“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.
I'll Be With You in Apple Blossom Time
The Andrews Sisters Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I'll be with you to change your name to mine
One day in May, I'll come and say
Happy the bride that the sun shines on today
What a wonderful wedding there will be
What a wonderful day for you and me
Church bells will chime
You will be mine
I'll be with you (when)
In apple blossom time
(Then what will you do)
Then I'll be with you to change your name to mine
(When will that be)
One day maybe in May
(Then what will you do)
I'll come and say to you, dear
Happy the bride that the sun shines on today
Then what a wonderful wedding there will be
(One day in May)
What a very, very wonderful day for you and me, dear
Church bells will chime
You will be mine
(When)
In apple, in apple blossom time
The Andrews Sisters’ song “I’ll Be With You in Apple Blossom Time” is a sweet love song about a man who promises his beloved that he will be with her in apple blossom time, and together, they will have a wonderful wedding. The first stanza talks about the man's desire to be united with his love and for them to be married. He promises to change her name to his and vows to come to her on a sunny day in May. The second stanza follows the same sentiments; the two will have a wonderful wedding, and the church bells will chime to announce their union. At last, the song ends with a repetition of the earlier lyrics "you will be mine in apple blossom time".
The lyrics can be interpreted in many ways, but the central message is about love, commitment, and the promise of a bright future. The man seems to be making a serious commitment to his beloved, as he promises to change her name to his. The wedding itself is described as wonderful, which suggests that it will be a joyous occasion. The reference to apple blossom time conjures up images of a beautiful, romantic setting, which adds to the overall positivity of the song.
Line by Line Meaning
I'll be with you in apple blossom time
I will be there with you during the springtime when the apple trees are blooming.
I'll be with you to change your name to mine
I'll be there to marry you and make you a part of my family.
One day in May, I'll come and say
I'll visit you one day in May and say something important to you.
Happy the bride that the sun shines on today
It's a good omen for a bride to have the sun shining on her wedding day.
What a wonderful wedding there will be
Our wedding will be a beautiful and joyous celebration.
What a wonderful day for you and me
Our wedding day will be unforgettable and filled with happiness for both of us.
Church bells will chime
The sound of church bells will be heard on our wedding day.
You will be mine
I will officially become your spouse.
In apple blossom time
Our wedding will take place during the springtime when the apple trees are blooming.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, BROADWAY MUSIC CORPORATION, Downtown Music Publishing, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: ALBERT VON TILZER, NEVILLE FLEESON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Barbara Straughn
My mum wrote the words out for me and gave them to me on the morning of my wedding day in 1986 ... I just played this to her as I visited her in full PPE in the care home and she remembered it and their faces and read the year off my phone. She was confused as to who I was but this brought her back and we interacted again 2021
Floyd Rosini The Journeyman’s Son
This was my moms favorite song. She made a record of it with her best friend. She just passed, would have been 91 at the end of the month. I love you mom.
ralph gar
GOD BLESS MOM! FLOYD
float & sting
My mom as well. She would have been 100 this month. I remember this as a kid
James D. Swanson
mine too :)
zuzubird
I’m so sorry. I’d love to hear the recording she made with her friend.
George Knopp
God bless her, you and your family. In my prayers.
voicegirl555
it was 77 years ago that WW2 ended. Remembering all those soldiers who died and those that came home and have since left this world i dedicate this song by the Andrew Sisters. A lovely and beautiful song. Thank you all for what you did for this country.
Charlie M
My dad taught my sisters and me to sing this when we were kids. He loved this song. He’s passed now. Happy memories. 🥰
Jimmy McGuirk
My grandparents' wedding song. So happy to be able to hear the original as they once did and play for my son.