The Song That Aroused a Nation

"There'll Be Bluebirds Over The White Cliffs of Dover" is a popular World War II song made famous by Vera Lynn with her 1942 recording—one of her best known recordings. Written in 1941, the song was also among the most popular Second World War tunes. It was written before America had joined World War II, to uplift the spirits of the Allies at a time when Nazi Germany had conquered much of Europe's area and was bombing Britain. London and the other major British cities were being bombed practically every night. Imagine having to leave your home every night to go to bombshelters and wait out the bomber's blitz. The shelters themselves were mostly in the basements of the strongest buildings, but many lost their lives while huddled within the shelters. There was much depression and suicide.
The song was written at a time when British and German aircraft had been fighting over the cliffs of Dover in the Battle of Britain - the song's lyrics looked toward a time when the war would be over and peace would rule over the iconic White Cliffs of Dover, Britain's de facto border with the European mainland. The song was sung everywhere among the people of Britain and could be pointed to as seeming to be an uplifting rallying point in the fight against Nazi Germany.