“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.
Ferry Boat Serenade
The Andrews Sisters Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I am just content to be a dreamer
Even if I could afford a steamer
I will take the ferry boat every time
I love to ride the ferry
Where music is so merry
There's a man who plays the concertina
While boys and girls are dancing
While sweethearts are romancing
Life is like a mardi-gras
Funiculi, funicula
Happy, we cling together
Happy, we sing together
Happy, with the ferry boat serenade
I am happy, very, very happy
When we're on the ferry
The music is so merry
There's a man who plays the concertina
On the moonlit upper deck arena, arena
I love to ride the ferry
Where music is so merry
There's a man who always plays the concertina, oh my
On the moonlit upper deck arena, by and by
While the boys and girls are dancing, oh dancing
While, while the sweethearts are romancing
Life is like a mardi-gras
Funiculi, funicula
Happy, we cling together
Happy, we sing together
Happy with the ferry boat serenade
[------ instrumental break ------]
I love to ride the ferry
Sailing, sailing where, where the music is so merry
There's a man who just plays the concertina
On the moonlit upper deck arena
All the while the boys and girls are dancing
Look around and you see sweethearts romancing
Life is like a mardi-gras
Funiculi, funicula
Happy, we cling together
Happy, we sing together
Happy, with the ferry boat serenade
The Andrews Sisters' song "Ferry Boat Serenade" is an uplifting and nostalgic ode to the joys of riding on a ferry boat. The opening lines of the song convey a contentment with dreaming about going on expensive steamers, but ultimately preferring the humble atmosphere of a ferry boat. The rest of the song describes the fun and merriment that can be found on a ferry boat. The music is cheerful and there is a concertina player on the upper deck, which creates a lively atmosphere for couples to dance and have a good time. The chorus emphasizes the happiness of being together and enjoying the ferry boat's serenade.
Line by Line Meaning
I have never been aboard a steamer
I have never traveled a long distance on a large steamship
I am just content to be a dreamer
I am comfortable living in my imagination
Even if I could afford a steamer
Even if I had enough money to travel by steamship
I will take the ferry boat every time
I would still choose to take the smaller, slower ferry boats whenever possible
I love to ride the ferry
I enjoy riding the ferry boat
Where music is so merry
Where live music is played and enjoyed
There's a man who plays the concertina
There's a musician who plays the concertina, a small accordion-like instrument
On the moonlit upper deck arena
On the upper deck, under the moonlight
While boys and girls are dancing
While young people are dancing together
While sweethearts are romancing
While couples are expressing their love for each other
Life is like a mardi-gras
Life is a festive, colorful celebration
Funiculi, funicula
An Italian phrase expressing excitement or enthusiasm
Happy, we cling together
We are joyfully close to each other
Happy, we sing together
We sing out of happiness and joy
Happy, with the ferry boat serenade
We are happy because of the music played on the ferry boat, which adds to the joyful atmosphere
I am happy, very, very happy
I am extremely happy
When we're on the ferry
When we ride the ferry boat
There's a man who plays the concertina
There's always a concertina player on the ferry boat
On the moonlit upper deck arena, arena
On the upper deck, under the moonlight, where the music is played
I love to ride the ferry
I enjoy riding the ferry boat
Where music is so merry
Where live music is played and enjoyed
There's a man who always plays the concertina, oh my
There's always a concertina player, which is surprising and exciting
On the moonlit upper deck arena, by and by
On the upper deck, under the moonlight, now and in the future
While the boys and girls are dancing, oh dancing
While people are having fun dancing
While, while the sweethearts are romancing
While couples are expressing their love for each other
Life is like a mardi-gras
Life is a festive, colorful celebration
Funiculi, funicula
An Italian phrase expressing excitement or enthusiasm
Happy, we cling together
We are joyfully close to each other
Happy, we sing together
We sing out of happiness and joy
Happy, with the ferry boat serenade
We are happy because of the music played on the ferry boat, which adds to the joyful atmosphere
[------ instrumental break ------]
A pause in the singing for a musical interlude
I love to ride the ferry
I enjoy riding the ferry boat
Sailing, sailing where, where the music is so merry
Cruising on the water where there's lively music playing
There's a man who just plays the concertina
There's a musician who plays only the concertina
On the moonlit upper deck arena
On the upper deck, under the moonlight
All the while the boys and girls are dancing
While young people are dancing together
Look around and you see sweethearts romancing
There are many couples expressing their love for each other
Life is like a mardi-gras
Life is a festive, colorful celebration
Funiculi, funicula
An Italian phrase expressing excitement or enthusiasm
Happy, we cling together
We are joyfully close to each other
Happy, we sing together
We sing out of happiness and joy
Happy, with the ferry boat serenade
We are happy because of the music played on the ferry boat, which adds to the joyful atmosphere
Lyrics © Sugarmusic s.p.a., BMG Rights Management, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Peermusic Publishing
Written by: ELDO DI LAZZARO, MARIO PANZERI
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Mumin Blues
Imposible no sentirse happy con estas sisters... fantásticas, únicas. Gracias por dejarnos la letra.
Maria Giorgio
The first time I heard this song was in 1973. I was making scrambled eggs for breakfast, it came on, the eggs burned because I dropped everything to dance around the kitchen...lol
Scion of Dorn
Fantastic, beats eggs any day, just barely mind you, but it does.
shiptech2k9
This was number 1 in the charts
eric6161
It was #1 in 1940
Jagilsdorf
Its a bop
djmhyde
man... these musics are so good!!!
Redmailnet
Those first 30' are just absolutely brilliant!
Dan Vey
its not 30s. the song is 40s, and this recording is 50s.
Redmailnet
@Dan Vey I meant seconds xD