Lyrks
Lyrks
Lyrks
Cover Art

Leni Riefenstahl Lyrics by Mark Yakich

The Importance of Peeling Potatoes in Ukraine

2008

Abhorred. O she was. And how she lived for
More than a century. A darling really
Except for her love of the camera. A woman
No one ever saw crying. Recall how much
Of her there was to go around. Filming
The crowd. How wanted she was. They said
She’d slept with Hitler. The grandstands.
They said she’d slept with Morris, too,
The American who won the decathlon
And later played Tarzan in the movies; he
Ripped open her blouse and kissed her
Breast before 100,000 people. The crowd.
The film. No one dying. Imagine, Hitler’s
Voice lived inside her head for 70 years.
The sound of the crowd. An old typewriter
Surfacing. There was no cliff she couldn’t
Jump from. And survive. And later no sea
That was not her scene. The crowd. No
One else got off like she did. The film.
To her Jesse Owens was merely four
Gold medals. A few camera flashes.
Seconds. The lathe of the turnstile. The reels
And reels of celluloid she sent to Hamburg.
She only met Owens that once. Not
Wonderful. Not at all. They spent half
An hour debating. She predicted he’d go
Back home and race against horses. And
So he did. She admonished him not
To piss off the Führer. The film of his
Torch. And so what if Owens replaced
That Jewish sprinter in the 400-meter relay;
Owens was supposed to be the man who
Stood in for all minorities, everywhere.
The torch. The camera. The crowd. Leni
Admonished him. And now I you:
Take this book. Finger its edges. Flip
Its pages like the frames of a film. Her torch.
Her sea. Rip apart the binding like that
Delicate blouse she kept in a safe. Prepare
For the prejudice of your own dreams.
That frail body of hers. That furor. That film.
That crowd should have been crying.
Credits
Mark Yakich

Mark Yakich

About “Leni Riefenstahl” by Mark Yakich

Read the complete lyrics to "Leni Riefenstahl" by Mark Yakich from the album "The Importance of Peeling Potatoes in Ukraine" in 2008. On Lyrks you can follow along with the full text, explore the artist's discography, and discover related songs. The track is often categorized under Non-Music, Literature.

"Leni Riefenstahl" is performed by Mark Yakich. from the album "The Importance of Peeling Potatoes in Ukraine" in 2008 This page provides the full lyric text for fans who want to sing along, study the songwriting, or compare versions across releases. Lyrks organizes lyrics by artist and song slug so you can bookmark and share a stable URL. Music lyrics help listeners connect with emotion, narrative, and rhythm in a track. Whether you are learning English, researching a favorite chorus, or preparing for karaoke, having accurate line breaks and section labels (verse, chorus, bridge) makes the experience easier. We link to the official artist profile on Lyrks where available, including biography snippets, top songs, and chart placements when we have that data. If you enjoy "Leni Riefenstahl", explore more songs by Mark Yakich using the links below. Chart and trending pages on Lyrks highlight what listeners are searching for this week. For copyright or correction requests, see our DMCA and contact pages.

View all songs and biography for Mark Yakich · Trending lyrics · Billboard Hot 100

Frequently asked questions

"Leni Riefenstahl" is credited to Mark Yakich. Songwriting credits may include additional writers listed on the release; check the credits section on this page for linked collaborators.

"Leni Riefenstahl" appears on "The Importance of Peeling Potatoes in Ukraine" in 2008.

Visit the Mark Yakich artist page at /artist/mark-yakich for biography, popular tracks, and links to more lyric pages.