The song was written by Don Raye and Hughie Prince, and was recorded at Decca's Hollywood studios on January 2, 1941, nearly a year before the United States entered World War II but after the start of a peacetime draft to expand the armed forces in anticipation of American involvement. The flipside was "Bounce Me Brother With a Solid Four". The Andrews Sisters introduced the song in the 1941 Abbott and Costello film Buck Privates, which was in production when they made the record. "Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy" was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Song.
The song is ranked #6 on Songs of the Century.
It is closely based on an earlier Raye-Prince hit, "Beat Me Daddy, Eight to the Bar," which is about a virtuoso boogie-woogie piano player.
According to the lyrics of the song, a renown Illinois street musician is drafted into the U.S. Army during the Wartime Draft imposed by the Roosevelt Administration. In addition to being famous, the bugler was the "top man at his craft," but the Army had little use for his talents and he was reduced to blowing the wake up call (Reveille) in the morning. This caused the musician to become dejected: "It really brought him down, because he couldn't jam." The commanding officer took note of the blues man's blues and went out and conscripted more musicians to assemble a band to keep the bugler company. Thereafter, the bugler found his stride, infusing the military marches with his inimitable street flair: "He blows it eight to the bar - in boogie rhythm." Even his morning calls attain some additional flavor: "And now the company jumps when he plays reveille." But, the bugler is not only empowered, he is possibly spoiled, because thereafter, "He can't blow a note unless the bass and guitar/Is playin' with him."
In an interview broadcast July 3, 2006 on CNN, World War II veteran Bill Arter said he often played in jam sessions with the black unit in Company C, who gave him the nickname Bugle Boy from Company B. Arter was a medic who landed during D-day. There is no evidence that he was the inspiration for the song; however, since it was written before the U.S. entered the war he may have been dubbed the Bugle Boy from Company B in reference to the song, not the other way around. An article published in Stars & Stripes during WWII credits Clarence Zylman of Muskegon, MI with being the original Boogie Woogie Bugler. Drafted at age 38, Clarence had been performing for 20 years, beginning with radio stations in Chicago and moving on to several big bands. He brought his playing style to England where he was a company bugler, eventually being transferred to an army band.
A better claim to that title (though he seldom mentioned it) would be to Harry L. Gish, Jr (1922-2005). After a meteoric rise in the mid 1930's, based out of the Ritz Hotel in Paducah, KY. At age 17 he ventured to NYC where he appeared (studio only) with the Will Bradley "All Star Orchestra" with highly regarded solos on the Raye-Prince songs "Celery Stalks at Midnight", "Scrub Me Mama With A Boogie Beat" and "The Boogilly Woogilly Piggie". He also performed with the Olsen & Johnson (of Hellzapoppin' fame) ban, Ray Anthony and was popular in the Plattsburgh, NY (Lake Placid) area before returning to Decca Records in Chicago. He also had a "summer replacement" radio show there for CBS from WBBM radio.
Gish was known for a dry sense of humor and was known for pulling outrageous pranks with a straight face. He was also a publicist's dream in that his mother was named Lillian, a pleasant farm woman about 6 years younger than the actress (in reality his great-great-great-great-grandfather was the actress' great-great-grandfather's older brother. Quotes like "We can't confirm the rumor that he is the actress' son." were common. In composing the sone Raye reportedly commented "What if they drafted "that guy"???".
In the 1980s and 1990's he honored many requests to play at services for many veterans' funerals and in 1995, in the character of The Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy (still able to fit in his WWII uniform ... he enlidted in the Army Air Corps) he opened the combined service units (American Legion, VFW and others) celebration of the 50th anniversary of the end of WWII in Little Rock where he opened with Reville and closed the ceremony with Taps.
In 1973, Bette Midler recorded her version of the song, a close copy of the original, which peaked at #8 on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart, and introduced it to a new generation of pop music fans. The track was also a #1 single on the Billboard Adult Contemporary chart.
In 1990, pop/R&B group En Vogue did a brief version of the song for their album Born to Sing, rewording it to sound more urban, i.e. "boogie woogie hip hop boy."
In 2006, the Puppini Sisters recorded their own version of the song for their album Betcha Bottom Dollar.
Homage
Christina Aguilera wrote new lyrics to "Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy" for her track "Candyman" (released as a single in 2007) from her hit album Back to Basics. The song was co-written by Linda Perry in addition to the original composers.
The Miami-based girl group Company B took their name from the song. They recorded their own version of the song in 1989.
Bill Arter died in his Broken Arrow, OK, home on February 4, 2009.
Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy
The Andrews Sisters Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
He had a boogie style that no one else could play
He was the top man at his craft
But then his number came up and he was gone with the draft
He's in the army now, a-blowin' reveille
He's the boogie woogie bugle boy of Company B
They made him blow a bugle for his Uncle Sam
The captain seemed to understand
Because the next day the cap' went out and drafted a band
And now the company jumps when he plays reveille
He's the boogie woogie bugle boy of Company B
A-toot, a-toot, a-toot-diddelyada-toot
He blows it eight-to-the-bar, in boogie rhythm
He can't blow a note unless the bass and guitar is playin' with 'I'm
He makes the company jump when he plays reveille
He's the boogie woogie bugle boy of Company B
He was our boogie woogie bugle boy of Company B
And when he plays boogie woogie bugle he was buzy as a "bzzz" bee
And when he plays he makes the company jump eight-to-the-bar
He's the boogie woogie bugle boy of Company B
Toot-toot-toot, toot-diddelyada, toot-diddelyada
Toot, toot, he blows it eight-to-the-bar
He can't blow a note if the bass and guitar isn't with 'I'm
A-a-a-and the company jumps when he plays reveille
He's the boogie woogie bugle boy of Company B
He puts the boys asleep with boogie every night
And wakes 'em up the same way in the early bright
They clap their hands and stamp their feet
Because they know how he plays when someone gives him a beat
He really breaks it up when he plays reveille
He's the boogie woogie bugle boy of Company B
Da-doo-da da-doo-da-da da
Da-doo-da da-doo-da-da da
Da-doo-da da-doo-da-da da
Da-doo-da da-doo-da-da
A-a-a-and the company jumps when he plays reveille
He's the boogie woogie bugle boy of Company B!
The Andrews Sisters's song "Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy" is about a trumpet player, who was famous for his unique boogie style that no one else could play. He was the top man at his craft, but when he was drafted for the army, he was required to play a bugle instead of a trumpet, which weighed him down because he simply couldn't jam without his musical instrument. However, the captain understood his talent and drafted a whole band to support him. Whenever he played reveille on his bugle, the company would jump to the beat in boogie rhythm. He used to put the boys asleep every night with boogie and wake them up the same way in the early morning. He really breaks it up when he plays reveille and is now known as the boogie woogie bugle boy of Company B.
Line by Line Meaning
He was a famous trumpet man from out Chicago way
The man was well-known for playing the trumpet in Chicago
He had a boogie style that no one else could play
He had a unique way of playing music called boogie that nobody else could play
He was the top man at his craft
He was the best person at playing music in his field
But then his number came up and he was gone with the draft
But when he was drafted, he had to stop playing music and go to war
He's in the army now, a-blowin' reveille
Now he's in the army and his job is to play reveille on the trumpet
He's the boogie woogie bugle boy of Company B
He's the person in charge of playing the boogie woogie bugle for Company B
They made him blow a bugle for his Uncle Sam
The Army made him play the bugle for the United States
It really brought him down because he couldn't jam
He was sad because he couldn't play his own style of music
The captain seemed to understand
The captain knew how important music was to him
Because the next day the cap' went out and drafted a band
The next day the captain recruited other players to form a musical band
And now the company jumps when he plays reveille
Now the army unit is excited and jumps when he plays reveille
He's the boogie woogie bugle boy of Company B
He's still the person in charge of playing the boogie woogie bugle for Company B
He blows it eight-to-the-bar, in boogie rhythm
He plays eight notes in a bar and makes it sound like boogie music
He can't blow a note unless the bass and guitar is playin' with 'I'm
He needs the bass and guitar to play alongside him in order to make music
He was our boogie woogie bugle boy of Company B
He belonged to our company and played the boogie woogie bugle
And when he plays boogie woogie bugle he was buzy as a 'bzzz' bee
When he played music, he was as busy as a bee
And when he plays he makes the company jump eight-to-the-bar
His music is so good that the Army company starts moving in rhythm with his music
He puts the boys asleep with boogie every night
He plays boogie music every night to help the boys fall asleep
And wakes 'em up the same way in the early bright
He also wakes them up in the morning with boogie music
They clap their hands and stamp their feet
They show their appreciation by clapping and stomping their feet
Because they know how he plays when someone gives him a beat
They know that he can play music really well when they give him a rhythm to follow
He really breaks it up when he plays reveille
He really lifts spirits with his music when he plays reveille
Da-doo-da da-doo-da-da da
Sounds made to mimic the boogie woogie beat
A-a-a-and the company jumps when he plays reveille
The company gets excited and jumps when he plays reveille
He's the boogie woogie bugle boy of Company B!
He's still the person in charge of playing the boogie woogie bugle for Company B
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: DON RAYE, HUGHIE PRINCE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Harold Chernofsky
i love them
@steveweinstein3222
I'm proud of my mother, Florence Weinstein, WWII vet and big Andrews Sisters fan, still going strong at 99 in 2023 — 100 next year. Go, Mom!
@alfiesgirluk
Brilliant sir....respect 👍
@steveweinstein3222
@@alfiesgirluk Thanks. Mom is 97 in 2021, not 2011!
@JaimeGarcia-sg9xj
Sir, good for you. Go for what you know! You are one of the Greatest Generation. You rock!🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸
@steveweinstein3222
@@JaimeGarcia-sg9xj Not I, my mother, but I agree.
@beaserker
Thank you.
@omamckittrick7968
My dad was a WWII veteran and LOVED this song and the Andrew sisters!! WISH HE WERE STILL HERE!! LOVE YOU DAD!!
@frankrizzo4460
Yes my Dad was in the Korean War and love this as well. Prayers heading your way, thanks for his service to our Republic 🙏🇺🇸
@garymorris1856
My dad, a WW!! vet, liked the Andrews Sisters, and his favorite was "Don't Sit Under The Apple Tree," by them..He has been deceased for 45 yeras, and would be 103 in October.