During the war she toured Egypt, India, and Burma (Myanmar) as part of ENSA, giving outdoor concerts for the troops. The songs most associated with her are "We'll Meet Again", "The White Cliffs of Dover", "A Nightingale Sang in Berkeley Square" and "There'll Always Be an England".
She remained popular after the war, appearing on radio and television in the UK and the US and recording such hits as "Auf Wiederseh'n Sweetheart" and her UK Number one single "My Son, My Son". Her last single, "I Love This Land", was released to mark the end of the Falklands War. In 2009, at age 92, she became the oldest living artist to top the UK Albums Chart.
She has devoted much time and energy to charity work connected with ex-servicemen, disabled children, and breast cancer. She is held in great affection by veterans of the Second World War to this day and in 2000 was named the Briton who best exemplified the spirit of the 20th century.
On 20th March, 2017 Dame Vera celebrated her 100th birthday.
Vera Margaret Welch was born in East Ham, London. She began performing publicly at the age of seven and adopted her maternal grandmother's maiden name, Margaret Lynn, as her stage name when she was eleven. Her first radio broadcast, with the Joe Loss Orchestra, was in 1935. At this point she was being featured on records released by dance bands including those of Loss and of Charlie Kunz.
Vera Lynn made her solo recording debut with the song "The General's Fast Asleep" on the 3rd October 1935, accompanied by the Rhythm Rascals (A pseudonym for Jay Wilbur's orchestra). The 9" 78 rpm single was issued on the Crown Records label, which went on to release a total of 8 singles recorded by Vera Lynn and Charles Smart on organ. Early recordings include "I'm in the Mood for Love" and "Red Sails in the Sunset".
In 1938 the Decca label took over control of the British Crown label and the UK based Rex label, they had also issued early singles from Lynn in 1937, including "Harbour Lights". In late September 1939 Vera Lynn first recorded a song that continues to be associated with her: "We'll Meet Again" was originally recorded with Arthur Young on the Novachord.
In 1940 she began her own radio series, "Sincerely Yours", sending messages to British troops stationed abroad. In this radio show she and a quartet performed the songs most requested to her by soldiers stationed abroad. She also went into hospitals to interview new mothers and send messages to their husbands overseas. She toured Burma and gave outdoor concerts for soldiers.
In 1941 Vera Lynn married Harry Lewis, clarinettist, saxophonist and fellow member of Bert Ambrose's orchestra.
In 1942 she recorded the Ross Parker/Hughie Charles song "We'll Meet Again" while making the film of the same name. The nostalgic lyrics ("We'll meet again, don't know where, don't know when, but I know we'll meet again some sunny day") had a great appeal to the many people separated from loved ones during the war, and it became one of the emblematic songs of the wartime period.
After the war, her "Auf Wiederseh'n Sweetheart" became the first record by a British artist to top the US charts, doing so for nine weeks, and she appeared regularly on Tallulah Bankhead's US radio programme "The Big Show". "Auf Wiederseh'n Sweetheart", along with "The Homing Waltz" and "Forget-Me-Not" gave Lynn a remarkable three entries on the first UK Singles Chart, a top 12 (which contained 15 songs owing to tied positions).
Lynn's career flourished in the 1950s, peaking with "My Son, My Son", a number-one hit in 1954. It was co-written by Eddie Calvert.
Throughout the 1940s and 1950s the Decca label issued all of Lynn's records, including several recorded with Mantovani and His Orchestra in 1942 and with Robert Farnon, from the late 1940s. Firstly they were only available as 78 rpm singles, which only feature two songs an A and a B-side. In the mid-1950s Decca issued several EP singles, which featured between two and four recordings per side, such as Vera Lynn's Party Sing Song from 1954 and singles were issued on two formats the known 78 rpm 10" and the recently introduced 45 rpm 7" single. In the late 1950s Lynn recorded four albums at Decca, the first; Vera Lynn Concert remains her only live recording ever to be issued on vinyl.
In 1960, after more than 20 years at Decca Records, Lynn signed to the US based MGM Records. In the UK her recordings were distributed by the His Masters Voice label, later EMI Records. Several albums and stand-alone singles were recorded with Geoff Love & His Orchestra. Norman Newell also took over as Lynn's producer in this period and remained with her until her 1976 album Christmas with Vera Lynn. Recording at EMI Records up until 1977, Lynn released thirteen albums with material as diverse as traditional Hymns, pop and country songs, as well as re-recording many of her known songs from the 1940s for the albums Hits of the Blitz (1962), More Hits of the Blitz and Vera Lynn Remembers – The World at War (1974). In the 1980s two albums of contemporary pop songs were recorded at the Pye Records label, both including covers of songs previously recorded by artists such as ABBA and Barry Manilow.
In 1982 Lynn released the stand-alone single "I Love This Land", written by André Previn, to mark the end of the Falklands War. Lynn's last recordings before her retirement were issued on the 1984 album Vera Lynn Remembers, produced by her husband, Harry. The album featured 17 re-recordings of songs known and associated with Lynn over her career.
Lynn was awarded the British War Medal 1939–1945 and the Burma Star.
She was appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the 1969 New Year Honours "for services to the Royal Air Forces Association and other charities", and was advanced to Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire (DBE) in the 1975 Birthday Honours for charitable services.
In 1976 she received an honorary doctorate from the Memorial University of Newfoundland. In 1977 She was made an honorary citizen of Nashville, Tennessee. She received the Freedom of the City of London in 1978.
She was made a Commander of the Order of Orange-Nassau in 1985. She was made an Officer of the Order of Saint John (OStJ) in 1998 and, in 2000, Lynn received a special "Spirit of the 20th Century" Award.
A street named in her honour, Vera Lynn Close, is situated in Forest Gate, London.
She was appointed Member of the Order of the Companions of Honour (CH) in the 2016 Birthday Honours for services to entertainment and charity.
A preserved example of the WD Austerity 2-10-0 class of steam locomotives at the North Yorkshire Moors Railway is named Dame Vera Lynn.
As Time Goes By
Vera Lynn Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
A kiss is still a kiss
A sigh is just a sigh
The fundamental things apply
As time goes by
And when two lovers woo
They still say I love you
No matter what the future brings
As time goes by
Moonlight and love songs
Never out of date
Hearts full of passion
Jealousy and hate
Woman needs man
Man must have his mate
That no one can deny
It's still the same old story
A fight for love and glory
A case of do or die
The world will always welcome lovers
As time goes by
It's still the same old story
A fight for love and glory
A case of do or die
The world will always welcome lovers
As time - goes - by...
The lyrics of Vera Lynn's "As Time Goes By" speaks of the enduring qualities of love and the inevitability of change. The opening lines "You must remember this, a kiss is still a kiss, a sigh is just a sigh..." suggest that despite the passage of time, the fundamental things will still persevere. The song touches on the idea that although love may come in different forms as time goes by, the basic essence of love always remains the same.
The second verse speaks of the timelessness of some romantic gestures, with lines like "Moonlight and love songs, never out of date, hearts full of passion, jealousy and hate." It follows that even as society changes, the feelings that we attach to love stories often remain the same, which is why the lyrics say, "It's still the same old story, a fight for love and glory, a case of do or die.”
The final lines "The world will always welcome lovers, as time goes by" seem to suggest that regardless of whatever changes the world may experience, it will always be a place where love is celebrated. The song ends with a simple yet elegant demonstration of the fact that true romantic love will outlast the passing of time.
Line by Line Meaning
You must remember this
It's important to remember what's truly fundamental
A kiss is still a kiss
Despite changes, some things remain the same
A sigh is just a sigh
Emotions are universal and timeless
The fundamental things apply
The things that truly matter will always be important
As time goes by
Even as time passes, certain things remain relevant
And when two lovers woo
When two people fall in love
They still say I love you
Expressing love is a timeless tradition
On that you can rely
You can always count on love being present
No matter what the future brings
Regardless of what happens
As time goes by
Certain things stand the test of time
Moonlight and love songs
Traditional symbols of romance
Never out of date
They remain relevant to this day
Hearts full of passion
Love is intense and emotional
Jealousy and hate
Negative emotions that can complicate love
Woman needs man
Humans crave connection and companionship
Man must have his mate
No one can make it through life alone
That no one can deny
This is a universal truth
It's still the same old story
Love is a familiar tale
A fight for love and glory
Love can be challenging and rewarding
A case of do or die
Sometimes you have to fight for what you want
The world will always welcome lovers
Love is a universal experience
As time goes by
These themes will remain relevant through the years
Lyrics © CONSALAD CO., Ltd., BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Sentric Music, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Herman Hupfeld
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@swipernoswiping5516
Just like moonlight and love songs, this song will never be out of date.
@jessicacavalcanti2470
Essa música é tão linda e tocante. Pena que a cantora Vera Lynn morreu, cantava muito bem! 😢💔🌹💖💝
@danielvictor7321
Verdade, poucos brasileiros conhecem sobre ela e suas lindas músicas!
@danielvictor7321
Segue dois links:
. Um especial
. Uma playlist só com músicas dela!
https://youtu.be/nTyM4a32Atk
https://open.spotify.com/playlist/1g22sa4fBK11gJBfmVOE7T?si=CqovaBvQQZKYvAAEDd5wkg
@hitalosousa5165
Pra mim todas são! 🏳️
@CartoonishJackalope
Nunca vai existir uma cantora melhor♥️
@glueguzzler9548
This will always be one of the best songs even as time goes by
@MarceloCanelas-mc1my
Nobody sings this like she does. The best.
@komaxlaredo
Rest in peace dear Vera. I am listening your songs somewhere in the north of Mexico.
@user-cd7jg8sy9e
Love this