MICK HARVEY has shared his first new solo recording in 10 years, a translation and reworking of Marlene Dietrich’s 1950s ode to Berlin, ‘Ich Hab’ Noch Einen Koffer in Berlin’. Harvey’s updated take on the song, originally written in 1922, ‘A Suitcase in Berlin’, brings a sadness and weight to the subject appropriate to the passage of time and the weight of history which hangs over the city.
While the choruses have been translated directly, the changing nature of Berlin itself made it impossible to utilise the original text in the verses. Mick Harvey explains, “So many of the locations cited no longer exist. And, as we emerge from a couple of weird years and the associated losses and anxiety, I felt this song wherein a longing and connection with places long not visited, was both fitting and emotionally resonant.”
And yes, after many years associated with the city, Harvey still has ‘A Suitcase in Berlin’ of his own.
New Music United 