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.
Up the Wooden Hill to Bedfordshire
Vera Lynn Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Heading for the land of dreams
When I look back to those happy childhood days
Like yesterday it seems
It was grand my mother held my hand
Daddy was the old gee gee
The old wooden hill was the old wooden stairs
and Bedfordshire of course where I knelt to say my prayers
They were happy happy days for me.
Last night I dreamt about the place where I was born
The village school the winding lane the fields of waving corn
Seems that dream brought memories to me
My childhood days in fancieness I could see
When the sun had gone to rest and I was tired of play
Dad would put me on his back and then to me he'd say
[Repeat Verse 1:]
The song "Up the Wooden Hill to Bedfordshire" by Vera Lynn talks about the happy childhood memories of the singer. The first line "Up the wooden hill to Bedfordshire" refers to climbing the stairs to go to bed. The lyrics take the listener back to the singer's childhood days where she used to climb the old wooden stairs with her parents' help. The line "heading for the land of dreams" indicates the singer is going to bed where she will dream.
The second verse talks about the singer's dream where she sees herself back to her birthplace, the village school, the winding lane, and the fields of waving corn. The dream brings back to her the memories of her childhood days. The song ends with the repetition of the first verse.
The song talks about the simple and innocent pleasures of childhood that hold a special place in the singer's heart. The lyrics take us back to a time where life was easy, and happy memories were made. The song is known for its nostalgic and sentimental appeal.
Line by Line Meaning
Up the wooden hill to Bedfordshire
Going up the stairs to bed
Heading for the land of dreams
Going to sleep and entering the dream world
When I look back to those happy childhood days
Reflecting on joyful memories of childhood
Like yesterday it seems
Feeling as if the memories are from the previous day
It was grand my mother held my hand
Enjoying the special bond with one's mother
Daddy was the old gee gee
Father acted like a horse to entertain the child
The old wooden hill was the old wooden stairs
Referring to the stairs in a nostalgic way
and Bedfordshire of course where I knelt to say my prayers
Remembering the location where one prayed as a child
Climbing up the wooden hill to Bedfordshire
Going up the stairs to bed
They were happy happy days for me.
Feeling content and joyful about one's childhood
Last night I dreamt about the place where I was born
Recalling the location of one's birth while sleeping
The village school the winding lane the fields of waving corn
Remembering specific details of the birthplace
Seems that dream brought memories to me
Realizing the dream triggered childhood memories
My childhood days in fancieness I could see
Visualizing fragments of the past in one's imagination
When the sun had gone to rest and I was tired of play
Remembering a specific time of day during childhood
Dad would put me on his back and then to me he'd say
Recalling a special interaction with one's father
[Repeat Verse 1:]
Repeating the first verse of the song
Writer(s): Grey-Connelly Copyright: Music Sales Corporation O.B.O. Campbell Connelly & Co. Ltd.
Contributed by Abigail Y. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@catherinekinsella3372
Up the wooden hill to Bedfordshire
Heading for the land of dreams
When I look back to those happy childhood days
Like yesterday it seems
It was grand my mother held my hand
Daddy was the old gee gee
The old wooden hill was the old wooden stairs
And Bedfordshire of course where I knelt to say my prayers
Climbing up the wooden hill to Bedfordshire
They were happy happy days for me
Last night I dreamt about the place where I was born
The village school the winding lane the fields of waving corn
Seems that dream brought memories to me
My childhood days in fancifulness I could see
When the sun had gone to rest and I was tired of play
Dad would put me on his back and then to me he'd say...
@vinanderson2535
My mum used to say 'up the wooden hill to bedfordshire' at bed time and I've always said it to my kids...at 48 years old this is the first time I've heard this song after only finding out today.
@rickybojangles162
I'm 22. My dad used to say "up the wooden hill to Bedfordshire" to my brother and I before bed, I had no idea where it came from until I stumbled upon this. I'll say the same to my children when I have them. Let's keep this going for this national treasure.
@5uper5kill3rz
Same lol, 22 as well
@BRANFLAKESZN
this is beautiful
@vanessaeden8174
I'm 59 and this is what my mum and dad would say to my 4 brothers and I. Just thought it was a saying until I looked it up. Happy dreams.
@bliggenstrauff
Most people only know this song from their parents singing to them. My mother used to sing this to me as a kid
@devinbret
The phrase is centuries old
@RM-lj8bv
R.I.P. Dame Vera. Hearts are heavy. I lived in Bedfordshire and had to listen to this song today.
@RyanSmith-yt1no
Love this song, lived in Bedfordshire all my life. When I was a young boy my mother would sing this to me and my sisters at bedtime when she would take us upstairs to bed.
Now I find myself today doing the same with my daughter and maybe I hope she would do the same with her children.
beautiful song, I almost feel connected to it like a family friend.
@grahamlyle4872
Vera Lynn music brought me here. Rip Dame Vera. You sang to us for so many years.