993. It was also sung by Lieutenant Gruber in an episode of the hit sitcom 'Allo 'Allo!.

Linda Ronstadt recorded the song with Nelson Riddle for the album Lush Life (1984).

The song lyrics are parodied in an original Star Trek novel, How Much for Just the Planet? (1987) by John M. Ford.

The Mel Brooks' film Blazing Saddles contains a performance by Madeline Kahn called "I'm Tired", done as a parody of Dietrich's performance in Blue Angel.

Christina Aguilera covered the song for the soundtrack of the motion picture The Spirit, a 2008 American comic book adaptation, written and directed by Frank Miller.[2]

References
  1. Smart Alex (Media notes). The Adicts. Captain Oi! Records. 2002.CS1 maint: others (link)
  2. The Spirit (film) production notes
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