“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'm Getting Corns for My Country
The Andrews Sisters Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
At the Hollywood Canteen
The hardest workin' junior hostess
You've ever seen
I'm doin' my bit down here for Uncle Sam
I'm a patriotic jitterbug
Yeah, yeah, that's what I am
I'm gettin' down the waistline and I don't even try
I don't need a Duberry or a Westmore course
'Cause my weight's been taken over by the Army Air Force
We're not petite as sweet Joan Leslie, but then we never mind
When those GI's knock the South, we're glad that we're the healthy kind
The way those cowboys from the prairie expect us to sashay
I think I'd rather two step with their horses any day
We're gettin' corns for our country though the goin' is tough
When we think we can't go on, we find we can't get enough
So if you hear of a soldier, sailor or marine
Tell him to look us up at the Hollywood Canteen
I used to be aesthetic, they say, oh yes I was, really I was
I served the drama, arts and the ballet
But the theatre guild came over and said, forget about Pavlova
Learn to cut a rug, so now we're jitterbugs
I'm gettin' corns for my country, so I'm really all in
In a week from now we'll be here with our usual vim
So if you hail from the Bronx, Des Moines or Aberdeen
Come down and ask for us at the Hollywood Canteen
The Andrews Sisters' song "I'm Getting Corns for My Country" is a lively, patriotic tune that speaks of the female war effort and the Hollywood Canteen during World War II. The Hollywood Canteen was a famous club in Hollywood, California, that was set up to entertain soldiers during World War II. The song features several references to war effort and patriotism, as well as the physical toll that comes with dancing for hours on end.
The opening lines of the song, "I'm gettin' corns for my country at the Hollywood Canteen," speak to the hard work and dedication of the women who worked at the Canteen. The song praises the work of the junior hostesses, who were responsible for dancing with the soldiers, serving refreshments, and providing entertainment. The line "I'm a patriotic jitterbug, yeah, yeah, that's what I am" speaks to the sense of duty that these women felt toward their country during wartime.
The song also touches upon the physical toll that the long hours of dancing took on the women's bodies. The line "You should see the pounds fly" speaks to the weight loss that these women experienced, while the reference to "getting corns" speaks to the pain and discomfort that came with dancing for hours on end. Despite these challenges, the women were determined to do their part for the war effort and to support the soldiers who were fighting overseas.
Line by Line Meaning
I'm gettin' corns for my country
I'm enduring discomfort for the sake of my country
At the Hollywood Canteen
At a popular spot for entertainment and relaxation
The hardest workin' junior hostess
I'm putting in a lot of effort as a young hostess
You've ever seen
That anyone has ever seen
I'm doin' my bit down here for Uncle Sam
I'm doing my part for the United States
I'm a patriotic jitterbug
I'm a lover of swing music and a proud American
Yeah, yeah, that's what I am
That's the kind of person I am, no doubt about it
We're not petite as sweet Joan Leslie, but then we never mind
We may not be as small as a Hollywood actress, but we don't care
When those GI's knock the South, we're glad that we're the healthy kind
When soldiers from the southern United States insult us, we're happy to be physically strong
The way those cowboys from the prairie expect us to sashay
The manner in which western men anticipate us to dance
I think I'd rather two step with their horses any day
I'd prefer to dance with their horses rather than with them
We're gettin' corns for our country though the goin' is tough
We're experiencing hardship while working for our country
When we think we can't go on, we find we can't get enough
When we believe we've reached our limit, we discover that we still have more to give
So if you hear of a soldier, sailor or marine
If you know any military personnel
Tell him to look us up at the Hollywood Canteen
Advise them to visit the Hollywood Canteen
I used to be aesthetic, they say, oh yes I was, really I was
I was once into beauty and the arts, or so I'm told
I served the drama, arts and the ballet
I worked in theater, arts, and ballet
But the theatre guild came over and said, forget about Pavlova
But the theater guild told me to stop focusing on classical ballet
Learn to cut a rug, so now we're jitterbugs
Learn to dance swing style, and now we love it
I'm gettin' corns for my country, so I'm really all in
I'm committed to my country, even if it causes pain
In a week from now we'll be here with our usual vim
As usual, we'll be here with our typical enthusiasm
So if you hail from the Bronx, Des Moines or Aberdeen
If you're from any of these cities
Come down and ask for us at the Hollywood Canteen
Visit the Hollywood Canteen and look for us
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: DICK CHARLES, JEAN BARRY, LEAH WORTH
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@vlopes3000
I'm gettin' corns for my country
At the Hollywood Canteen
The hardest workin' junior hostess
You've ever seen
I'm doin' my bit down here for Uncle Sam
I'm a patriotic jitterbug
Yeah, yeah, that's what I am
I'm gettin' corns for my country, you should see the pounds fly
I'm gettin' down the waistline and I don't even try
I don't need a Duberry or a Westmore course
'Cause my weight's been taken over by the Army Air Force
We're not petite as sweet Joan Leslie, but then we never mind
When those GI's knock the South, we're glad that we're the healthy kind
The way those cowboys from the prairie expect us to sashay
I think I'd rather two step with their horses any day
We're gettin' corns for our country though the goin' is tough
When we think we can't go on, we find we can't get enough
So if you hear of a soldier, sailor or marine
Tell him to look us up at the Hollywood Canteen
I used to be aesthetic, they say, oh yes I was, really I was
I served the drama, arts and the ballet
But the theatre guild came over and said, forget about Pavlova
Learn to cut a rug, so now we're jitterbugs
I'm gettin' corns for my country, so I'm really all in
In a week from now we'll be here with our usual vim
So if you hail from the Bronx, Des Moines or Aberdeen
Come down and ask for us at the Hollywood Canteen
@tomsmith7742
The first, and best, girl group of all time.
@monicabella7894
@@jgrawn Boswell who?!
@MattS3NTM
@@monicabella7894 the boswell sisters were an act of sister blues singers from the 30s. A lot of people like to say the andrews girls copied their act, in actuality they started as a mimic act, but quickly became a pioneer group of jump blues and completely became stars in their own right.
@jane2543
The first? Not really, the best? Maybe
@MrJosealfonsoperez
Patty was very expressive, I love it
@brokenacoustic
"When we think we cant go on, we find we cant get enough" What a great line!
@makeievka
They are amazing, they way they sing and dance.. Patty is lovely and so expressive. That's what I call having a real talent <3
@ew1usnr
I love the Andrews Sisters.
@tonyruiz2390
Kicking back at my grandparents house changing the channel around and found this on TV told my grandmother Good times my Grandfather remembers he served in WW2 in the Pacific he still a Marine
@hockeyrd99
Wow! The effort that must have gone into such a production! Great camera angles, sound is clear, and all the sisters look great in the movie.