“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.
Elmer's Tune
The Andrews Sisters Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
What makes a fellow start thinkin' of fallin' in love?
It's not the season, the reason is plain as the moon
It's just Elmer's tune
What makes a lady of eighty go out on the loose?
Why does a gander meander in search of a goose?
What puts the kick in a chicken, the magic in June?
It's just Elmer's tune
Sing it, swing it, any old way and any old time
The hurdy gurdies, the birdies, the cop on the beat
The candy maker, the baker, the man on the street
The city charmer, the farmer, the man in the moon
All sing Elmer's tune
Why are the stars always winkin' and blinkin' above?
What makes a fellow start thinkin' of fallin' in love?
It's not the season, the reason is plain as the moon
It's just Elmer's tune
What makes a lady of eighty go out on the loose?
Why does a gander meander in search of a goose?
What puts the kick in a chicken, the magic in June?
It's just Elmer's tune
Listen, listen, there's a lot you're li'ble to be missin'
Sing it, swing it, any old way and any old time
The hurdy gurdies, the birdies, the cop on the beat
The candy maker, the baker, the man on the street
The city charmer, the farmer, the man in the moon
All sing Elmer's tune
The Andrews Sisters' song Elmer's Tune is a celebration of the magic of love and the whimsy of life. The lyrics pose some curious questions like why the stars are always winking and blinking, what puts the kick in a chicken, and why an eighty-year-old lady would go out on the loose. The answer, according to the song, is simple - it's just Elmer's tune. The song goes on to urge the listener to sing and swing the tune in any way and at any time they like because it's a song that encompasses everyone and everything. From the hurdy-gurdies to the man on the moon, all sing Elmer's tune.
The song was written by Elmer Albrecht, Dick Jurgens, and Sammy Gallop in 1941 and recorded by the Dick Jurgens Orchestra with vocals by Marion Holmes. The Andrews Sisters first recorded the song in March 1941, and it became a huge hit, staying on the charts for 13 weeks. The song has been covered by many artists over the years, including Frank Sinatra, Bing Crosby, and Peggy Lee.
Line by Line Meaning
Why are the stars always winkin' and blinkin' above?
What causes the stars to continuously twinkle in the sky?
What makes a fellow start thinkin' of fallin' in love?
What triggers a man to contemplate falling in love with someone?
It's not the season, the reason is plain as the moon
It's not the time of year that sparks these feelings, the explanation is evident and clear.
It's just Elmer's tune
It's simply the melody of Elmer's song.
What makes a lady of eighty go out on the loose?
What motivates an elderly lady to go out and enjoy herself recklessly?
Why does a gander meander in search of a goose?
What prompts a male goose to aimlessly wander in search of a female mate?
What puts the kick in a chicken, the magic in June?
What instills energy and excitement in a chicken, or a special feeling in the month of June?
It's just Elmer's tune
It's simply the melody of Elmer's song.
Listen, listen, there's a lot you're li'ble to be missin'
Pay attention, as there's a lot you could overlook.
Sing it, swing it, any old way and any old time
Sing it with your own style and rhythm, any way and whenever you want.
The hurdy gurdies, the birdies, the cop on the beat
The musicians, the songbirds, the police officers patrolling the streets.
The candy maker, the baker, the man on the street
The confectioners, the bakers, the everyday people walking on the streets.
The city charmer, the farmer, the man in the moon
The people who captivate us in the city, the farmers who cultivate our crops, and even the fictional man in the moon.
All sing Elmer's tune
All of them are singing Elmer's song.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: ELMER ALBRECHT, SAMMY GALLOP, DAN JURGENS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@Maverick2
Today is December 27,2022 on this day in 2004 my dad Lloyd Dudley Smith passed away in Mesa, Arizona of liver failure - This is his favorite song - I just sang this to him and posted it on my Facebook page
@noradenzel6535
I just found out this song was my Mom's favorite song in 1942! It's wonderful to be able to play it here!
@gailg1957
My dad used to sing this to my mom, it makes me cry now thinking about it.
@josha4913
Sounds like he loved her a tremendous amount. Cheers to him🥂
@journeymnme
God bless you for sharing this. I hum along with my father who is unable to speak due to a stroke. We laugh and cry as we share this precious song from his childhood. Keep humming Daddy! I love you!
@GodsFavoriteBassPlyr
It's amazing how many great stories and memories this song, and especially these Incredible Ladies, bring to mind. It's nice to remember that there was a time when music was straight from the heart and civilization was.. well.. civilized.
@jimstokes6742
Amazing how bad lyrics survive. The sheeple love it.
@williamroden8495
Could not disagree more. I think it's s'Wonderful.s'Marvelous even.
@whiimskers
Andrews Sisters were literally around during WW2. I wouldn’t quite say things were civilized. Nevertheless, I love these ladies. Its a shame they parted ways the way they did.
@deewesthill1213
@@jimstokes6742 I'd be astounded if a snide troll like you could come up with lyrics only a small fraction as clever and charming as in "Elmer's Tune".