“Patty Andrews, the lead singer of the Andrews sisters group was born in Mound, Minnesota on February 16, 1918 in a house that occupied the property where The Gillespie Center stands today.
During the 1920’s Laverne, Maxene and Patty Andrews spent their summers in Mound, living with their parents in a house across the street from the grocery store that was owned by Pete and Ed Sollie, bachelor uncles of the three girls. (Today, Green T Accounting occupies the Sollie grocery store building and The Gillespie Center is on the land where the Andrews Sisters’ house once stood.)” - From a commentary by Tom Rockvam that appeared in The Laker Newspaper during 2005.
They started their career as imitators of an earlier successful singing group, the Boswell Sisters. After singing with various dance bands and touring on Vaudeville, they first came to national attention with their recordings and radio broadcasts in 1937. Their music entertained Allied troops worldwide during World War II, sold war bonds, appeared in several films (including a few Abbott and Costello features), and performed for soldiers serving overseas. Their first film with Abbott and Costello, the pre-war comedy Buck Privates, introduced their best-known recording, "Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy" which would win Best Song at the Academy Awards.
They also recorded many songs with Bing Crosby, Danny Kaye and other popular artists of the era. Their popularity was such that after the war they discovered that some of their records had actually been smuggled into Germany after the labels had been changed to read "Hitler's Marching Songs."
After a brief hiatus after the war, the sisters regrouped, performing in clubs throughout the United States and Europe. They broke up in 1953, with Patty's choice to go solo. Their last appearance together was in 1962 on The Dean Martin Show. Laverne, who had cancer, retired soon after; she died five years later, in 1967 at the age of 55.
After a long silence, the two surviving sisters had something of a comeback when Bette Midler recorded a cover of their song "Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy." Maxene and Patty appeared both together and separately throughout the 1970s, with Maxene releasing a solo album in 1986. Their most notable comeback; however, was in the Sherman Brothers' nostalgic World War II musical: "Over Here!" which premiered on Broadway at the Shubert Theatre in 1974. The musical featured the two then living sisters (Maxene and Patty) and was written with them in mind for the leads. It launched the careers of many, now notable theater and film icons (John Travolta, Marilu Henner, Ann Reinking, et al). Ironically it was the last major hurrah of the sisters and was cut short due to a frivolous lawsuit initiated by Patty's husband to the show's producers.
Throughout their long career, the sisters had sold over 60 million records. The group was inducted into the Vocal Group Hall of Fame in 1998.
The last of the three sisters Patty Andrews died of natural causes at her home in Northridge, California on January 30, 2013, just 17 days before her 95th birthday. The sisters were interred in the Forest Lawn Memorial Park Cemetery in Glendale, California, close to their parents.
Billy Boy
The Andrews Sisters Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Oh, where have you been, Charming Billy?
I have been to seek a wife, she's the joy of my whole life
But she's a young thing and cannot leave her mother
Where does she live, Billy Boy, Billy Boy?
Oh, where does she live, Charming Billy?
She lives on the hill, forty miles from the mill
Did she bid you to come in, Billy Boy, Billy Boy?
Did she bid you to come in, Charming Billy?
Yes, she bade me to come in, there's a dimple in her chin
But she's a young thing and cannot leave her mother
Did she take your hat, Billy Boy, Billy Boy?
Did she take your hat, Charming Billy?
Yes, she took my hat and she threw it at the cat
But she's a young thing and cannot leave her mother
Did she set for you a chair, Billy Boy, Billy Boy?
Did she set for you a chair, Charming Billy?
Yes, she set for me a chair, she has ringlets in her hair
But she's a young thing and cannot leave her mother
Can she cook and can she spin, Billy Boy, Billy Boy?
Can she cook and can she spin, Charming Billy?
She can cook and she can spin, she can do most anything
But she's a young thing and cannot leave her mother
Can she bake a cherry pie, Billy Boy, Billy Boy?
Can she bake a cherry pie, Charming Billy?
She can bake a cherry pie, quick as a cat can wink her eye
But she's a young thing and cannot leave her mother
Can she make a feather bed, Billy Boy, Billy Boy?
Can she make a feather bed, Charming Billy?
She can make a feather bed and put pillows at the head
But she's a young thing and cannot leave her mother
Can she make a pudding well, Billy Boy, Billy Boy?
Can she make a pudding well, Charming Billy?
She can make a pudding well, I can tell it by the smell
But she's a young thing and cannot leave her mother
Can she milk a heifer calf, Billy Boy, Billy Boy?
Can she milk a heifer calf, Charming Billy?
Yes, she can, and not miss the bucket more than half
But she's a young thing and cannot leave her mother
Is she often seen at church, Billy Boy, Billy Boy?
Is she often seen at church, Charming Billy?
Yes, she's often seen at church, with her bonnet white as birch
But she's a young thing and cannot leave her mother
And is she very tall, Billy Boy, Billy Boy?
And is she very tall, Charming Billy?
She's as tall as any pine, and as straight as a pumpkin vine
But she's a young thing and cannot leave her mother
Are her eyes very bright, Billy Boy, Billy Boy?
Are her eyes very bright, Charming Billy?
Yes, her eyes are very bright, but alas, they're minus sight
But she's a young thing and cannot leave her mother
Can she sing a pretty song, Billy Boy, Billy Boy?
Can she sing a pretty song, Charming Billy?
She can sing a pretty song, but she often sings it wrong
But she's a young thing and cannot leave her mother
How old may she be, Billy Boy, Billy Boy?
How old may she be, Charming Billy?
Three times six and four times seven, twenty-eight and eleven
But she's a young thing and cannot leave her mother
Is she fit to be a wife, Billy Boy, Billy Boy?
Is she fit to be a wife, Charming Billy?
She's as fit to be a wife as a fork fits to a knife
But she's a young thing and cannot leave her mother
The Andrew Sisters's song "Billy Boy" is a conversation between a young man named Billy Boy and an unnamed person, probably a friend or relative, who is inquiring about his search for a wife. Billy Boy reveals that he has found a young woman who is the joy of his whole life, but unfortunately, she is too attached to her mother to leave. He describes her as a skilled and capable girl who can cook, spin, make a pudding, and even milk a heifer calf. She is a regular churchgoer with bright eyes, although she is blind, and she can sing a pretty song but always gets it wrong.
Throughout the song, the focus is on the limitations that prevent the young woman from leaving her mother, despite Billy Boy's obvious interest in her. The chorus repeats the two main questions, "Oh, where have you been, Billy Boy, Billy Boy?" and "Oh, where does she live, Billy Boy, Billy Boy?" emphasizing the urgency of finding a solution to the problem. The song's overall tone is light-hearted and humorous, with a slightly sarcastic edge that suggests that the singer is not entirely convinced of the young woman's suitability as a wife.
Line by Line Meaning
Oh, where have you been, Billy Boy, Billy Boy?
Where have you been, Charming Billy?
I have been to seek a wife, she's the joy of my whole life
I went to find a wife who brings me happiness.
But she's a young thing and cannot leave her mother
She is young and cannot leave her mother's care.
Where does she live, Billy Boy, Billy Boy?
Where does she reside, Charming Billy?
She lives on the hill, forty miles from the mill
She lives on a hill, quite a distance away.
Did she bid you to come in, Billy Boy, Billy Boy?
Did she invite you in, Charming Billy?
Yes, she bade me to come in, there's a dimple in her chin
Yes, she invited me in, and she has a dimple in her chin.
Did she take your hat, Billy Boy, Billy Boy?
Did she take your hat, Charming Billy?
Yes, she took my hat and she threw it at the cat
Yes, she took my hat and playfully threw it at a cat.
Did she set for you a chair, Billy Boy, Billy Boy?
Did she offer a seat, Charming Billy?
Yes, she set for me a chair, she has ringlets in her hair
Yes, she offered me a chair and has curving locks of hair.
Can she cook and can she spin, Billy Boy, Billy Boy?
Can she cook and sew, Charming Billy?
She can cook and she can spin, she can do most anything
Yes, she can cook and sew, she is quite skilled overall.
Can she bake a cherry pie, Billy Boy, Billy Boy?
Can she make a cherry pie, Charming Billy?
She can bake a cherry pie, quick as a cat can wink her eye
She can bake a cherry pie quickly and efficiently.
Can she make a feather bed, Billy Boy, Billy Boy?
Can she create a feather bed, Charming Billy?
She can make a feather bed and put pillows at the head
Yes, she can create a comfortable bed with pillows.
Can she make a pudding well, Billy Boy, Billy Boy?
Can she properly make pudding, Charming Billy?
She can make a pudding well, I can tell it by the smell
She can make delicious pudding, as evidenced by its smell.
Can she milk a heifer calf, Billy Boy, Billy Boy?
Can she milk a young female cow, Charming Billy?
Yes, she can, and not miss the bucket more than half
Yes, she can, and does not spill much of the milk.
Is she often seen at church, Billy Boy, Billy Boy?
Does she regularly attend church, Charming Billy?
Yes, she's often seen at church, with her bonnet white as birch
Yes, she does attend church and wears a white bonnet.
And is she very tall, Billy Boy, Billy Boy?
Is she very tall, Charming Billy?
She's as tall as any pine, and as straight as a pumpkin vine
Yes, she is very tall and straight.
Are her eyes very bright, Billy Boy, Billy Boy?
Do her eyes sparkle, Charming Billy?
Yes, her eyes are very bright, but alas, they're minus sight
Yes, her eyes are bright, but she has poor vision.
Can she sing a pretty song, Billy Boy, Billy Boy?
Can she sing beautifully, Charming Billy?
She can sing a pretty song, but she often sings it wrong
Yes, she can sing, but doesn't always sing it correctly.
How old may she be, Billy Boy, Billy Boy?
What is her age, Charming Billy?
Three times six and four times seven, twenty-eight and eleven
Her age is 28 plus 11, or 39 years old.
Is she fit to be a wife, Billy Boy, Billy Boy?
Is she a good match for a spouse, Charming Billy?
She's as fit to be a wife as a fork fits to a knife
Yes, she is a good match for a spouse.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: LUTHER DIXON, JACK DOUGLAS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@This-Old-Man-68
My granny used to sing it this way to me in 1971 when I was a little boy.
@shirleycrespo-ve6nz
Love this song and the Andrew sisters
@mariovaccarella6854
Ray McKinley as Billy Boy, a Couple Of Years Before Becoming The King Voice Of Boogie Woogie Big Band
@BrokeMoFo
Thankfully people post these classic songs lest they be forgotten forever... I am an avid fan of Old Time Radio and heard an episode of Fibber McGee and Molly where he was singing lines from a version of this song, I just had to look it up. So far I have found about 5 different versions and love them all... Thank you..
@Tubulous123
Yes!!! Thank you!!!! 1Nation4Life <3 (y)!!!1
@mariovaccarella6854
One of The Best Flip-Side (of Hold Tight) Songs. Another Privilege to hear Jimmy Dorsey playing Clarinet