“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.
Oh Ma-Ma
The Andrews Sisters Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And see who's looking in my window
It's the butcher boy and oh
He's got a bundle in his hand
Tell me why he winks his eye
Whenever he goes by my window
Daughter, daughter, he's in love
And you're in love, and love is grand
Hey Marie, I gotta da pork chop
Hey Marie, I gotta da lamb chop
Hm, you want to marry me?
The butcher boy, the butcher boy
She wants to marry the butcher boy
Oh, mama, oh, get that man for me
Oh, mama, how happy I will be
Tra-la-la and cheery-beery-bee
Oh, if I'm gonna marry
It's the butcher boy for me
Mama dear, come over here
And see who's looking in my window
It's the baker boy and oh
He's got a bundle in his hand
Hey, Marie, I gotta da fruitcake
Hey, Marie, I gotta da cheesecake
Oh, you want to marry me?
The baker boy, the baker boy
She wants to marry the baker boy
Oh, mama, oh, get that man for me
Oh, mama, how happy I will be
Tra-la-la and cheery-beery be
Oh, if I'm gonna marry
It's the baker boy for me
Mama dear, come over here
And see who's looking in my window
It's the fisher boy and oh
He's got a bundle in his hand
Hey, Marie, I gotta da codfish
Hey, Marie, I gotta da whitefish
Whoa, you want to marry me?
The fisher boy, the fisher boy
She wants to marry the fisher boy
Oh, mama, don't get that man for me
Oh, mama, I cannot marry three
Oh, mama, that would be bigamy
So, if I'm gonna marry
It's the father of the three
Oh, if I'm gonna marry
It's the father of the three
The Andrews Sisters’s song “Oh” is a cheerful and humorous take on romance and the different types of suitors a young woman may encounter. The titular character, Marie, seeks her mother’s advice on who to marry among three potential suitors: the butcher boy, the baker boy, and the fisher boy. After describing each one’s gift, Marie asks her mother to obtain the one she wants. However, Marie eventually realizes that she cannot marry all three and settles on “the father of the three.”
The song’s light-hearted tone and playful imagery make it a popular choice for novelty acts and comedic performances. Beyond its humor, “Oh” also touches on themes of love and choice, as Marie must weigh her options and decide who she truly cares for. The refrain’s repetition of “tra-la-la and cheery-beery-bee” adds to the whimsical nature of the song and emphasizes its joyful spirit.
Line by Line Meaning
Mama dear, come over here
Hey Mom, come here
And see who's looking in my window
Look at my window, someone is checking me out
It's the butcher boy and oh
It's the butcher boy with something in hand
He's got a bundle in his hand
He is carrying something
Tell me why he winks his eye
Why does he wink at me
Whenever he goes by my window
Every time he passes by
Daughter, daughter, he's in love
Honey, he likes you
And you're in love, and love is grand
You like him too, and love is wonderful
Hey Marie, I gotta da pork chop
Hey Marie, here's some meat for you
Hey Marie, I gotta da lamb chop
Hey Marie, here's another meat for you
Hm, you want to marry me?
Do you want to marry me?
The butcher boy, the butcher boy
She wants to marry the butcher boy
Oh, mama, oh, get that man for me
Mom, please help me get him
Oh, mama, how happy I will be
I will be very happy
Tra-la-la and cheery-beery-bee
I'm so excited!
Oh, if I'm gonna marry
If I have to choose a man to marry
It's the butcher boy for me
I want it to be the butcher boy
Hey, Marie, I gotta da fruitcake
Hey Marie, here's some dessert for you
Hey, Marie, I gotta da cheesecake
Hey Marie, here's more dessert for you
Oh, you want to marry me?
You want to marry me too?
The baker boy, the baker boy
She wants to marry the baker boy
Oh, mama, oh, get that man for me
Mom, please help me get him
Oh, mama, how happy I will be
I will be very happy
Tra-la-la and cheery-beery be
I'm so excited!
Oh, if I'm gonna marry
If I have to choose a man to marry
It's the baker boy for me
I want it to be the baker boy
Hey, Marie, I gotta da codfish
Hey Marie, here's a fish for you
Hey, Marie, I gotta da whitefish
More fish for you, Marie
Whoa, you want to marry me?
Do you also want to marry me?
The fisher boy, the fisher boy
She wants to marry the fisher boy
Oh, mama, don't get that man for me
I don't want you to help me get him
Oh, mama, I cannot marry three
I can't marry all three of them
Oh, mama, that would be bigamy
That would be illegal
So, if I'm gonna marry
If I have to choose a man to marry
It's the father of the three
I'll choose the father of those boys
Oh, if I'm gonna marry
If I have to choose a man to marry
It's the father of the three
I'll choose the father of those boys
Lyrics © RESERVOIR MEDIA MANAGEMENT INC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Lew Brown, Paolo Citarella, Rudy Vallee
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@19gregske55
Just listen to the diction of The Andrews Sisters. Every word is distinct, is spite of the fast-paced tempo. The harmony of siblings is also a wonderful thing.
@initiativeplaytherapy88
My wife and I heard this for the first time today. When it got to the last verse, we were in stitches. 😂
@AAA-sy3jw
Excellent!.
👏👏👏
The Andrews Sisters
👑👑👑
@esmeraldai.7641
I love them. Thx!
@ChthonianRealm
in a later version they use the phrase "Butcher Boy".
@gavindajyajya
Git up Ron Wilkinson!! I hope you still have plenty of pictures of nurses! Hope you're well Sir.
@waltershumer4211
Che la Luna!
@Wolfhoundersful
Oh Ma-Ma!
Oh, catcha dat man-a for me!
Oh Ma-Ma!
How happy I will be!
Oh Ma-Ma!
I'll cheery-beery be!
Oh, if I'm gonna marry
It's-a da butcher boy for me!
Hey, Marie!
I gotta da lamb chop!
Hey, Marie!
I gotta da pork-a chop!
Hey, Marie!
Marie!
'Ya wanna marry me?
Oh Ma-Ma!
Oh, catch-a dat man-a for me!
Oh, Ma-Ma!
How happy I will be!
Oh, Ma-Ma!
I'll cheery-beery be!
Oh, if I'm gonna marry
It's-a da baker boy for me!
Hey, Marie!
I gotta da fruitcake!
Hey, Marie!
I gotta da cheesecake!
Hey, Marie!
Marie!
'Ya wanna marry me?
Oh Ma-Ma!
Oh, catcha dat man-a for me!
Oh Ma-Ma!
How happy I will be!
Oh Ma-Ma!
I'll cheery-beery be!
Oh, if I'm gonna marry
It's-a da butcher boy for me!