The World WAr 2 ballad “Lili Marlene” is it meant to be sung by a male vocalist or a female vocalist? We have heard it sung by both.
After reading the replies to my inquiry concerning Bill Clinton’s participation and interest in sports reveals to me that he was definately not a “jock”. Breaking the tradition of the commander-in-chief attending the Army/Navy game, was probably due to his wish to avoid discussion of his non-military status.
Although the most noteworthy performers of “Lili Marlene” were female (Piaf, Dietrich), judging from the lyrics alone, it’s pretty clear the person singing the song is meant to be male:
Lale Andersen (female) was the first to popularize it in Germany in the early '40s (possibly late '30s). Then Marlene Dietrich co-opted it for her own.
It doesn’t really matter who sings it: it’s told from a narrator’s point of view, about the love affair between Lili Marlene and her soldier boy, whom she knows won’t come back from the war.