While sweating it out on the home front, the Allied civilians had to keep their hopes up as well. What do you think they listened to to stay optimistic? A few of these tunes might give you a clue.
Memorable World War II Songs, part 5
Looking Towards a New Tomorrow
1. "We Did It Before" - The Murphy Sisters with Carl Huff & his orchestra, Swing Out to Victory!
I first became acquainted with this ditty as a kid, when constantly watching the cartoons my dad had recorded on numerous videotapes. It's featured in the Merrie Melodies cartoon "The Fifth-Column Mouse," a clip of which I'm attaching below. I never realized how propagandist and anti-Axis Powers the cartoon was until now. (It also includes a snippet of Harold Arlen's "Blues in the Night," but that's a song to be discussed at a later date.) To hear a full version of the song, look at the bottom of this post. To hear other versions of the song, revisit the link that I introduced in Wednesday's post.
2. "(There'll Be Bluebirds Over) The White Cliffs of Dover" - Vera Lynn, V-E Day 50th Anniversary Musical Memories
Do you remember how I said (in my first WWII post) that Gracie Fields sang "Wish Me Luck (As You Wave Me Goodbye)" better than Vera Lynn? Personally, I'm kind of meh when it comes to Vera Lynn songs in general, but I think a few of hers are really good. "The White Cliffs of Dover" is one of them. It's a sweet, soft message of hope and optimism advocated by the Allies near the end of WWII. But it's also kind of romantic.... no wonder it's a classic.
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