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 Love You Much Too Much
The Andrews Sisters Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

I love you much too much
I've known it from the start
But yet my love is such
I can't control my heart

I love you much too much
I ask myself what for
Then, darling, when we touch

Mmm, I love you more

Perhaps I hold your heart too tightly
But who am I to say
If I should hold it lightly
It might slip away

I love you much too much
You've never really known
I love you oh so much
I'm yours alone.

I love you much too much, I love you much too much
I've known it from the start, right from the start
But yet my love is such,
I can't control my heart

I love you much too much
I love you too much oh my dear
I've known it from the start
But, but, but my love is such
I can't control my heart

Perhaps I hold your heart too tightly
But who am I to say
If I should hold it lightly
It might slip away

I love you much too much
You've never really known
Oh no, oh no you've never known

I love you oh so much, so much
I'm yours alone, alone.

Overall Meaning

The Andrews Sisters' song "I Love Much Too Much" expresses the singer's feeling of overwhelming love towards her romantic interest. The song focuses on the singer's struggle to control her feelings for her lover. Despite knowing that she loves him much too much from the start, she cannot control her heart. The singer finds herself questioning her love for him when she asks herself what she loves him for, yet when they touch, she falls more in love with him.

The lyrics suggest that the singer might be holding onto her lover's heart too tightly, yet she fears that if she loosens her grip, it might slip away. It's clear from the song's chorus that the singer's love is genuine, and she is willing to commit to her lover regardless of the level of intensity. In essence, "I Love Too Much" is a story of a love that is so intense the singer can't help but feel overwhelmed by it.

Overall, the song emits a melancholic tone that comes off as deeply moving, with the Andrews Sisters' harmonious voices and gentle instrumentals that make the song even more sentimental.

Line by Line Meaning

I love you much too much
I love you so dearly and intensely

I've known it from the start
Since the beginning of our relationship, my love for you has been overpowering

But yet my love is such
However, my love is so genuine and true

I can't control my heart
I cannot restrain or control the feelings of my heart

I ask myself what for
I sometimes question the reason for my excessive love

Then, darling, when we touch
But when we have physical contact, my love multiplies

Mmm, I love you more
I love you to a greater extent

Perhaps I hold your heart too tightly
It is possible that I have an overly possessive attitude towards you

But who am I to say
However, who am I to judge myself

If I should hold it lightly
If I were to be less controlling with my feelings

It might slip away
I fear that our love may fade away if I loosen my grip on it