“We’ll Meet Again” by Vera Lynn

“We’ll Meet Again” is a song from the early 20^th century, and back in those days pop-music lyrics tend to get straight to the point. So just as the title implies, the sentiment expressed throughout is one in which the singer is looking forward to meeting the addressee again in the near future.

Based on the way the storyline plays out, said addressee would be someone close to her.  Also this person would likely be situate in her hometown, as she instructs him or her to greet the people that she knows on her behalf. Thus the implication would be that the reason the singer and addressee are not together in the present moment is due to the former traveling away. 

And whereas the lyrics are not terribly specific in that regard, the overall implication is that her decision to do so may not have been by choice. Or stated otherwise, both she and especially the addressee are apparently depressed as a result of her departure. That is why she is encouraging her loved one to “keep smiling through(out)”. And said implied premise would also logically be why this song was especially popular amongst British soldiers who were in the theater of combat during World War II.

But in conclusion, the lyrics are simple enough as presented. And they are based on the idea of the singer looking forward to seeing the addressee ideally sooner rather than later.

Facts about “We’ll Meet Again”

The writers of this song were Ross Parker (1914-1974) and Hughie Charles (1907-1995).  And they originally released it in 1939.

Meanwhile Vera Lynn served as a Forces Sweetheart – one of the entertainers who would travel abroad and perform to encourage British soldiers during World War II. And she chose this particular song as part of her setlist as she felt it contained the type of message which the soldiers needed.

And in 1943, during the height of WWII, she starred in a musical also entitled “We’ll Meet Again” which features this song.

Vera Lynn’s version of “We’ll Meet Again” was produced by James Morgan alongside Juliette Pochin.

Song’s Popularity

As of mid-2020 (with Vera Lynn still being alive at the age of 103), this song blew up in the United Kingdom as a result of Queen Elizabeth II referencing it in an address she made to the British public on 5 April 2020. One of the main purposes of said speech was to encourage her people in the midst of the harrowing 2020 virus pandemic. Indeed in the aftermath, “We’ll Meet Again” experienced such an amazing jump on the iTunes’ charts. The success was so spectacular that bookmakers had begun speculating that it may prove to be the most-popular song in the UK for the year 2020 – almost 100 years after it first came out.

It also proved to be quite popular in the UK in 2009, i.e. the 70^th anniversary of the year the Britons got formally involved in World War II. Indeed the album it is most known to be featured on, “We’ll Meet Again – The Very Best of Vera Lynn”, scored a number one on the UK Albums Chart during that time. And in doing so, Very Lynn, who was 92 years old at the time, became the oldest artist to ever accomplish this feat.

Covers and Popular Appearances

Accordingly “We’ll Meet Again” has proven quite popular throughout the years, and some of the artists who have performed their own versions over the decades include the likes of:

• Peggy Lee (1942)
• Rod Stewart (1971)
• Barry Manilow (1982)
• Johnny Cash (2002)
• Hayley Westenra (2009)

It has also been featured or referenced in popular innumerable films, television showsnand songs. Some of the most notable ones include the following:

• “Dr. Strangelove” (1964)
• “The Muppets Go to the Movies” (1981)
• “The Simpsons” (1995, 2012, 2016)
• “The Colbert Report” (2014)
• Pink Floyd’s 1979 song “Vera”