Second World War Anniversary

Subject: Second World War Anniversary
From: Fiolar
Date: 03 Sep 01 - 05:41 AM

Well folks it's arrived. The 62nd anniversary when Great Britain declared war on Germany and so the war which saw the death of more people and the destruction of more property than any other war in history started. A period when the same tune (Lili Marleen/Lilli Marlene) became the anthem of two opposing forces, the Eighth Army and the Africa Corps. A period when some of the greatest and enduring music and song was composed. A few examples which are still popular today include; "So Long, It's Been Good to Know Yuh"; "Side by Side"; "Don't Sit under the Apple Tree"; "Moonlight Becomes You"; "Maria Elena"; "I'll Be Seeing You"; "Sleepy Lagoon" and hundreds more. Sad to see that the repercussions are still with us with the news today that the transfer of a war criminal to Lithuania is under review because he is allegedly too ill.

Subject: RE: Second World War Anniversary
From: Gervase
Date: 03 Sep 01 - 08:45 AM

And the anniversary of the death of Oliver Cromwell, who was responsible for a fair number of deaths and attrocities himself. Busy month, September!

Subject: RE: Second World War Anniversary
From: GUEST,argenine
Date: 03 Sep 01 - 09:14 PM

I agree with your sentiments about the war and its music. For what it's worth, "Side by Side" was written in, and popular in, the 1920's, and "I'll Be Seeing You," while immensely popular in the WWII era, was written and first published in about 1929.

Subject: Lyr Add: SLEEPY LAGOON (Lawrence/Coates)
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 12 Dec 13 - 12:24 PM

Fiolar mentioned "Sleepy Lagoon" at the beginning of this thread.

BY THE SLEEPY LAGOON (1930) was a light classical instrumental piece by a British composer. An American songwriter added lyrics in 1940; the resulting song was called SLEEPY LAGOON.

Instrumental versions were recorded by Harry James (1942), Tommy Dorsey (1943), Glenn Miller (1942), and others.

Vocal versions were recorded by Vaughn Monroe (1942), Dinah Shore (1942), The Platters (1960), and others.


SLEEPY LAGOON
Words by Jack Lawrence, music by Eric Coates

A sleepy lagoon, a tropical moon,
    And two on an island—
A sleepy lagoon, and two hearts in tune,
    In some lullaby land—
The fireflies' gleam reflects in the stream;
    They sparkle and shimmer.
A star from on high falls out of the sky
    And slowly grows dimmer.

The leaves from the trees all dance in the breeze
    And float on the ripples.
We're deep in a spell as nightingales tell
    Of roses and dew.
The memory of this moment of love
    Will haunt me forever—
A tropical moon, a sleepy lagoon,
    And you.

Subject: RE: Second World War Anniversary
From: Don Firth
Date: 12 Dec 13 - 01:23 PM

"Sleepy Lagoon" was kicking around when I was a rug rat. It seemed to garner a fair share of take-offs and parodies. Such as:

A sleepy lagoon, a leaky spittoon,
A broke suspender. . . .

I can't remember the rest of it, but it's probably just as well.

Don Firth

Subject: RE: Second World War Anniversary
From: Joe_F
Date: 12 Dec 13 - 09:16 PM

Another good song from that war: Katyusha. (I gather that multiple rocket launchers are still named after her.)

I was not quite 2 when it began. I don't remember that, but by chance I remember Pearl Harbor Day, when I was 4. I pulled a plug out by the cord (not a good idea), and the cord came out of it & made a little fireball that burned my hand. My father put vaseline on it. My misbehavior disabled the radio the cord was attached to, so my parents did not hear of the Japanese attack until some friends called them on the phone.

Subject: RE: Second World War Anniversary
From: Jack Campin
Date: 13 Dec 13 - 08:38 PM

Twitter feed as it would have been during WW2