We'll Meet Again

"We'll Meet Again" is a 1939 song made famous by British singer Vera Lynn with music and lyrics composed and written by Ross Parker (born Albert Rostron Parker, 16 Aug 1914 in Manchester) & Hugh Charles (born Charles Hugh Owen Ferry, 24 Jul 1907 in Reddish, Stockport, Cheshire).

The song is one of the most famous songs of the Second World War era, and resonated with soldiers going off to fight and their families and sweethearts. The assertion that "we'll meet again" is optimistic, as many soldiers did not survive to see their loved ones again. Indeed, the meeting place at some unspecified time in the future would have been seen by many who lost loved ones to be heaven.

The song gave its name to the 1943 musical film We'll Meet Again in which Vera Lynn played the lead role (see 1943 in music). Lynn's recording is featured in the final scene of Stanley Kubrick's 1964 film Dr. Strangelove, and was also used in the closing scenes of the 1986 BBC television serial The Singing Detective.

During the Cold War, Vera Lynn's recording was included in the package of music and programmes held in 20 underground radio stations of the BBC's Wartime Broadcasting Service (WTBS), designed to provide public information and morale-boosting broadcasts for 100 days after a nuclear attack.^[1] Mezzo-soprano Katherine Jenkins reprised the song at her appearance alongside Lynn in London on the 60th Anniversary of VE Day in 2005, and has retained it as an occasional item in her repertoire.

In popular culture

• The Byrds recorded the song as the closing track on their debut album Mr. Tambourine Man in 1965, inspired by the song's use in the film Dr. Strangelove.
• Pink Floyd makes reference to this song and the performer in "Vera", in a song from their album The Wall: "Does anybody here remember Vera Lynn?/Remember how she said that we would meet again some sunny day?". A short clip of "We'll Meet Again" can also be heard at the beginning of the first track on the Pink Floyd album Is There Anybody Out There? The Wall Live 1980-81.
• Johnny Cash covered this song in his 2002 album American IV: The Man Comes Around and is used in the beginning of the 2010 remake of The Crazies.
• In 1972, P. J. Proby recorded a power-ballad rendition of the song. It was released by the EMI Group as Proby's last single for his recording contract that ran between 1961 and 1972.
• Barry Manilow covered this song on his Barry Live in Britain album.
• The final scene of the last episode of the 1997 animated superhero comedy Freakazoid! features the cast singing this song at the Hollywood Bowl.
• Françoise Hardy sang it in a French version by Serge Gainsbourg, Comment te dire adieu ? which was covered by Jimmy Somerville in 1989.
• Jim Keats meaningfully sings the song in the series finale of Ashes to Ashes (TV series)
• Traditionally, this song is played on May 5 as a closure to the Liberation Day Concert in Amsterdam, to mark the end of World War II in the Netherlands, as HM Queen Beatrix leaves the concert on a canal boat.
• On her last radio show, NPR host Liane Hansen quoted the song in her farewell address to listeners^[2] .
• German actress Franka Potente sings this song in the movie "The Sinking of the Laconia" (2011)

References

1. ^ Hellen, Nicholas (1999-07-11). "Julie Andrews to sing to Brits during nuclear attack". Sunday Times. 
2. ^ Hansen, Liane. "Farewell From Host Liane Hansen". NPR. http://www.npr.org/2011/05/29/136765597/the-final-goodbye-from-host-liane-hansen. Retrieved 24 June 2011.