When the Lights Go On Again

Last updated
"When The Lights Go on Again"
Song by Vaughn Monroe & His Orchestra
Released1942
Genre Popular music
Songwriter(s) Eddie Seiler, Sol Marcus, Bennie Benjamin

"When the Lights Go On Again (All Over the World)" is a popular song composed during World War II. It was written by Bennie Benjamin, Sol Marcus and Eddie Seiler. [1] The first recording, by Vaughn Monroe, reached number one on the charts in 1943. [2]

Contents

The song expresses the hopes for an end to the war. The title is from the refrain found throughout the song as is found in the first verse:

When the lights go on again all over the world
And the boys are home again all over the world
And rain or snow is all that may fall from the skies above
A kiss won't mean "Goodbye" but "Hello to love" [3]

The reference to "lights going on again" alludes to the remark " The lamps are going out all over Europe. We shall not see them lit again in our life-time", attributed to British statesman Sir Edward Grey on the eve of the First World War. [4] The title of the song may also refer to the longed-for end to the blackout restrictions imposed in London and elsewhere during the Second World War.

Lucky Millinder's version reached number twelve on the pop charts and reached number one on the R&B charts for two non consecutive weeks. [5]

Background

Music was a large part of culture during World War II. During the war, music served as a uniting factor among people around the world; “When the Lights Go On Again” was one of the songs that helped keep up the spirits of those who were struggling. Famous singer Vera Lynn was best known for her music during the war, including popular songs such as “Lili Marlene” and “Yours.” She “will always be remembered by all who endured the Hell of Hitler’s Blitz, she will always be remembered by the troops.” [6]

Music has long been used to fight conflict and to help further the resolution of conflicts, as well as to fuel the fires of anger in some situations. [7] In the case of “When the Lights Go On Again,” the song was written to give people a sense of hope and calm. Most agree that the lyrics were inspired heavily by the London blackout, which were imposed to combat the bombing raids by the Germans, called the Blitz, which lasted from September 1940 to May 1941. The blackouts lasted through to the end of the war. [8]

It was a bleak time for Londoners and the rest of the British people, as it wasn’t only London that fell under attack during the Blitz. Any city in Britain could be bombed at any time, resulting in a general sense of fear throughout the nation. It was an incredibly anxious time, as Osbert Lancaster says in his book All Done from Memory: “During the “blitz” so long as I remained indoors I was ceaselessly assaulted by what psychiatrists so unfeelingly describe as “irrational fears,” but on escape into the wide open spaces they were promptly transformed by the patter of shrapnel into anxieties to which my reason accorded every justification.” [9]

This war was called “The People’s War” for a reason – it was brought directly to the people of Britain, forcing them to flee the city or face a city of fear. [9]

Because of all the anxiety and fear caused during this time, the people needed an outlet, and that outlet came often in the form of hopeful songs. “When the Lights Go On Again” speaks of what the world will be like after the war, something that would seem far away at the time to people who were undergoing the stresses of being under attack.

Lyrics analysis

When the lights go on again all over the world
And the boys are home again all over the world
And rain or snow is all that may fall from the skies above
A kiss won't mean "goodbye" but "hello to love"

When the lights go on again all over the world
And the ships will sail again all over the world
Then we'll have time for things like wedding rings and free hearts will sing
When the lights go on again all over the world

Most people have interpreted these lyrics as being a reference to both the quote by Sir Edward Grey, as well as a reference to the blackout restrictions in England. The lyrics repeated the most are “When the lights go on again all over the world,” which united people from every corner of the earth during what was truly a global war. Within the repetition are hidden the lyrics “We’ll have time for things like wedding rings and free hearts will sing,” and “A kiss won’t mean goodbye but hello to love.” These were intended to paint a picture in the minds of listeners about how the world would begin again with the conclusion of the war.[ citation needed ]

Musical

The musical When the Lights Go On Again gets its name from the song. Written by Roy Sault for modern performance, it tells the story of a family, the Parkers, living in England during World War II, and ends in a VE/VJ Day party. The music in the show consists of 28 well-loved songs from the 1940s, including “The White Cliffs of Dover,” “We’ll Meet Again,” “Don’t Sit Under the Apple Tree,” and “When the Lights Go On Again.” [10]

The Vera Lynn version appears in the 2023 film A Haunting in Venice'. [11]

Recordings

The song has been recorded by several artists including:

Compilation albums

This song was included on the 2002 pro-America compilation album Flag Waver as part its collection of patriotic anthems, [12] and was also included on the 2005 box set collection Songs That Won the War: Celebrating the 60th Anniversary of VE Day [13]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alfred Bryan (lyricist)</span> Canadian lyricist

Alfred Bryan was a Canadian lyricist.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lucky Millinder</span> American swing and R&B bandleader

Lucius Venable "Lucky" Millinder was an American swing and rhythm-and-blues bandleader. Although he could not read or write music, did not play an instrument and rarely sang, his showmanship and musical taste made his bands successful. His group was said to have been the greatest big band to play rhythm and blues, and gave work to a number of musicians who later became influential at the dawn of the rock and roll era. He was inducted into the Alabama Jazz Hall of Fame in 1986.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Robert Goulet</span> Canadian-American singer and actor (1933–2007)

Robert Gérard Goulet was an American and Canadian singer and actor of French-Canadian ancestry. Goulet was born and raised in Lawrence, Massachusetts, until age 13, and then spent his formative years in Canada. Cast as Sir Lancelot and originating the role in the 1960 Broadway musical Camelot starring opposite established Broadway stars Richard Burton and Julie Andrews, he achieved instant recognition with his performance and interpretation of the song "If Ever I Would Leave You", which became his signature song. His debut in Camelot marked the beginning of a stage, screen, and recording career. A Grammy Award winner, his career spanned almost six decades. He starred in a 1966 television version of Brigadoon, a production which won five primetime Emmy Awards. In 1968, he won the Tony Award for Best Actor in a Musical for The Happy Time, a musical about a French-Canadian family set in Ottawa.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hello, Goodbye</span> 1967 single by the Beatles

"Hello, Goodbye" is a song by the English rock band the Beatles, written by Paul McCartney and credited to Lennon–McCartney. Backed by John Lennon's "I Am the Walrus", it was issued as a non-album single in November 1967, the group's first release since the death of their manager, Brian Epstein. The single was commercially successful around the world, topping charts in the United States, the United Kingdom, France, West Germany, Canada, Australia and several other countries.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">When Johnny Comes Marching Home</span> American Civil War-era popular song

"When Johnny Comes Marching Home", sometimes "When Johnny Comes Marching Home Again", is a song from the American Civil War that expressed people's longing for the return of their friends and relatives who were fighting in the war.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hello Muddah, Hello Fadduh (A Letter from Camp)</span> 1963 novelty song by Allan Sherman

"Hello Muddah, Hello Fadduh! " is a novelty song recorded by Allan Sherman released in 1963. The melody is taken from the ballet Dance of the Hours from the opera La Gioconda by Amilcare Ponchielli, while the lyrics were written by Sherman and Lou Busch.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Candle in the Wind</span> 1974 single by Elton John

"Candle in the Wind" is a threnody written by English musician Elton John and songwriter Bernie Taupin, and performed by John. It was originally written in 1973, in honour of Marilyn Monroe, who had died 11 years earlier.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Blackout (wartime)</span> Minimisation of light to stop aircraft identification of targets

A blackout during war, or in preparation for an expected war, is the practice of collectively minimizing outdoor light, including upwardly directed light. This was done in the 20th century to prevent crews of enemy aircraft from being able to identify their targets by sight, such as during the London Blitz of 1940. In coastal regions, a shoreside blackout of city lights also helped protect ships from being seen silhouetted against the artificial light by enemy submarines farther out at sea.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bennie Benjamin</span> Musical artist

Claude August "Bennie" Benjamin was a Virgin Islands-born American songwriter. He had particularly successful songwriting partnerships with Sol Marcus, with whom he wrote "I Don't Want To Set The World On Fire", "When the Lights Go On Again ", and "Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood"; and with George David Weiss, with whom he wrote "Oh! What It Seemed to Be" and "Wheel of Fortune". Most of his songs were in the traditional pop idiom.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">We'll Meet Again</span> 1939 song by Hughie Charles and Ross Parker

"We'll Meet Again" is a 1939 song by English singer Vera Lynn with music and lyrics composed and written by English songwriters Ross Parker and Hughie Charles. The song is one of the most famous of the Second World War era, and resonated with servicemen going off to fight as well as their families and loved ones.

<i>Blitz!</i>

Blitz! is a musical by Lionel Bart. The musical, described by Steven Suskin as "massive", was set in the East End of London during the Blitz. The story drew on Bart's childhood memories of London's Jewish East End during the Blitz and, like most musicals, centred on a romance between a young couple, in this case a Jewish woman and a Cockney man, although the largest role and main point-of-view character is that of Mrs Blitztein, the young woman's mother. Steven Suskin describes it as "Abie's Irish Rose set against the burning of Atlanta." Bart himself described the play as "…three human stories inside an epic canvas; the major human conflict – the major plot – personifies the spirit of London and how that spirit developed during the period of the piece."

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Music in World War II</span>

World War II was the first conflict to take place in the age of electronically distributed music.

Charles William Murphy was a prolific British composer of music hall and musical theatre tunes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hail to Pitt</span>

"Hail to Pitt" is the most traditional fight song of the University of Pittsburgh, which is commonly referred to as Pitt. The saying "Hail to Pitt!" is also the most traditional and commonly used slogan of the University of Pittsburgh and its athletics teams. The slogan is frequently used in promotional material, printed on merchandise and souvenirs. It was also the title of a 1982 history of Pitt athletics by author Jim O'Brien. The slogan is often used among alumni as a statement of affiliation, including as a closing signature in conversation or correspondence between alumni, and is sometime abbreviated as "HTP" or "H2P", the latter of which is a registered trademark of the university and is frequently used on official university signage and merchandise.

<i>Meet the People</i> 1944 film by Charles Reisner

Meet the People (1944) is a Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer musical comedy film made, and set, during World War II, and starring Lucille Ball and Dick Powell and featuring Virginia O'Brien, Bert Lahr, Rags Ragland and June Allyson. The film takes its title from a successful Los Angeles musical revue, which ran on Broadway from December 25, 1940 to May 10, 1941. Vaughn Monroe and his orchestra, Spike Jones and his City Slickers, and Virginia O'Brien were also in the original stage cast. O'Brien sings the hit song "Say That We're Sweethearts Again".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vera Lynn</span> English singer and entertainer (1917–2020)

Dame Vera Margaret Lynn was an English singer and entertainer whose musical recordings and performances were very popular during World War II. She is honorifically known as the "Forces' Sweetheart", having given outdoor concerts for the troops in Egypt, India and Burma during the war as part of the Entertainments National Service Association (ENSA). The songs most associated with her include "We'll Meet Again", "(There'll Be Bluebirds Over) The White Cliffs of Dover", "A Nightingale Sang in Berkeley Square" and "There'll Always Be an England".

<i>Blackout/All Clear</i> Series by Connie Willis

Blackout and All Clear are the two volumes that constitute a 2010 science fiction novel by American author Connie Willis. Blackout was published February 2, 2010 by Spectra. The second part, the conclusion All Clear, was released as a separate book on October 19, 2010. The diptych won the 2010 Nebula Award for Best Novel, the 2011 Locus Award for Best Science Fiction Novel, and the 2011 Hugo Award for Best Novel. These two volumes are the most recent of four books and a short story that Willis has written involving time travel from Oxford during the mid-21st century, all of which won multiple awards.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gee! What a Wonderful Time We'll Have When the Boys Come Home</span> 1917 song

"Gee! What a Wonderful Time We'll Have When the Boys Come Home" is a World War I era song released in 1917. Lyrics and music were written by Mary Earl. The song was published by Shapiro, Bernstein & Co. of New York, New York. It was written for both voice and piano. The sheet music cover was designed by artist Albert Wilfred Barbelle. On the cover are soldiers marching down a city street. A skyline is behind them, and the lights spell out, "Welcome Home."

"Don't You Remember When" is a song written by Lynsey de Paul and Barry Blue, that was released as a single by Vera Lynn on 20 February 1976 on the EMI record label, in the UK as well as in Europe. The song was recorded at the Marquee Studios, London and was produced by de Paul and she also sang backing vocals on the track. Ringo Starr, who was de Paul's partner at the time, was widely reported as playing the tambourine on the song, with Lynn recently recalling this in a 2019 interview in Saga Magazine. The music collectors magazine "Goldmine" listed it as one of Starr's 5 greatest session performances. De Paul also produced the B-side of the single, "That Old Feeling", written by Lew Brown and Sammy Fain. The English keyboard player, pianist and composer Tony Hymas, who had worked with de Paul before on her Love Bomb album and who went on to be a member of the duo Ph.D., arranged the song. The song received favourable reviews, with the Record Mirror writing that the song is "a perfect vehicle for her with a well-honed nostalgic lyrics and lots of big long notes". Lynn performed the song on her own BBC 1 TV show.

<i>Her Greatest from Abbey Road</i> 2017 compilation album by Vera Lynn

Her Greatest from Abbey Road is a 2017 compilation album by English singer Vera Lynn. Released on 10 March to mark her 100th birthday, the album, produced by Parlophone and Warner Music UK, compiles Lynn's recordings from Abbey Road Studios for the first time.

References

  1. ↑ Catalog of Copyright Entries. Library of Congress. 1971. p. 2306. Retrieved 21 June 2020.
  2. ↑ "Big Band Library: Vaughn Monroe "There, I've Said It Again"". www.bigbandlibrary.com.
  3. ↑ "When The Lights Go On Again Lyrics Vaughn Monroe". Mojim.com. Retrieved 16 March 2023.
  4. ↑ "Life, Journalism and Politics" . Retrieved Aug 10, 2020– via Internet Archive.
  5. ↑ Whitburn, Joel (2004). Top R&B/Hip-Hop Singles: 1942-2004. Record Research. p. 401.
  6. ↑ Brooke, Roydon (1962). Music and movies :a book for every music lover and cinemagoer /. Friend, Nebr. hdl:2027/mdp.39015033737449.
  7. ↑ Music and Conflict. University of Illinois Press. 2010. ISBN   9780252035456. JSTOR   10.5406/j.ctt1x74rt.
  8. ↑ Wild, Chris (13 October 2014). "To Hide From WWII Bombs, London Goes Dark". Mashable. Retrieved Aug 10, 2020.
  9. 1 2 Bell, Amy. “Landscapes of Fear: Wartime London, 1939-1945.” Journal of British Studies 48, no. 1 (January 1, 2009): 153–75.
  10. ↑ "When the Lights Go On Again". www.guidetomusicaltheatre.com. Retrieved Aug 10, 2020.
  11. ↑ https://www.imdb.com/title/tt22687790/soundtrack/?ref_=tt_ql_dyk_5
  12. ↑ "Flag Waver - Various Artists | Songs, Reviews, Credits | AllMusic" . Retrieved Aug 10, 2020– via www.allmusic.com.
  13. ↑ "AllMusic | Record Reviews, Streaming Songs, Genres & Bands". AllMusic. Retrieved Aug 10, 2020.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.