Looking for some classic tunes to celebrate VE Day 2021? We’ve got you covered.
May 8th is annually celebrated as Victory in Europe Day, commonly known as VE Day. On that day in 1945, Britain and its allies formally accepted Nazi Germany’s unconditional surrender.
On that day, now 76 years ago, Prime Minister Winston Churchill announced over the radio at 15:00 that the war in Europe had ended. Of course, everybody broke out into celebrations and since then we have witnessed block parties and so much more.
With the nationwide lockdown still largely in place in the UK, many Britons will be looking for a safe way to celebrate. So, why not celebrate with some music?
VE Day songs: Essential listening
Listed below are ten essential songs to listen to on VE Day:
- ‘I’ll Be Seeing You’ by Bing Crosby
- ‘It’s a Lovely Day Tomorrow’ by Vera Lynn
- ‘Lili Marlene’ by Marlene Dietrich
- ‘Moonlight Serenade’ by Glenn Miller
- ‘Now Is the Hour’ by Gracie Fields
- ‘(There’ll be Bluebirds Over) The White Cliffs of Dover’ by Vera Lynn
- ‘The Lambeth Walk’ by Eddie Cantor
- ‘We’re Gonna Hang) The Washing on the Siegfried Line’ by Flanagan & Allen
- ‘We’ll Meet Again’ by Vera Lynn
- ‘Whispering Grass (Don’t Tell the Trees)’ by The Ink Spots
Vera Lynn offers VE Day message
In case you didn’t notice, the one and only Vera Lynn popped up on that list a few times, and it really isn’t VE Day without listening to her wonderful voice.
The past year saw the late Vera Lynn take on a greater significance, as highlighted by the BBC. Lynn’s lyrics to ‘We’ll Meet Again’ resonated with the masses who spent a majority of the year isolated from one another.
Lynn, before her passing on June 18th 2020, stated:
“This year, we must commemorate this special anniversary apart. I hope that VE Day will remind us all that hope remains even in the most difficult of times and that simple acts of bravery and sacrifice still define our nation as the NHS works so hard to care for us. Most of all, I hope today serves as a reminder that however hard things get, we will meet again.”
The late London-born singer added: “…we must all remember the brave boys and what they sacrificed for us… they left their families and homes to fight for our freedom and many lost their lives trying to protect us and our liberties.”
How to celebrate VE Day
We think you already know what we’re going to say first, which is listen to some of the music we’ve singled out!
That’s one perfect way to celebrate respectfully and safely, but another is – if you have decorations – hang them up proudly in your windows so passers-by and so forth can see and smile.
There are a number of commemorations and events to be held throughout the day. This includes a virtual celebration held on the RAF Association charity’s Facebook page this May 8th from 10am.
We hope you have a fantastic day.