It's Been a Long, Long Time

One of the great V-J Day songs, written to capture the overwhelming joy of reunited lovers as World War II came to an end. Bing Crosby’s recording with Les Paul reached #1 on the Billboard charts and became one of the defining recordings of the postwar moment.

Harry James and Kitty Kallen’s version was a simultaneous hit, and the song has never really left the popular consciousness — used in films and television whenever writers need to evoke the bittersweet relief of homecoming.