Vera Lynn Quotes

I am exceptionally fond of all the brave servicemen and women who have worked, and continue to work, to keep us safe and secure, and protect our values.

All young men should have a certain time in the Army, instead of going running around wild for a few years after school. They would learn discipline and they would learn a good trade. It would be a good opportunity.

Mum worked for a London dressmaker before she married. When she was forced to give up work after her marriage, she carried on dressmaking for people at home.

Be active to your full capabilities.

Make up your mind what you want to do, and go and get it. Make sure it is not at the expense of anyone else, though.

I was never the glamorous type like Betty Grable.

On one occasion I had to sleep on a stretcher balanced on two kitchen chairs. It wasn’t glamorous.

People often ask me for the secret to success. Usually, they mean success in the music industry, but I think the answer applies to most things in life: always persevere and never give up.

I was born with a passion for music.

I’m keen on the sun, so weather is an important ingredient for a perfect holiday.

I did an audition for Henry Hall, a well-known dance man at the BBC, when I was about 15. I have lost the letter I was sent, but it said: ‘your voice is unsuitable for broadcasting.’

The journey to Burma is etched in my brain, full of all sorts of intense memories.

If work came along I liked, I would do it. If it interfered with home life for too long or took me away, I wouldn’t.

So many older people are on a very small budget and just wouldn’t be able to afford a TV licence.

You’ve got to be nice to people when you’re on your way up, because you never know who you are going to meet on the way down.

Certain people cause so many problems, not only to the running of the town and the country, but to people themselves.

Seeing photographs of my dad, Bert, on the beach with a knotted handkerchief on his head to avoid getting sunburn still brings a smile to my face.

Dover is part of England. It simply can’t be part of anywhere else.

So many go into the business just to be famous, not because they are passionate about their craft.

I’ve had the good fortune of having a long and varied career. Looking back, some might think things have been plain sailing but, as with anything, there have been both highs and lows.

When I left school at 14, I thought I had better get a job. I got one in a factory where I sewed on buttons. It was so boring and we weren’t allowed to talk or sing. I lasted a day.

I already am very satisfied by my career. It has been long, diverse and hugely rewarding.

I didn’t mind a bit of hardship.

Our family didn’t have a lot of money, so my brother, parents and I spent our holidays at Southend-on-Sea.

I never, ever go to bed with make-up on; I always make sure I cleanse with Nivea Gentle Cleansing Cream Wash.

I’ve liked country music for as long as I can remember, especially the songs of Dolly Parton. Her lyrics are similar to mine: simple, expressive, from the heart. Our voices are in the same kind of register, too.

When I was 14 or 15, I was in a small troupe for teenagers, and I heard somebody say, ‘Oh, she’ll never get anywhere. She’s too common.’

I seem to have had quite a lot of pink dresses.

I’ve visited Holland plenty of times and always liked staying in the Hilton in Amsterdam.

Perhaps because I never left England and went to America – I think the public sort of appreciated that. I visited and I did some shows over there, but I never had any ambitions to settle over there. I could never have left England.

I have always managed to combine my family life and my career, but there came a point when I had to choose between a career in America and my family. I chose my family.

I’m a girl from East Ham.

I never smoked myself because it lowers your voice and mine was already low. Some singers liked their smoky voices though, like Marlene Dietrich.

I miss the emotion of singing. There is something about it which means you can express emotions to people without actually talking to them.

I didn’t have any more children because I couldn’t have continued working – and I was the main breadwinner. But although we are small in number, family life has always been hugely important to me.

Dad, who worked as a plumber, was a quiet and undemanding man who liked to laugh – and he was a very good dancer.

You never know what’s going to happen en route to the airport or station and the last thing you want is to get there just as your train or plane is disappearing into the distance. Get there early, read a book, have a coffee and don’t get stressed.

I never wanted to be a Judy Garland.

I went goodness knows how long without a bath.

They didn’t like my voice at school.

I’ve been blessed to be able to sing and perform.

There was so little said about the Burmese war. The Forgotten 14th, they called them.

My favourite hotel is the Hilton Hawaiian Village beach resort in Honolulu.

When I started out, I was what they called corny. After a week in Nashville they were calling me hillbilly.

I always felt that whatever I had to endure was nothing compared to what the average soldier, sailor or airman had to put up with.

Nostalgia is very powerful.

I never thought that I would share a hit parade with the Beatles.

We have always been told not to open the door to strangers, especially because of the terrible things that could happen these days. I never have, unless they are expected and are friends or family.

Over many years, I have been a supporter of the National Trust and the vital work that they do in preserving our heritage and landscapes – long may this continue.

People used me, in a way, to achieve something, and I was glad of it. I was just doing my job.

Remember to stand tall and tuck your tummy in – very important as you get older!

I don’t listen to the radio. I’d rather watch the television.

When I look on my mantelpiece and see these cards wishing me a happy 100th birthday, I can’t believe it.

You know, your voice can only last for so long. It’s a muscle and when you get older it sort of fades away.

If somebody makes a record, no matter how many years later it’s released, they or their families should be entitled to the proceeds.

I don’t have a good memory, so learning all the songs for my TV performances was a real challenge.

We can’t change the past but we can learn from history and remember the important things – the sacrifices our loved ones made, and the price of our freedom today.

If I switch on the radio and hear some nice classical music, I will sit and listen to it but I don’t sort of play records or go for any particular type of music.

I’m delighted people still enjoy my music all these years later.

Take each day as it comes and focus on the present moment.

Singing in the jungle was very hot and very sticky, which was a bit hard going. I had a little piano, which they trudged around on the back of a lorry, hoping it would survive the journeys.

In the mid-1970s, I even decided to make my own country album. I put the idea to my record company, thinking we’d just go into the studio in the U.K. and make a novelty album. But instead, they suggested I go to Nashville. I was flabbergasted. I hadn’t expected that at all.

In 1939, a newspaper ran a competition for the first load of boys off to war to pick their favourite singer. They chose me from my radio broadcasts. That’s when I became known as the ‘forces’ sweetheart.’

I don’t like a cheater.

There is always something we can be concerned about. The secret is to rise above it and do whatever we can to make the world a better place.

I try not to worry too much about anything any more, and enjoy every day as it comes.

I used to bomb around London in my little Austin 10 throughout the raids to appear on stage and if there was a raid before the show was over I would be there, crouching on a floor wherever I could find a big thick wall.

I felt very greatly honoured to be given a Damehood and never expected to receive anything else. So for Her Majesty to bestow a further accolade on me is very unexpected and I feel even more honoured.