The
White
Cliffs look better from a distance. Indeed, the
greater the distance the better it would seem. Nat Burton,
the lyricist of their most celebrated song, who improbably
put 'blue birds over the white cliffs of Dover', was
an American who had not been within 3,000 miles of the
place. But reality never bothered a good myth. The cliffs
loom larger, whiter, and sturdier in the imagination
than they do in fact.
'(There`ll Be Bluebirds Over) The White Cliffs of Dover'
is one of the most famous of all the
World
War II era pop classics. It became a sensational
hit in 1942, as it reflected the feelings of all the
Allies towards the British people in their brave fight
against Hitler. Originally released in the U.S. by bandleader
Kay Kyser, four other artists also hit the top 20 with
this song that year: Glenn Miller, Sammy Kaye, Jimmy
Dorsey and Kate Smith. The most well known version of
the song on this side of the Atlantic is probably the
one recorded by Vera Lynn in 1942. Other artists who`ve
recorded this standard include: Connie Francis, Bing
Crosby, Jim Reeves, and The Righteous Brothers. In June
1995 Robson and Jerome’s version went to No. 1 in the
UK in a medley with “Unchained Melody”.
