Designed For Living

Composed in early 1982 by Zian and Mark Love, “Designed For Living” is in its essence an homage to film star Marlene Dietrich - and a big nod to other stars and the glamour of Hollywood in the 1930’s 40’s and 50’s.

The title was inspired by the titular Noel Coward play “Design For Living”, Mr. Coward being a lifelong friend and confidant of Marlene Dietrich.

The song is lyrically inspired by the story of the main character “Lola” (who personified the original scheming ‘femme-fatale’ of film – a narrative later to be echoed by Joan Collins in her performance as “Alexis” in the 1980’s mega hit TV soap “DYNASTY”) in Dietrich’s breakthrough performance “The Blue Angel” (1930) by the pioneering film director Josef Von Sternberg.

As inscribed in the BNE Book launched in 2014 (The definitive archive of Brisbane’s independent electronic music scene 1979-2014); the song was described as ..“possibly the most bitch-is-back song in existence”..