“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.
Bir Mir Bist du Schon
The Andrews Sisters Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Until I first met you, I was lonesome
And when you came in sight, dear, my heart grew light
And this old world seemed new to me
You're really swell, I have to admit you
Deserve expressions that really fit you
And so I've racked my brain, hoping to explain
Bei mir bist du schön, please let me explain
Bei mir bist du schön means you're grand
Bei mir bist du schön, again I'll explain
It means you're the fairest in the land
I could say bella, bella, even sehr wunderbar
Each language only helps me tell you how grand you are
I've tried to explain, bei mir bist du schön
So kiss me and say you understand
Bei mir bist du schön, you've heard it all before
But let me try to explain
Bei mir bist du schön means that you're grand
Bei mir bist du schön, it's such an old refrain
And yet I should explain
It means I am begging for your hand
I could say bella, bella, even sehr wunderbar
Each language only helps me tell you how grand you are
I could say bella, bella, even sehr wunderbar
Each language only helps me tell you how grand you are
I've tried to explain, bei mir bist du schön
So kiss me and say that you will understand
The Andrews Sisters' hit song "Bei Mir Bist Du Schon" is sung from the perspective of a person who has finally found that special someone who makes their life complete. The song expresses the deep gratitude and admiration they feel towards their partner who has made them see the world in a new light. The lyrics of the song attest to the transformative nature of love, and how it can imbue one's life with renewed vigor and enthusiasm. The singer describes how before meeting their partner, they were lonely, but upon seeing them, the clouds lifted and everything seemed new and bright. The person being sung to is depicted as an individual in possession of a unique and unparalleled beauty that renders them grand and the fairest in the land.
The lyrics are supported by a lively, upbeat melody, drawn from the traditional Yiddish folk song "Bei Mir Bistu Shein," which was popular among Jewish communities in Eastern Europe at the time. The Andrews Sisters made the song popular among mainstream American audiences in the late 1930s, and it has since become a beloved classic. The song's enduring popularity is due to its infectious melody, as well as its timeless message of the transformative power of love.
Line by Line Meaning
Of all the boys I've known, and I've known some
Until I met you, I was lonely, despite being involved with other men.
Until I first met you, I was lonesome
I felt lonely until I met you.
And when you came in sight, dear, my heart grew light
When I saw you, I felt so happy and light-hearted.
And this old world seemed new to me
Your presence made the world seem new and exciting to me.
You're really swell, I have to admit you
I must confess that you're really amazing.
Deserve expressions that really fit you
You truly deserve words that accurately describe your exceptional qualities.
And so I've racked my brain, hoping to explain
I've thought really hard to find the right words to express my feelings for you.
All the things that you do to me
I'm grateful for all the things you do for me.
Bei mir bist du schön, please let me explain
Please let me explain the meaning of 'Bei mir bist du schön.'
Bei mir bist du schön means you're grand
'Bei mir bist du schön' means that you're magnificent.
Bei mir bist du schön, again I'll explain
Once again, I'll explain the meaning of 'Bei mir bist du schön.'
It means you're the fairest in the land
'Bei mir bist du schön' means that you're the most beautiful in the land.
I could say bella, bella, even sehr wunderbar
I could say 'beautiful,' 'beautiful,' or even 'very wonderful.'
Each language only helps me tell you how grand you are
No matter what language I use, I can't fully convey how amazing you are.
So kiss me and say you understand
Please kiss me and tell me that you understand how much I care about you.
Bei mir bist du schön, you've heard it all before
You've heard 'Bei mir bist du schön' many times before.
But let me try to explain
But I'll try to explain it again.
It's such an old refrain
Even though it's an old phrase that's been used many times.
It means I am begging for your hand
It means that I am asking for your hand in marriage.
So kiss me and say that you will understand
Please kiss me and tell me that you understand and will accept my proposal.
Lyrics © CONCORD MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC
Written by: Jacob Jacobs, Sammy Cahn, Saul Chaplin, Shalom Secunda
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@Kawamura2
Bei Mir Bist Du Schon Lyrics
Of all the boys I've known and I've known some
Until I first met you I was lonesome
And when you came in sight, dear my heart grew light
And this ol' world seemed new to me
You're really swell, I have to admit you
These are the expressions that really fit you
And so I've racked my brain, hoping to explain
All the things that you do to me
Bei Mir Bist Du Schon, please let me explain
Bei Mir Bist Du Schon, means you're grand
Bei Mir Bist Du Schon, again I'll explain
It means you're the fairest in the la-a-a-and
I could say bella bella, even sir-ir wunderbar
Each language only helps me tell you how grand you are
I've tried to explain, Bei Mir Bist Du Schon
So kiss me and say you understand
Bei Mir Bist Du Schon
You've heard it all before but let me try to explain
Bei Mir Bist Du Schon, means that you're grand
Bei Mir Bist Du Schon
It's such an old refrain and yet I should explain
It means I am begging for your hand
I could say bella bella, even sir-ir wunderbar
Each language only helps me tell you how grand you are
Re-dee, re-dee, re-dee, re-dee, re-dee, re-dee
I could say bella bella, even sir-ir wunderbar
Each language only helps me tell you how grand you are
I've tried to explain, Bei Mir Bist Du Schon
So kiss me and say that you will understand...
@slashkiller880
Of all the girls I've known, and I've known some
Until I first met you I was lonesome
And when you came in sight, dear, my heart grew light
And this old world seemed new to me
You're really swell I have to admit, you
Deserve expressions that really fit you
And so I've racked my brain, hoping to explain
All the things that you do to me
Bei Mir Bist Du Schön, please let me explain
Bei Mir Bist Du Schön means that you're grand
Bei Mir Bist Du Schön, again I'll explain
It means that you're the fairest in the land
I could say 'Bella, bella,' even say 'Wunderbar'
Each language only helps me tell you how grand you are
I've tried to explain 'Bei Mir Bist Du Schön'
So kiss me and say you understand
Bei mir bist du schön, you've heard it all before
But let me try to explain
Bei mir bist du schön means that you're grand
Bei mir bist du schön, it's such an old refrain
and yet I should explain
It means I am begging for your hand
@trustyvault13canteen
Of all the boys I've known, and I've known some
'Til I first met you I was lonesome
And when you came inside, dear my heart grew light
And this whole world seemed new to me
You're really swell, I have to admit you,
Deserve expressions that really fit you
And so I've racked my brain, hoping to explain all the things that you do to me,
Bei Mir Bist Du Schön
Please let me explain,
Bei Mir Bist Du Schön
Means you're grand
Bei Mir Bist Du Schön
Again I'll explain,
It means you're the fairest in the land
I could say "Bella, bella," even say "Sehr Wunderbar,"
Each language only helps me tell you how grand you are
I've tried to explain,
Bei Mir Bist Du Schön,
So kiss me, and say you understand
Bei Mir Bist Du Schön,
You've heard it all before but let me try to explain
Bei Mir Bist Du Schön,
It means you're grand
Bei Mir Bist Du Schön
It's such an old refrain,
and yet I should explain
It means I am begging for your hand
I could say "Bella, bella," even say "Sehr Wunderbar,"
Each language only helps me tell you how grand you are..
Re-dee
Re-dee-re-dee
Re-dee-re-dee-re-dee
I could say "Bella, bella," even say "Sehr Wunderbar,"
Each language only helps me tell you how grand you are
I've tried to explain,
Bei Mir Bist Du Schön,
So kiss me
and say that you will understand.
@romeoharmony7267
Of all the boys I've known, and I've known some
Until I first met you, I was lonesome
And when you came in sight, dear, my heart grew light
And this old world seemed new to me
You're really swell, I have to admit you
Deserve expressions that really fit you
And so I've racked my brain, hoping to explain
All the things that you do to me
Bei mir bist du schön, please let me explain
Bei mir bist du schön means you're grand
Bei mir bist du schön, again I'll explain
It means you're the fairest in the land
I could say bella, bella, even sehr wunderbar
Each language only helps me tell you how grand you are
I've tried to explain, bei mir bist du schön
So kiss me and say you understand
Bei mir bist du schön, you've heard it all before
But let me try to explain
Bei mir bist du schön means that you're grand
Bei mir bist du schön, it's such an old refrain
And yet I should explain
It means I am begging for your hand
I could say bella, bella, even sehr wunderbar
Each language only helps me tell you how grand you are
I could say bella, bella, even sehr wunderbar
Each language only helps me tell you how grand you are
I've tried to explain, bei mir bist du schön
So kiss me and say that you will understand
@maureenrobinson9725
My grandfather, Don Heller, performed with them and opened for them on several occasions. He said that the oldest one, LaVerne, was a prankster, and if a filler performer would, say, do the splits, she'd take a piece of canvas and tear it, making it sound like the performer had torn their pants.
@matthewlivermanne4441
Awesome. I have been listening to the music of the 20's up to 40's lately. What talent. Just real voices and instruments. Real music
@oknar1977
Check out radio from Canada called
Tokyo Rose Radio -
they played this song 5 minutes ago.
@vistarecords4930
Ladies and Gentlemen - as important as this recording was for the Andrews Sisters it holds a very important distinction. This is the first record Buddy Rich ever played on. This is a 20 year old Buddy on drums. So, not only is this an Andrews Sisters classic, it's also a historic track.
@juliereminiec4937
Would Bei Mir Bist Du Shon be a good song for a Power Metal band to cover ?
@PeterAByrne
I came here to post just that info. But I see you’re a year ahead of me!! I’m reading Buddy Rich’s biography and just learned about his playing on that song. His talents weren’t very much pushed, but, as you say, it’s historic for that reason too.
@konnoxx
when a game gave you the love for this Kind of Music... it's so beautiful
@orooruga6227
Was that game Bioshock 1? If so, I'm also here because of that hahaha, it's a very good song
@ember-brandt
BioShock was definitely that game franchise for me! lol ♥
@morgue6000music
konnoxx bioshock And fallout