“(There’ll Be Bluebirds Over) The White Cliffs of Dover” by Vera Lynn
Unlike the United States for instance, the United Kingdom was smack-dab in the middle of World War II, being physically bombed and having enemies all along its borders. Indeed the titular Dover itself, which is on the southeast coast of the UK, was actually a theatre of combat during the Battle of Britain in 1940. And in the first verse especially, the singer presents herself as someone who was actually involved in that conflict.
Now remember that the war itself was still raging when this song was released. So basically her words throughout center on two main sentiments. One is her fond memories of said battle, more specifically the brave air force pilots, some fallen, whom she met along the way. And secondly she is expressing optimism that ultimately her side will emerge victorious from the war itself. For she believes that they are the ones fighting on the side of “truth”, which in the end always prevails. So basically, as it has been interpreted, the titular “bluebirds” are basically symbolic of said hope.
Writing Credits for “The White Cliffs of Dover”
The lyrics of this song were written by Walter Kent (1911-1994), and the music was written by Nat Burton (1901-1945).
It is imperative that we state that bluebirds are not actually found in Dover, where the lyrics of the song take place. However, the composers, both being American, didn’t know that at the time.
Various Versions
A number of prominent artists have recorded renditions of this song. For instance, American singer Kate Smith’s (1907-1986) version was a top 10 hit in the United States, where it was considered to be a dance song. And another American singer, Glenn Miller (1904-1944), dropped his own version the year prior.
Interesting to note is that the famous Righteous Brothers also covered this tune in 1966 to notable success.
Moreover in 1995 a British duo called Robson & Jerome released a cover of “White Cliffs of Dover” as a double A-side to the song “Unchained Melody”. And the single went on to reach number one in Britain and Scotland.
However it is Vera Lynn’s take, which also came out in 1942, which is considered to be the most-famous. This is partially due to the fact that at the time she was “The Forces Sweetheart”, i.e. a popular entertainer who would actually visit foreign army bases and perform in support of British troops. Moreover she was very good at her job. And with this track being centered on a very-sentimental aspect of the war, it proved to be one of her signature tunes.
Cliffs of Dover
In 2017, in recognition of her 100th birthday, a giant tribute to Vera (1917-2020) was actually projected onto the real cliffs of Dover. These cliffs actually stand at 110 meters (350 feet) tall.
Also in 2017 Vera Lynn helped raise a large amount of money in a relatively-short amount of time for the cause of protecting the environment of the White Cliffs of Dover.
