SLS: There’ll Be Bluebirds

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For this week’s Song Lyric Sunday Jim is inviting us to play a song that reminds us of home, as you can see from his post, No Place Like It. I wasn’t sure how to take this, as there are plenty of songs about the comforts of home, but they weren’t personal to me, so I have decided to make this about my hometown, and one particular symbol of it which has been with me for all of my life.

I was born in Dover, in Kent, in 1953. As historians will know, that was just eight years after the end of WW2, during which Dover took a hell of a battering from Hitler’s bombers and shelling by cross-channel guns, causing 3,059 alerts, killing 216 civilians, and damaging 10,056 premises. For a town of around 40,000 people in 1939 those figures are staggering, and with mass evacuation the population was down to around 15,000 by the end of 1940. It became known as ‘Hellfire Corner’ from the constant bombardment. I grew up with daily reminders of the aftermath of this, as there were many bomb sites around the town which were part of a major rebuilding programme.

Obviously, I wasn’t around when the war was actually happening, but one of my childhood reminders is the song White Cliffs Of Dover, which was sung by Dame Vera Lynn, who became known as the “Forces’ Sweetheart” for all that she did touring and singing to our troops. My Mum played piano and this was one of her favourite songs, and I have memories of singing along with her. It isn’t the usual style of music that I share, and I will be playing another afterwards, but this is part of deeply personal memories for me, and luckily it is a lyric video:

(There’ll Be Bluebirds Over) The White Cliffs of Dover was composed in 1941 by Walter Kent to lyrics by Nat Burton. It was made famous by Vera Lynn’s 1942 version, which has become a national treasure here, as did the lady herself. She continued to make music after the war, and in 2017, Decca Records released Vera Lynn 100, a collection of younger artists duetting with archive recordings by her. Issued to commemorate her centenary, it was a #3 hit, making her the first centenarian performer to have a Top 10 album in the charts. By the time of her death in 2020, at the age of 103, she had been active in the music industry for 96 years.

As an ornithologist will tell you, the likelihood of bluebirds actually appearing over the White Cliffs is zero, as the species is native to North America and isn’t known here. But the bluebird has been recognised as a symbol of hope and happiness in many cultures over centuries, so it was very appropriate for a song of hope for the end of the war. This has meant that it appears in other songs, too, and I thought I’d play you a couple of versions of one of those.

I first knew this from the version recorded by The Beach Boys, which was a moderate hit single here in the UK in late 1968. With the significance of bluebirds that had been with me since I first knew the history of my town, it was guaranteed to attract my attention. But I’m going with an earlier recording, which also has the benefit of being a lyric video:

Bluebirds Over The Mountain was written and recorded in 1958 by Ersel Hickey, a rockabilly singer. His original peaked at #75 on the Billboard Top 100 in May 1958, and at #39 on the Cash Box chart. In Canada it reached #8. Ritchie Valens’ cover version was released on his eponymous 1959 album, which was released in February 1959, just nine days after his death at the age of only 17 in the plane crash which also took the lives of Buddy Holly and the Big Bopper: ‘the day the music died.’

Another cover version of the song was made much more recently, by one of my favourite rock singers, and it has a nice animated video:

Robert Plant released his version, on which he was accompanied by Chrissie Hynde, on his album Carry Fire, which was released in October 2017, peaking at #3 in the UK and #14 in the US.

This may not have been what Jim was expecting when he set us this theme, but the imagery of the bluebird and its symbolism of hope and happiness is something which has been with me all my life. Growing up in a town which had suffered such dramatic destruction at the hands of a dictatorial tyrant made that symbol all the more important. I think we may need that symbolism now, perhaps more than at any time since 1945.

On that happy note I’ll take my leave for today, with my thanks to Jim for another great bit of hosting. See you again for Tuesday Tunes 🎶

68 thoughts on “SLS: There’ll Be Bluebirds”

  3. What an amazing song – love it Clive.
    Thank you for sharing at 399. Now come and join our exciting 400th Celebration, and invite your friends and followers for a chance to be featured as one of our highlighted supporters!

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      • Thank you for your response. I initially thought you were an author because I noticed you’ve shared content related to books. Are you currently writing or planning to publish one? I’d love to learn more about your work.

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      • That makes things clearer, as I was a bit puzzled! I don’t think I have a book in me – all my writing is on my blog, and I’m grateful for your interest. Feel free to browse further, if you have the time and inclination.

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      • Hi Clive,

        Thank you I really appreciate that. I’ll definitely take some time to explore more of your blog.

        And honestly, sometimes writers don’t realize they already have something powerful. A consistent blog with strong readership is an asset many authors wish they had.

        Even if a book isn’t on your radar, there are ways to strategically grow your blog’s visibility, attract more readers, and even repurpose your best-performing posts into downloadable content that builds authority and audience loyalty.

        If you’d ever like a few ideas on expanding your reach without changing your writing style, I’d be happy to share some thoughts.

        Warm regards,
        Varnell Penrose

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      • Hi Varnell,

        Thank you, that’s kind of you. I started in late 2012 by sharing my mental health issues and whilst I still post for that a couple of times a year I now mostly do music, with occasional forays into ‘proper’ writing. Posts are themed, and reflect my tastes acquired over more than 60 years of listening.

        I have a number of regular readers, whose blogs I also follow. A bit like a club, really! I never set out to make money from it or become big and powerful: it’s a hobby, but it’s always nice when the numbers go up!

        Thank you for your offer of help, which is appreciated and has been stored in my mind for safe keeping.

        Best wishes,

        Clive

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      • Hi Clive,

        I genuinely love the way you describe your blog “a bit like a club.” That sense of community is rare and valuable, especially when it’s built organically over time.

        Starting with mental health and evolving into themed music reflections shaped by 60+ years of listening that’s not just blogging, that’s lived perspective. And readers connect deeply with that kind of authenticity.

        You mentioned it’s a hobby and I respect that but here’s something I’m curious about:

        Have you ever considered creating a curated “Best of Clive” themed collection perhaps your most meaningful music reflections or mental health pieces as something your regular readers could download and keep?

        Not to “be big and powerful,” but simply to deepen the club feeling and give your loyal audience something tangible from your years of insight.

        I’d love to hear your thoughts on that.

        Best wishes,
        Varnell

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      • Hi Varnell,

        Thank you for your kind words. I did actually consider doing something like that a few years ago, but health issues got in the way and I’ve never gone back to it. To be honest, it would need a lot of work and I don’t think I’m up to it!

        Blogging is, for me, the most sociable of the social media, and those shared interactions are what make it so enjoyable for me.

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      • Hi Clive,

        Thank you for sharing that and I completely understand. Health always comes first, and anything that feels overwhelming stops being enjoyable.

        But here’s the thing: it doesn’t have to be “a lot of work.”

        You’ve already done the hard part over the years the writing, the reflecting, the curating of music, the lived experience. A collection wouldn’t mean starting from scratch. It would simply mean selecting and shaping what already exists.

        And it wouldn’t replace your blog or the sociable aspect you enjoy. In fact, it could deepen that “club” feeling giving your regular readers something special that celebrates the journey you’ve all shared.

        Let me ask you this:

        If it didn’t require heavy lifting from you if someone handled the structuring and technical side would the idea feel different?

        No pressure at all. I’m just curious whether the hesitation is about the workload… or the concept itself.

        Warm wishes,
        Varnell

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      • Hi Varnell,

        The way I’d want to do it would be a lot of work, and I just don’t feel up to it. And sorry, but I’d never let anyone else do it!

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      • Hi Clive,

        I like that sometimes “the same old stuff” is exactly what keeps things steady and enjoyable 😊

        And honestly, that consistency is probably why your readers stay. Familiar voice, familiar rhythm that’s powerful.

        Out of curiosity, have you ever noticed which of your posts tend to get the strongest reaction or most engagement from your regular readers? Music themes? Personal reflections? Something else?

        Sometimes those patterns quietly reveal opportunities even without changing what you’re already doing.

        Just a thought.

        Warm wishes,
        Varnell

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      • The best way I can answer that is from the list of my top ten, which is on my site. Aside from my About Me page, the nine posts break down as four on mental health (none recent), three general thoughts and observations/narratives, and two purely musical. But the bulk of my posts are music-based and that is where I get most interaction, and I’m happy with that.

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      • Hello Clive,

        Thank you for your honest response I completely understand and respect that. Some projects are personal, and it makes sense to want full control over them.

        I had a look at the breakdown you shared, and it’s interesting to see how strongly your music-based posts drive interaction. That’s actually a great strength to build on. The fact that your audience responds most to your music content shows there’s real potential there.

        Out of curiosity, have you ever considered turning your music-focused posts into something more structured perhaps a curated series, a themed collection, or even a digital compilation? With the level of engagement you’re already getting, that could naturally evolve into a larger project without feeling overwhelming.

        I’d love to know what direction are you currently most excited about with your blog?

        Warm regards,
        Varnell

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      • Hi Varnell,

        Most of my regular readers and commenters know me for music posts – some call me ‘DJ Clive!’ I have a regular schedule of my Tuesday Tunes posts, something on a Thursday or Friday which may or may not be about music, and I take part in Song Lyric Sunday. Within this I have several occasional series which are themed, and I’m quite happy with this way of working.

        I don’t really have any plans, other than to keep going as I am. No ambitions for change, or for further development!

        Best wishes,

        C

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      • Hello Clive,

        “DJ Clive” I love that! 😊 That tells you something important already: you’ve built a clear identity around your music content, and that’s a real asset.

        It’s great that you’re happy with your current rhythm Tuesday Tunes, Song Lyric Sunday, themed series that consistency is likely a big reason your readers stay engaged. And honestly, you don’t have to change what’s working to expand it.

        Out of curiosity, have you ever considered extending your music presence beyond the blog for example, curating your themed selections into public playlists on platforms like Spotify? With the identity you’ve built, “DJ Clive” could easily translate into a recognizable playlist brand, allowing your audience to interact with your music choices in a whole new way.

        This wouldn’t replace your blog at all it would simply amplify it. Your posts could link to your curated playlists, and your playlists could point back to your blog. That kind of cross-platform presence can strengthen your brand while keeping your current structure intact.

        Would that be something you’d ever be open to exploring, even as a light extension of what you’re already doing?

        Best wishes,
        Varnell

        Liked by 1 person

      • Hi Clive,

        Great to hear from you again I’m glad the curated playlist idea resonated with you.

        Yes, you can absolutely do the same strategy with Apple Music. The core value isn’t the platform itself, but the reader experience and cross-promotion angle behind it. We can create a branded Apple Music playlist that reflects your book’s themes, then integrate it into your blog, email marketing, and social content for added engagement.

        If you’d like, I can help you:
        • Curate a themed playlist aligned with your book
        • Position it as a reader engagement tool
        • Create promotional copy for your website and socials
        • Develop a simple cross-promo strategy around it

        Would you like this playlist to focus on a specific book, or your brand as a whole?

        Like

  5. I’ve heard the White Cliffs of Dover forever so this is interesting to know about the actual place and what all happened there. Plus now I can say I know someone who lives there. Beautiful and hopeful song. The other two songs/videos were really good too. I’d not heard of those. 🙂

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  6. Beautiful song of hope and Vera’s singing of it is perfect.

    Liked both versions of Bluebirds Over the Mountains.

    It’s also tough to pick which video I liked better – I’m a fan of lyrics videos, but the animation was wonderful.

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  7. At the outbreak of WW2, my dad was already a regular soldier in the Royal Artillery. He was sent to Dover to man coastal guns and large-calibre anti-aircrft guns, as everyone assumed a German invasion was imminent. When that invasion didn’t happen, he was sent to India in 1941, to train Indian troops against a possible Japanese invasion there. As a result, he had a very ‘cosy’ war, ending up as Regimental Sergeant Major, with his own bungalow and servants! When I was growing up, all of my family used to sing Vera’s songs at parties, or in pub sing-songs. My favourite was ‘I’ll Be Seeing You’. I still love that song now.

    Best wishes, Pete.

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      • My dad got to tour India, and loved his time there. Meanwhile, his slightly older brother had been captured while fighting in Burma and was a POW of the Japanese until late 1945. Very badly treated, starved, and witness to torture and random executions, the experience never left him. Two brothers, two regular soldiers, two very different wars.

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  8. Sounds like your old home town took a right battering, it obviously left its mark. I’ve seen some pics from the blitz days, seems to be a bomb site on every corner.

    I’d forgotten the Beach Boys cover version completely, yet I remember ‘Cottonfields’, they must have been out at around the same time?

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      • Yes, they moved on, these two covers, more wide ranging in their outlook from ‘fun fun fun in the sun sun sun’ to more grown up thoughts, things like ‘Don’t Go Near The Water.’

        PS, love that old Dover poster.

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      • They grew up!

        I remember seeing that poster and others like it as part of an exhibition in Dover Museum when I was a kid. It was near where my Dad worked and was a great place to spend an hour after school before going home with him. I learned a lot there.

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      • (Just on a non-musical note, but on a bum footballing note. I took no glee in Palace winning 3-1 on Thursday, though all three points were nice to receive. I’d have whipped one point out of your hand if I’d been offered it before the kick off. I previously didn’t seriously take Spurs being dragged into the swirling relegation whirlpool but now I do. I hope West Ham get back down to their usual level, but Spurs must find something from somewhere. They must stay ahead, they can’t drop into 18th because where are the winning points going to come from? And from whom? Your captain ‘leading’ by giving Sarr a ‘helping hand ‘ that then leads to the referee handing big Micky an easy and all too obvious red card aren’t the kind of actions that are going galvanise Spurs now. Plus Tudor hasn’t even gotten a dead cat bounce out of the team yet. I honestly truly don’t want ’em to go down. Hammers, Leeds, or Forest I can happily watch go down the slippery slide to the Championship (Forest? Oh yes. Please!)

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      • Thank you for your sympathy. It’s frightening how quickly things have fallen apart and I can’t see us stopping the freefall. I’m old enough to remember our last relegation, in 1977. At least we came straight back up then – just – but I can’t see that happening now.

        I have three teams. One of the others – Leyton Orient – is in the League One relegation zone, but at least Dover Athletic look reasonably safe in mid table in National League South!

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      • Good luck! I have a soft spot for Orient too, always liked their white shirt/red braces kit. I hope they stay up.

        At least you don’t follow Wednesday on a secondary level. Small mercies.

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    • I’m pleased you liked the variety, Christine. Once I’d decided on my response to the theme I just had to start with Vera, as her songs meant so much to so many.

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  13. Lovely music, nice selection, Clive.  The White Cliffs of Dover are famous as an iconic, symbolic “gateway to Britain,” representing home, safety, and freedom for centuries.  Composed of striking white chalk, these 350-foot-high cliffs on the Kent coast served as a crucial World War II frontline defense and a welcoming sight for returning troops.  Around seventy million years ago this part of Britain was submerged by a shallow sea.  The sea bottom was made of a white mud formed from the fragments of coccoliths, which were the skeletons of tiny algae which floated in the surface waters of the sea. This mud was later to become the chalk.  It is thought that the chalk was deposited very slowly, probably only half a millimeter a year, equivalent to about 180 coccoliths piled one on top of another.  There are no bluebirds that are native to the UK and that phrase was written by Americans who were likely unaware of this fact.

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    • Thank you, Jim, I’m glad you liked them. I’m proud of the history of my home town, which has played an important role for the past couple of centuries since the Romans arrived here.

      I saw a quote from the lyric writer who admitted that he didn’t know that the bird wasn’t native here, but felt its symbolism overcame that. I agree with him!

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  16. Dover is beautiful. Europeans of my generations, we didn’t fly to Great Britain, and there was no tunnel. We took the ferry from Calais to Dover. I arrived in Dover the first time when I was 14 years old. It’s quite a port. “White Cliffs of Dover” so beautiful.

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    • Like most places it has gone downhill a bit since then, but it’s still the hometown that I love. The port is still huge and as busy as ever. A lovely song, which my parents encouraged me to understand while I was growing up and learning the town’s history.

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  18. Excellent choices. I am particularly drawn to the first one- as I lived in Point Reyes Station CA for a good while and worked in Inverness which is the home of Drake’s Bay, where it is said Sir Francis Drake landed and commented on how much it reminded him of the white cliffs of Dover. So I many have never been to your home- but I have lived in close proximity to its twin once removed!

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