Goodness, it's been a while since I talked about anything musical! My silence owes mainly to the fact that I was out of sorts for most of the past month - but that's not much of an excuse. Still, that's what brings me to today's topic.
While I was stewing in gloom a few weeks ago, around Christmas, I turned to music to try and lighten my spirits. On a whim, I decided to give myself a bit of historical education with World War II songs. I was surprised by how good some of these are (albeit propagandistic)!! But I won't shove them in your face all at once - just a few each day for a week.
By the bye, I finally discovered a way to attach music files to my blog posts - hoorah!! So, if you remember my post about "3 Songs That Poke Fun At Love," feel free to revisit it and finally listen to those songs that I wasn't able to attach to the post before.
Memorable World War II Songs, Part 1
Heading Off to War
1. "Wish Me Luck (As You Wave Me Goodbye)" - Gracie Fields, The Original Hits, Vol. 4
This is the best version of the song that I know of. Vera Lynn sang it too, but Gracie Fields is much more lively and upbeat, so her song would be more uplifting for those women (and men) off to the war front. (It also features in the film The History Boys - check it out!)
Source: queenmarystory.com via Ariel on Pinterest
Source: queenmarystory.com via Ariel on Pinterest
2. "Captain of the Clouds" - Dick Powell, Swing Out To Victory!
This song certainly seems geared to send fighter pilots off with smiles on their faces! A real pick-me-up refrain, but it seems heavily propagandistic as well. I wonder what that peace-loving soul, Antoine De Saint-Exupery, would have thought of it?
Source:archives.blogs.delaware.gov via Ariel on Pinterest
When I was researching this song, I ran across something odd. According to a sidebar from a Dick Powell blog, Dick Powell recorded the song on Jan. 28, 1942. But a few weeks later, the James Cagney film Captains of the Clouds was released. Coincidence? Was the song recorded first to promote the film? I'll have to check out this movie and see...
Anyway, you can listen to the songs in my attachments below! We'll continue this WWII thread tomorrow!
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