“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.
Joseph Joseph
The Andrews Sisters Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Will never ask her, will she name the day
He calls on her each night, and when she dims the light
It's ten to one that you would hear her say
Oh Joseph, Joseph, won't you make your mind up
It's time I knew just how I stand with you
My heart's no clock that I can stop and wind up
So listen Joseph, Joseph time is fleeting
And here and there my hair is turning grey
My mother has a fear, wedding bells I'll never hear
Joseph, Joseph, won't you name the day
Oh Joseph, won't you name the day
Oh Joseph, won't you name the day
Oh Joseph, won't you name the day
Name the day, name the day
Oh Joseph, make your mind up
It's time I knew just how I stand with you
My heart's no clock that I can wind up
Oh Joseph, each time we make up after being through
Oh Joseph, Joseph, Joseph, time is fleeting
And here and there my hair is turning grey
My mama has a fear, wedding bells I'll never hear
Oh Joseph, Joseph, Joseph, won't you name the day
The lyrics to The Andrews Sisters' song "Joseph Joseph" tell the story of a woman who is waiting for her boyfriend, Joseph, to ask her to marry him. She is concerned that he will never make up his mind about their future together, and each night when he comes over, she hopes that he will finally propose. She tells him that time is fleeting, and that she is getting older and worried that she will never get to hear the sound of wedding bells. She implores Joseph to make up his mind and name the day, so that she can take the next step in their relationship and move forward towards marriage.
The song reflects the attitudes and expectations of women during the time period in which it was written (the 1930s and 1940s). During this era, it was common for women to seek marriage as a way to secure their financial and social status, and being an unwed woman beyond a certain age was seen as shameful. The lyrics of "Joseph Joseph" reflect these societal norms, with the woman expressing her fear of never hearing wedding bells and growing old alone.
Overall, "Joseph Joseph" is a lighthearted and catchy tune, but the lyrics reveal a deeper social commentary on gender roles and expectations during the time period in which it was written.
Line by Line Meaning
A certain maid I know, is so afraid her boy
The singer knows a girl who is afraid that her boyfriend will never propose.
Will never ask her, will she name the day
The girl fears that her boyfriend will never propose marriage to her.
He calls on her each night, and when she dims the light
The boyfriend visits the girl every night, and when she turns off the lights, something is usually said.
It's ten to one that you would hear her say
The girl has likely said something like this before.
Oh Joseph, Joseph, won't you make your mind up
The girl is pleading with her boyfriend, Joseph, to make a decision about their future.
It's time I knew just how I stand with you
The girl wants to know where she stands in the relationship.
My heart's no clock that I can stop and wind up
The girl can't just stop and start loving someone on a whim like a clock.
Each time we make up after being through
The couple has had disagreements and arguments in the past.
So listen Joseph, Joseph time is fleeting
The girl is warning Joseph that time is running out and they shouldn't waste it.
And here and there my hair is turning grey
The girl is getting older and time is running out for her to get married.
My mother has a fear, wedding bells I'll never hear
The girl's mother is worried that her daughter will never get married.
Joseph, Joseph, won't you name the day
The girl is begging Joseph to propose to her so that they can get married.
Joseph, won't you name the day
The girl is repeating her plea for Joseph to propose.
Name the day, name the day
The girl keeps repeating her plea for Joseph to propose.
Oh Joseph, make your mind up
The girl is once again urging Joseph to make a decision.
Oh Joseph, each time we make up after being through
The girl is acknowledging their previous arguments but wants to move on to a more committed relationship.
Oh Joseph, Joseph, Joseph, time is fleeting
The girl is emphasizing that time is running out and they need to make a decision quickly.
Lyrics © MUSIC.INFO FINLAND OY, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Samuel Steinberg, Saul Chaplin, Sammy Cahn, Nellie Casman
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@paiaam
A certain maid I know, is so afraid her boy
Will never ask her, will she name the day
He calls on her each night, and when she dims the light
It's ten to one that you would hear her say
Oh Joseph, Joseph, won't you make your mind up
It's time I knew just how I stand with you
My heart's no clock that I can stop and wind up
Each time we make up after being through
So listen Joseph, Joseph time is fleeting
And here and there my hair is turning grey
My mother has a fear, wedding bells I'll never hear
Joseph, Joseph, won't you name the day
Oh Joseph, won't you name the day
Oh Joseph, won't you name the day
Oh Joseph, won't you name the day
Name the day, name the day
Oh Joseph, make your mind up
It's time I knew just how I stand with you
My heart's no clock that I can wind up
Oh Joseph, each time we make up after being through
Oh Joseph, Joseph, Joseph, time is fleeting
And here and there my hair is turning grey
My mama has a fear, wedding bells I'll never hear
Oh Joseph, Joseph, Joseph, won't you name the day
@usefamin
This is one of my favourite records since I was a child. Thank you <3
@himila
I love this song! One of my favorite!
@paiaam
A certain maid I know, is so afraid her boy
Will never ask her, will she name the day
He calls on her each night, and when she dims the light
It's ten to one that you would hear her say
Oh Joseph, Joseph, won't you make your mind up
It's time I knew just how I stand with you
My heart's no clock that I can stop and wind up
Each time we make up after being through
So listen Joseph, Joseph time is fleeting
And here and there my hair is turning grey
My mother has a fear, wedding bells I'll never hear
Joseph, Joseph, won't you name the day
Oh Joseph, won't you name the day
Oh Joseph, won't you name the day
Oh Joseph, won't you name the day
Name the day, name the day
Oh Joseph, make your mind up
It's time I knew just how I stand with you
My heart's no clock that I can wind up
Oh Joseph, each time we make up after being through
Oh Joseph, Joseph, Joseph, time is fleeting
And here and there my hair is turning grey
My mama has a fear, wedding bells I'll never hear
Oh Joseph, Joseph, Joseph, won't you name the day
@weikko79
The first line probably ends with "her beau" rather than "her boy".
@emmicries6803
So I found this song while going through an old diary of a girl around 16 years old, from 1940. I found a scetch of a girl along with the lyrics, and now I’m here.
@CarlDuke
Great traditional Yiddish song called Yussel, Yussel. This is a slightly jazzed up version. The Sisters also had another hit with a Yiddish song called Bei Mir Bist Du Schoen, By Me You Are Beautiful.
@guytemam1151
A CLASSIC all over the world !!
TIMELESS !!
@scotnick59
One of their finest recordings!
@Muminblues
wauuuuuuuu, Joseph... un lujo ser cantados por el trio sisters... Gracias.
@SandViolet
I adore the Andrews Sisters and this is my favorite of their recordings.