Role of Music in World War II - American Songs

American Songs

American troops had regular access to radio in all but the most difficult combat situations, and not only did soldiers know specific songs, but specific recordings. This gave a nature to American troops music during WWII, not as much songs sung around a fire or while marching, but listened to between combat on Armed Forces Radio.

• "(There'll Be Bluebirds Over) The White Cliffs of Dover" - Jimmy Dorsey & His Orchestra (1942)
• "Ac-Cent-Tchu-Ate The Positive" - Johnny Mercer (1944)
• “Be Careful, It's My Heart” - Composer: Irving Berlin - From: Movie Holiday Inn (1942)
• "Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy" - Andrews Sisters (1941)”
• "Comin' In On A Wing And A Prayer" - The Song Spinners
• "Der Fuehrer's Face" - Spike Jones and his City Slickers (1943)
• "Remember Pearl Harbor" - Sammy Kaye (1942)
• "Don't Fence Me In" - Bing Crosby and The Andrews Sisters (Cover)
• "Don't Get Around Much Anymore (Never No Lament)" - Duke Ellington & His Orchestra
• Don't Sit Under The Apple Tree (With Anyone Else But Me) - Composer: Lew Brown, Sam. H. Stept, and Charlie Tobias (1942)
• Ev'ry Time We Say Goodbye - Composer: Cole Porter - From: Musical "Seven Lively Arts" (1944)
• "G.I. Jive" - Johnny Mercer
• "I Don't Want To Walk Without You" - Harry James & His Orchestra Composer: Frank Loesser and Jule Styne - From: Movie Sweater Girl (1942), performed by Betty Jane Rhodes
• "I Wonder" - Louis Armstrong
• I'll Be Seeing You - The Ink Spots/Bing Crosby Words by Irving Kahal, music by Sammy Fain
• "I'll Get By (As Long As I Have You)" - Ink Spots
• "I'll Walk Alone" - Martha Tilton
• "It's Been A Long, Long Time" - Harry James & His Orchestra
• "Long Ago (And Far Away)" - Jo Stafford Composer: Ira Gershwin and Jerome Kern - From: Musical "Cover Girl" (1944)
• ”Kiss The Boys Goodbye” - Composer: Frank Loesser and Victor Schertzinger - From: Movie "Kiss The Boys Goodbye" (1941)
• "Praise the Lord and Pass the Ammunition" - Composer: Frank Loesser (1942)
• "Sentimental Journey" - Les Brown & His Orchestra; Composer: Bud Green, Les Brown, and Ben Homer – (1944)
• "Till Then" - Mills Brothers
• "Waitin' For The Train To Come In" - Peggy Lee
• "When The Lights Go On Again (All Over The World)" - Vaughn Monroe & His Orchestra (1943)
• You'd Be So Nice To Come Home To - Composer: Cole Porter - From: Musical "Something To Shout About" – (1942)
• "Yours" - Jimmy Dorsey & His Orchestra

Take note of the non-aggressive and hopeful tone of the song “When The Lights Go On Again”:

_{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}

_{When the lights go on again all over the world}

It is also worth noting that by 1943 few Germans would have had many illusions about what the end of the war would mean. It would have been hard to sing about defeat, for when the lights went on again in Berlin it would be on a defeated city. Germans in Berlin sang "Berlin is Still Berlin", clinging to the past and intentionally almost ignoring the future that was sung about in America and the British Empire.