“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.
Don't Fence Me In
The Andrews Sisters Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Don't fence me in
Let me ride through the wide open country that I love
Don't fence me in
Let me be by myself in the evenin' breeze
And listen to the murmur of the cottonwood trees
Send me off forever but I ask you please
Don't fence me in
Just turn me loose, let me straddle my old saddle
Underneath the western skies
On my Cayuse, let me wander over yonder
Till I see the mountains rise
I want to ride to the ridge where the west commences
And gaze at the moon till I lose my senses
And I can't look at hovels and I can't stand fences
Don't fence me in
Oh, give me land, lots of land under starry skies
Don't fence me in
Let me ride through the wide country that I love
Don't fence me in
Let me be by myself in the evenin' breeze
And listen to the murmur of the cottonwood trees
Send me off forever but I ask you please
Don't fence me in
Just turn me loose, let me straddle my old saddle
Underneath the western skies
On my Cayuse, let me wander over yonder
Till I see the mountains rise
Ba boo ba ba boo
I want to ride to the ridge where the west commences
And gaze at the moon till I lose my senses
And I can't look at hobbles and I can't stand fences
Don't fence me in
No
Poppa, don't you fence me in
The Andrews Sisters' "Don't Fence Me In" is a plea for freedom from the constraints of society's expectations. The song conveys a desire for the vast and open expanses of land that lie beyond the boundaries of civilization. The first stanza begins with a request for land under starry skies above, and a plea to not be fenced in. The singer longs to ride through the wide open country that they love, and to be by themselves in the evening breeze.
Throughout the song, the singer emphasizes their desire for freedom from social norms and the ability to explore the wilderness around them. They want to be able to listen to the sounds of nature and gaze up at the stars without any interference. They express their distaste for fences and hovels, instead preferring to wander over yonder on their trusty steed. The singer's longing for a simpler life in nature is epitomized by their desire to ride to the ridge where the west begins and lose themselves in the beauty of the moon.
In its overall tone and message, "Don't Fence Me In" aligns with the American frontier and the values of rugged individualism that were prevalent in the mid-20th century. The song speaks to a deep-seated human longing for freedom, adventure, and a connection to nature that continues to resonate with audiences today.
Line by Line Meaning
Oh, give me land, lots of land under starry skies above
I want to have my own space and freedom to enjoy life
Don't fence me in
Do not restrict me in any way
Let me ride through the wide open country that I love
Allow me to explore and enjoy the open spaces in nature
Let me be by myself in the evenin' breeze
Give me some time to relax in the peacefulness of nature
And listen to the murmur of the cottonwood trees
I want to enjoy the sounds of nature in peace
Send me off forever but I ask you please
I would rather die than lose my sense of freedom
Don't fence me in
I will do anything to maintain my independence
Just turn me loose, let me straddle my old saddle
Allow me to ride freely and without restrictions
Underneath the western skies
I want to be surrounded by the beauty of the American West
On my Cayuse, let me wander over yonder
Let me explore and discover new areas of the West
Till I see the mountains rise
I want to experience the natural beauty of the mountains
I want to ride to the ridge where the west commences
I want to explore the beginning of the western wilderness
And gaze at the moon till I lose my senses
I want to enjoy the beauty of the night sky and be lost in the moment
And I can't look at hovels and I can't stand fences
I refuse to be confined in small spaces or restricted by boundaries
Don't fence me in
I value my freedom more than anything else
Oh, give me land, lots of land under starry skies
I want the freedom to explore and enjoy the open spaces and natural beauty of the world
No
I will not allow anyone to take away my freedom
Poppa, don't you fence me in
I beg you, please do not take away my independence
Lyrics © Roba Music Verlag GMBH, BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Royalty Network, CTM Publishing, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Cole Porter
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Josh Williams
Where in the world can I buy their records?