To most of the world Dover is best known as the place of the
White Cliffs of Dover, about which the song
(There'll Be Bluebirds Over) The White Cliffs Of Dover was written in 1941 by
Walter Kent with lyrics by Nat Burton. Though many artists, including Glenn Miller, Jimmie Baker, The King's Men, Ray Eberle, Connie Francis, Bing Crosby, Ray Conniff, Jim Reeves, Acker Bilk, The Righteous Brothers and Tex Beneke sang and recorded the song, it was the 1942 rendition by
Vera Lynn which made it famous. Burton wrote the lyrics, unaware that bluebirds were not indigenous to Britain, and asked Kent to set them to music.
It was written before America had joined in order to lift the spirits of the Allies at a time when Nazi Germany had conquered much of Europe and were bombing Britain. The song was written about a year after British Commonwealth and German aircraft had been fighting over the cliffs of Dover in the Battle of Britain i.e. late June 1940 until the end of October. The lyrics in fact referred to the RAF and RCAF fighter pilots (in their blue uniforms) as "bluebirds" and expresses confidence that they shall prevail during the dark days of the Battle of Britain. The song references terms such as "Thumbs Up!" which was an RAF and RCAF term for permission to go, and it references "flying in those angry skies" where the air war was taking place. There will probably never be wild bluebirds over the White Cliffs of Dover as the bluebird is not indigenous to Europe and is non-migratory.
The lyrics also looked towards a time when the war would be over and peace would rule over the iconic white cliffs of Dover, Britain's de facto border with the European mainland.
From Wiki
(There'll Be Bluebirds Over) The White Cliffs Of Dover
There'll be bluebirds over
The white cliffs of dover
Tomorrow
Just you wait and see
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There'll be love and laughter
And peace ever after
Tomorrow
When the world is free
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I'll never forget the people I met
Braving those angry skies
I remember well as the shadows fell
The light of hope in their eyes
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The shepherd will tend his sheep
The valley will bloom again
And Jimmy will go to sleep
In his own little room again
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And though I'm far away
I still can hear them say
Bombs up
But when the dawn comes up
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There'll be bluebirds over
The white cliffs of dover
Tomorrow
Just you wait and see
|
There'll be bluebirds over
The white cliffs of dover
Tomorrow
Just you wait and see
|
There'll be bluebirds over
The white cliffs of dover
Tomorrow
Just you wait and see
|