The White Cliffs Of Dover

The lyricist Nat Burton cobbled together the words, which were inspired by a poem by Alice Duer Miller and Walter Kent, and borrowed the tune from "Over The Rainbow." It became a dance band favorite in America and the song's emotions were ideal for the English singer Vera Lynn, whose version became a favorite for British soldiers serving abroad during WWII. Dover is an English port town and is famous for its white cliffs.

In 1966 the Righteous Brothers reached #21 in the UK with their cover, and in 1995 Robson Green and Jerome Flynn recorded this and released it as a double A-side single along with another Righteous Brothers track, "Unchained Melody." It became the top selling single of the year in the UK though, "Unchained Melody" was the side the radio stations played.

There is a factual inaccuracy in the lyrics: bluebirds are an American bird and can't be found in the vicinity of Dover.