“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.
House of Blue Lights
The Andrews Sisters Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
To a knocked out shack on the edge of town
There's an eight beat combo that just won't quit
Keep walkin' 'til you see a blue light lit
Fall in there and we'll see some sights
At the house of blue lights
There's fryers and broilers and Detroit barbecue ribs
Is when they serve you all those fine eight beats
You'll want to spend the rest of your brights
Down at the house, the house of blue lights
We'll have a time and we'll cut some rug
While we dig those tunes like they should be dug
It's a real home comin' for all the "Cats"
Just trilly down a path of welcome mats
Fall in there and we'll see some sights
At the house of blue lights
There's fryers and broilers and Detroit barbecue ribs
But the treat of the treats
Is when they serve you all those fine eight beats
You'll want to spend the rest of your brights
Down at the house, the house of blue lights
The Andrews Sisters' House of Blue Lights is a fun upbeat song about a party at a shack on the outskirts of town. The singer invites the listener to "lace up their boots" and come along to see the "eight-beat combo" that just won't quit. As they make their way there, they'll know they've found the right place when they see the blue light. Once inside, they'll be treated to fried and barbecued food, but the real highlight of the evening is the music. The singer promises that they'll "dig those tunes like they should be dug" and have a great time dancing the night away.
Musically, House of Blue Lights is a great example of the 1940s swing-jazz sound, which features lots of brass instruments, a strong beat, and catchy melodies. The lyrics are written in a sort of slangy, jazzy style, meant to evoke a sense of fun and frivolity. The song is meant to be enjoyed, and its message is all about letting loose, having a good time, and appreciating the joy of music.
One interesting aspect of House of Blue Lights is that it was actually written by a fifteen-year-old boy named Freddie Slack. Slack was a pianist and bandleader who went on to have a successful career in jazz music, but House of Blue Lights remains one of his most enduring contributions to the genre. In addition, the song has been covered by a variety of artists over the years, including Chuck Berry, Asleep at the Wheel, and Willie Nelson. It's become a beloved classic that's still enjoyed by swing-dancing enthusiasts and jazz aficionados to this day.
Line by Line Meaning
Lace up your boots and we'll broom on down
Put your shoes on tight, we're heading out
To a knocked out shack on the edge of town
We're going to a run-down building at the outskirts of the city
There's an eight beat combo that just won't quit
There's a band playing a lively, continuous eight-beat rhythm
Keep walkin' 'til you see a blue light lit
Keep walking until you find the building with a blue light shining outside
Fall in there and we'll see some sights
Enter the building and we'll have some fun
At the house of blue lights
This is the Blue Lights House
There's fryers and broilers and Detroit barbecue ribs
There are different types of food being cooked like chicken and ribs
But the treat of the treats
But the best part of it all
Is when they serve you all those fine eight beats
Is when they play the great eight-beat music
You'll want to spend the rest of your brights
You'll want to stay there all night long
Down at the house, the house of blue lights
At the Blue Lights House, where the blue light shines
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: DON RAYE, FREDDIE SLACK
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@zeusincoming282
The Andrew sisters, the early and first "Rappers".
@shorty332
Listen to Jingle Bells by Glenn Miller he's doing a little lyrical rhyming