Dame Vera Margaret Lynn (Vera Margaret Welch, 20 March 1917 - 18 June 2020)… Read Full Bio ↴Dame Vera Margaret Lynn (Vera Margaret Welch, 20 March 1917 - 18 June 2020) widely known as "the Forces' Sweetheart", was an English singer, songwriter and actress. Her musical recordings and performances were enormously popular during the Second World War.

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.

If You Love Me
Vera Lynn Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Shall I catch a shooting star?
Shall I bring it where you are?
If you want me to, I will
You can set me any task
I'll do anything you ask
If you'll only love me still

When at last our life on earth is through
I shall share eternity with you
If you love me, really love me
Then whatever happens, I won't care

Then whatever happens, I won't care

Overall Meaning

Vera Lynn's song "If You Love Me Really Love Me" is a powerful declaration of love, which tells the story of a woman who is so deeply in love that she will overlook any obstacle that comes her way. The lyrics of the song are an assurance to her lover that she will remain devoted to him, no matter what happens. The song starts with a metaphor, indicating that no matter how catastrophic the situation may appear, her love for him will persevere. She sings, "If the sun should tumble from the sky, If the sea should suddenly run dry", emphasizing her steadfastness, even when the circumstances are dire.

The song goes on to state that the woman will do anything for her lover, no matter how challenging the task. She will catch a shooting star and bring it to him, and do anything else he may ask. All she asks for in return is that he loves her unconditionally. She sings, "You can set me any task, I'll do anything you ask, If you'll only love me still." These lines reveal the woman's desire to be loved back just as deeply.

Finally, the song reaches its climax, with the woman singing about how she wants to spend eternity with her lover. She reiterates that as long as he loves her, she'll be happy, and she declares that she won't care about anything else that may happen in the future. The unconditional love and devotion proclaimed in Vera Lynn's "If You Love Me Really Love Me" make it an enduring classic.

Line by Line Meaning

If the sun should tumble from the sky
If something catastrophic and unimaginable happens

If the sea should suddenly run dry
If something that seems impossible happens

If you love me, really love me
If your love for me is true and genuine

Let it happen, I won't care
It doesn't matter what happens, as long as we have each other's love

If it seems that everything is lost
When everything is going wrong or we are in despair

I should smile and never count the cost
I'll keep my chin up, and never complain or regret

Let it happen, darling, I won't care
No matter what, I'll always love you

Shall I catch a shooting star?
Is there anything I can do to make you happy?

Shall I bring it where you are?
Can I go above and beyond for you?

If you want me to, I will
I'll do whatever it takes to make you happy

You can set me any task
Anything you ask, I'll do it for you

If you'll only love me still
As long as your love for me remains

When at last our life on earth is through
At the end of our lives

I shall share eternity with you
I'll be with you forever

Then whatever happens, I won't care
As long as we are together, nothing else matters

Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS

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Most interesting comment from YouTube:

y mitchell

3y↑2

If the sun should tumble from the sky
If the sea should suddenly run dry
If you love me, really love me
Let it happen, I won't care

If it seems that everything is lost
I should smile and never count the cost
If you love me, really love me
Let it happen, darling, I won't care

Shall I catch a shooting star?
Shall I bring it where you are?
If you want me to, I will
You can set me any task
I'll do anything you ask
If you'll only love me still

When at last our life on earth is through
I shall share eternity with you
If you love me, really love me
Then whatever happens, I won't care

Then whatever happens, I won't care

All comments from YouTube:

Rob M

3y↑7

We lost this lovely lady this year of 2020, but her voice will be loved forever.

nipstertunes

8y↑7

How beautiful, Heather. I love this song and her version is lovely. Thank you for posting it! Wishing you a wonderful day, my friend :))
Jim

Basil Peewit

Does anyone know the version from Jane Froman?

TheSorrowfulFlower

8y↑2

So glad you enjoyed it, Jim! I love this song, too, and this one gives me goosebumps. Thanks so much for watching and commenting! Wishing you a wonderful day as well, my friend :))

Dr. Ron Bernard

Vera Lynn was on our Board. Everything she did in life came rom the heart. You can hear it in her voice. Her heartfelt courage was evident just being in a room with her.