"White Grass" (Marlene Dietrich) (Composed by Charles Marawood)

"White grass, neath the stones
that once was my home.

Bleached bones, nothing more,
of a wife I adored.

A cradle I made, no more
rocks my little babe.

The war is over,
seems we won.
Hooray.

White grass, once was green.
White stones once housed a dream
me and Mary ... young and brave.
And now the future years
I see lonely through my tears.

The war is over,
seems we won.
Hooray.

White grass, neath the stones
that once was my home.

Oh why Mary did you pray
God should save me this day.

The cradle of wood,
no longer rocks my little babe.

The war is over,
seems we won.
Hooray.
The war is over,
seems we won.
Hooray.

I listened and heard about an unknown soldier returning home from a war, only to find everything destroyed. I was stunned and afflicted with an infinite sense of sorrow.

I searched the web seeking the lyrics. Not only did I not find the lyrics, but only a handful of references to the song. Later I found a blurb about it one the soundtrack recording for a documentary made by her grandson. See Marlene Dietrich: Her Own Song (2001). "White Grass" was composed by Charles Marawood.

The lyrics above were transcribed, to the best of my listening ability, from numerous plays. At this point, this may be one and only lyrics on the web.

The video is available at "Marlene Dietrich - White Grass" It is a stunning, chilling performance in which she turns the song into an ironic lament.