"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.[citation needed]
The English lyrics were written by Sammy Lerner, though they do not include a translation of the original version's most erotic verse;[1] 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 while playing Hamburg in 1962. The band altered the English lyrics slightly, and delivered the song in a rock'n'roll style.
Featuring Paul McCartney on lead vocals, The Beatles' live rendition of the song can be found on the double LP Live! at the Star-Club in Hamburg, Germany; 1962, originally released in 1977; it is the only released version of the song by the band.
"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.
The 12-inch single "Falling in Love Again" by the Adicts was released in 1985 under the name ADX. It is often included as a bonus track on reissues of the punk band's third album, Smart Alex.
Track listing
"Falling in Love Again"
"Come Along"
"It's a Laugh"
"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
Dietrich re-recorded the song in a huskier voice in 1939, accompanied by Victor Young and His Orchestra. As her signature song, it would also consistently be featured on Dietrich's live albums.
The 1974 Mel Brooks film Blazing Saddles features a performance by Madeline Kahn of a song called "I'm Tired", a parody of Dietrich's performance of the Hollaender song in The Blue Angel.