Alton Glenn Miller was born in Clarinda, Iowa on March 1, 1904. He started… Read Full Bio ↴Alton Glenn Miller was born in Clarinda, Iowa on March 1, 1904. He started his musical career when his father brought home a mandolin. As soon as possible, he traded the instrument for an old horn, which he practiced diligently.

During the late 1920s and early 1930s, Miller managed to earn a living working as a freelance trombonist in several bands. His first band was formed in 1937 but failed to distinguish itself and eventually broke up.

Following the break-up of his first band, Miller realized that he needed to develop a unique sound, and decided to make the clarinet play a melodic line with a tenor saxophone on the same note, while three other saxophones harmonized. With this sound combination, the Miller band that became the most popular was born in 1938. After a shaky start, it made his new band a nationwide hit.

In 1942, Miller joined the United States Army Air Forces where he continued his musical career with the Army Air Force Band.

On December 15, 1944, Miller was to fly from the United Kingdom to Paris, France, to play for the soldiers who had recently liberated Paris. His plane departed from RAF Twinwood Farm in Clapham, Bedfordshire and disappeared while flying over the English Channel. No trace of the aircrew, passengers or plane has ever been found. Miller's status is missing in action.

His music is still iconic of the time period in which he lived and continues to draw thousands of fans of all age groups.

Glenn Miller was a popular visitor to Bedford and its American Air force bases. He is still remembered to this day by the people of Bedford with a bronze bust displayed on the front of the towns Corn Exchange, and more recently, what remains of the Twinwoods Airfield being renovated as a Glenn Miller Museum and outdoor event site

2) Glenn Miller was a Jamaican reggae and soul artist of the 1960's.

Along with other legendary artists such as Bob Marley & the Wailers and Desmond Dekker he recorded for the Trojan record label.

Don't Sit Under the Apple Tree
Glenn Miller Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Don't sit under the apple tree with anyone else but me
Anyone else but me, anyone else but me
No! No! No!
Don't sit under the apple tree with anyone else but me
Till I come marchin' home

Don't go walking down lovers' lane with anyone else but me
Anyone else but me, anyone else but me

No! No! No!
Don't go walking down lovers' lane with anyone else but me
Till I come marchin' home

I just got word from a guy who heard from the guy next door to me
The girl he met just loves to pet and it fits you to-a-tee

So, don't sit under the apple tree with anyone else but me
Till I come marchin' home

Don't give out with those lips of yours to anyone else but me
Anyone else but me, anyone else but me
No! No! No!
Watch the girls on the foreign shores, you'll have to report to me
When you come marchin' home

Don't hold anyone on your knee, you better be true to me
You better be true to me, you better be true to me
Don't hold anyone on your knee, you're gettin' the third degree
When you come marchin' home

You're on your own where there is no phone and I can't keep tab on you
Be fair to me, I'll guarantee this is one thing that I'll do
I won't sit under the apple tree with anyone else but you
Till you come marchin' home

Don't sit under the apple tree with anyone else but me

I know the apple tree is reserved for you and me
And I'll be true till you come marchin' home

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Glenn Miller's hit song "Don't Sit Under the Apple Tree" depict a military man who is urging his girlfriend to remain faithful to him while he is away serving his country. The song's title is a reference to an idiom meaning "to relax or do nothing of importance", and in this case, it serves as a warning to his girlfriend to not engage in activities with other men while he is away. The lyrics of the song are an expression of his love and longing for his girlfriend, and of his fear of being replaced.

The song's melody, with its catchy tune and upbeat tempo, is in contrast to its bittersweet lyrics. The song was a hit during WWII, as it spoke to the hearts of those who had to part with their loved ones and demonstrated the sacrifices that were made for the war effort. The song became a symbol of hope and reassurance that their loved ones would remain faithful until their return.

Line by Line Meaning

Don't sit under the apple tree with anyone else but me
Please do not sit under the apple tree with any other than me

Anyone else but me, anyone else but me
I want to emphasize that I only want you with me

No! No! No!
This rule is non-negotiable

Till I come marchin' home
This restriction is only temporary until I return

Don't go walking down lovers' lane with anyone else but me
Please avoid going on romantic walks with anyone but myself

I just got word from a guy who heard from the guy next door to me
I recently heard some information from a close acquaintance of mine

The girl he met just loves to pet and it fits you to-a-tee
The girl he met is known for being very affectionate and it seems like you might be attracted to that behavior

Watch the girls on the foreign shores, you'll have to report to me
Please be cautious around women from other countries and report your interactions to me

Don't hold anyone on your knee, you better be true to me
Please avoid sitting closely or intimately with anyone and remain faithful to me

You're gettin' the third degree when you come marchin' home
If I find out you have been unfaithful, I will be thoroughly questioning you when you return

You're on your own where there is no phone and I can't keep tab on you
Under certain circumstances, I won't be able to keep track of your actions or whereabouts

Be fair to me, I'll guarantee this is one thing that I'll do
Please treat me justly and I promise to act accordingly

I won't sit under the apple tree with anyone else but you
I will only sit under the apple tree with you and no one else

I know the apple tree is reserved for you and me
I see the apple tree as being symbolic of something that is exclusive to us

And I'll be true till you come marchin' home
I promise to remain faithful until you return

Lyrics © Kanjian Music, BMG Rights Management, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Lew Brown, Sam H. Stept, Charles Tobias

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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Most interesting comment from YouTube:

@visayanmissnanny2.076

5y↑9

Lyrics:

Don't sit under the apple tree with anyone else but me
Anyone else but me, anyone else but me
No! No! No!
Don't sit under the apple tree with anyone else but me
Till I come marchin' home

Don't go walkin' down Lover's Lane with anyone else but me
Anyone else but me, anyone else but me
No! No! No!
Don't go walkin' down Lover's Lane with anyone else but me
Till I come marchin' home

I just got word from a guy who heard from the guy next door to me
The girl he met just loves to pet and it fits you to-a-tee
So, don't sit under the apple tree with anyone else but me
Till I come marchin' home

Don't give out with those lips of yours to anyone else but me
Anyone else but me, anyone else but me
No! No! No!
Watch the girls on the foreign shores, you'll have to report to me
When you come marchin' home

Don't hold anyone on your knee, you better be true to me
You better be true to me, you better be true to me
Don't hold anyone on your knee, you're gettin' the third degree
When you come marchin' home

You're on your own where there is no phone and I can't keep tab on you
Be fair to me, I'll guarantee this is one thing that I'll do
I won't sit under the apple tree with anyone else but you
Till you come marchin' home

Don't sit under the apple tree with anyone else but me
I know the apple tree is reserved for you and me
And I'll be true till you come marchin' home

All comments from YouTube:

@bradydacloud

2y↑32

I’m a high functioning autistic man and I’d like to dedicate this song to my father for his wedding anniversary!

@Julia-qt5wd

1y↑1

You’re why I came to this video. Rewatching the documentary

@bradydacloud

1y↑2

@Julia julaaaaaaaaaaaay julaaaaaaaaaaaay

@jfk1000

1y↑2

It’s also a good song to listen to while having fun with your 80 year old mom with dementia.

@codyminecrack248

1y↑1

As a high functioning autistic person myself I’ll drink to that. Cheers!

@swingman5635

3y↑21

My father's favorite wartime song. He would sing it to me, often. Two weeks after this song hit the record shops,and my father turned 20 years old,he enlisted in the army.

@cctunes

2y↑7

I saw the Miller Band with Beneke and the Modernaires in Disneyland in 1971. 'll never forget it! My uncle Dick Cathcart took me, and he sang with the Modernaires throughout the 50s. They sounded AMAZING!

@fliss4727

I was researching the song 'long long ago' for one of my piano students and found this jazzy version of the melody. Will have to try this with my school choir next time they study WW2.

@denisfossett3009

3y↑4

YES HERE IT IS ,,,IM GOING BACK IN THE YEARS ,,,ONE ALMOST THE SAME IN 1943

@dudley5533

What a great gem from Glenn and company that was one of his best lively tunes in early 40's.

@keiththomas3141

We had this 78.

@cs6113

3y↑1

Yes Lukas...Apple...The Apple Tree...would love to hear your cover...a fan

@clearthelot2238

4y↑3

Brilliant

@visayanmissnanny2.076

5y↑9

@martasperling8582

Thank you xxoo

@mayojamsandwich2939

1y↑4

RIP THE LUMBERJACK AND THE APPLE TREE HE EVENTUALLY CUT DOWN

@CoolDrifty

3y↑4

idk why but i've always found it a little disturbing, how soldiers would be enduring the most horrific of experiences getting fucked up in all kinds of ways mentally and physically, and the music they'd come back to listen to were just these cheery little tunes

@josephdockemeyer6782

2y↑6

Actually not weird at all. Generations past were raised to have generally good, can-do attitudes. Being intentionally morose wasn't an attitude they'd choose.

When the American GI's were assigned to occupy Berlin at the end of WWII, it was Party On. There was dancing, singing, laughter, happiness and Joi de vivre. People didn't sit around and whine in those days.

WWII music is a perfect window into the mindset and psychology of the Greatest Generation. There was a resilient spirit at work in the hearts of that youthful generation. They loved and appreciated life. Their mindset made the 1950's one of the greatest decades in history.

@theworldwariioldtimeradioc8676

1y↑2

The music of the war is interesting. These early songs, 1942, were about asking the spouses to be faithful while they were separated. Not all were bouncy. "I Don't Want to Walk without You" which was on the charts at the same time as this song is rather haunting when you think about what was happening in the spring of 1942. At the end of the war were songs of happiness, but mellow, such as "It's Been a Long Long Time" and "I'm Beginning to See the Light" both from 1945. This was also the generation that spent the ten years before the US entering the war struggling to find stability in the midst of The Great Depression. Winning the War was a sense of accomplishment for the US soldier. Jobs became plentiful and many people had the money to spend that they did not have for 15 years. Many who saw the worst in humanity felt lucky to have made it back home and wanted to get on with life. They felt the worst was over and that they could do anything. That is what made them "The Greatest Generation".