The Andrews Sisters were a group of singing sisters: LaVerne Andrews (contr… Read Full Bio ↴The Andrews Sisters were a group of singing sisters: LaVerne Andrews (contralto; July 6, 1911-May 8, 1967), Maxene Andrews (high harmony; January 3, 1916-October 21, 1995) and Patty Andrews (lead; February 16, 1918-January 30, 2013). All were born in Minnesota, United States to a Greek immigrant father and a Norwegian American mother.

“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've Got An Invitation To A Dance
The Andrews Sisters Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

I've got an invitation to a dance,
But I don't think I'll go,
I'd be sorry I know;
I'm afraid I might see
The one who should be with me
With somebody else.

I've got an invitation to a dance;

It's the town's big affair,
All our friends will be there.
They may talk when they see
The one who should be with me
With somebody else.

I don't wanna start a lot of gossip,
Out of sight is out of mind!

Maybe there is still a chance to make up;
We may wake up and find
We're leavin' happiness behind!

I've got an invitation to a dance;
I could bring someone new
But what good would it do?
It would hurt me to see
The one who should be with me
With somebody else.

I don't wanna start a lot of gossip,
Out of sight is out of mind!
(scat)
Maybe there is still a chance to make up;
We may wake up and find
We're leavin' happiness behind!

I've got an invitation to a dance;
I could bring someone new
But what good would it do?
It would hurt me to see

The one who should be with me

With somebody else.

Overall Meaning

The Andrews Sisters' song "I've Got An Invitation To A Dance" is an emotional ballad about the fear of seeing the one you love with somebody else. The singer has received an invitation to a dance, which is the town's biggest event, and all of their friends will be there. However, the singer is torn between going or staying home, as they are afraid to see the one they should be with, with somebody else. The singer contemplates bringing someone new to the dance but doesn't want to hurt themselves by seeing their love with somebody else.

The lyrics describe the feeling of uncertainty and anxiety that comes with seeing the one you love with somebody else. The singer doesn't want to start any gossip, but at the same time, they don't want to miss out on the opportunity to be with the one they love. The use of scatting in the song adds to the emotional depth of the tune and underscores the singer's uncertainty and confusion. In the end, the singer decides not to go to the dance, as they are afraid of the pain they might feel upon seeing their love with someone else.

Line by Line Meaning

I've got an invitation to a dance,
I have received an invitation to attend a dance event.

But I don't think I'll go,
I am having second thoughts about attending the event.

I'd be sorry I know;
I am aware that I would regret it if I go.

I'm afraid I might see
There is a possibility that I might notice.

The one who should be with me
The individual who is meant to share the dance with me.

With somebody else.
That person being accompanied by someone else.

It's the town's big affair,
The event is considered a significant celebration in the town.

All our friends will be there.
Many of our associates will also be in attendance.

They may talk when they see
There is a possibility that they may converse when they notice.

I don't wanna start a lot of gossip,
I would prefer not to initiate any rumors or hearsay.

Out of sight is out of mind!
If I am not present, I will not think about it.

Maybe there is still a chance to make up;
There is a likelihood that we can reconcile or fix things.

We may wake up and find
It is plausible that we may arise and realize.

We're leavin' happiness behind!
We are abandoning an opportunity for joy.

I could bring someone new
I have the option of bringing a different partner along.

But what good would it do?
However, what benefit would that bring?

It would hurt me to see
It would cause me pain to witness.

The one who should be with me
The individual I should be accompanying.

With somebody else.
Dancing in the company of another person.