“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.
Poppa Santa Claus
The Andrews Sisters Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And it was the party of the year
They all brought a present for Poppa Santa Claus
And he grinned from ear to ear
There was brand-new harness' for the reindeer
New jingle bells for the sleigh
And they all wished him a Merry Christmas
And the North Pole rocked with laughter and applause
When the toys gave a party for Poppa Santa Claus
Ho ho ho ho
Ho ho ho ho
Ho ho ho ho
Oh ho
Oh ho, ho ho ho ho
The wooden soldiers marched around the room
The big bass drum went boom-de-boom-boom-boom
And jolly old king cole put down his pipe and bowl
And joined the other dolls and danced the polka
The gingham cowboy rode his rockin' horse
And tried to rope an Indian of course
But when the circus clown put on a ladies gown
They laughed so hard the chandelier fell down
The toys, they gave a party for Poppa Santa Claus
And it was the party of the year, ho ho, the party of the year
They all brought a present for Poppa Santa Claus
And he grinned from ear to ear, how he grinned from ear to ear
There was brand-new harness' for the reindeer
New jingle bells for the sleigh
And they all wished him a Merry Christmas
And the Toyland band began to play
And the North Pole rocked and rocked with laughter and applause
When the toys gave a happy little party for Poppa Santa Claus
The toys gave a party for Poppa Santa Claus
And it was the party of the year, ho ho, the party of the year
They all brought a present for Poppa Santa Claus
And he grinned from ear to ear
And the North Pole rocked and rocked with laughter and applause
When the toys gave a party
They gave a pretty little party for
They gave a party
For Poppa Santa Claus
The song "Poppa Santa Claus" by The Andrews Sisters and Bing Crosby revolves around a party which the toys of Toyland hold in honor of Santa Claus. They all bring presents for him, which include brand new harnesses for the reindeer and jingle bells for his sleigh. Santa is delighted with the presents and the party, grinning from ear to ear.
The song is very playful and imaginative, creating a vivid image of a festive party in Toyland. The wooden soldiers march around the room while the big bass drum goes boom-de-boom-boom-boom. Even the dolls and characters from nursery rhymes like Jolly Old King Cole and the Gingham Cowboy ride their horses and dance the Polka.
The song is fascinating as it presents Santa Claus in a different light. This time around, he is the recipient of a gift which he seems to appreciate. In usual tradition, Santa is the gift-giver, so the song adds an exciting twist to the Santa Claus legend. The song also appeals to a vast age range as it brings back memories of childhood when we would all gather and watch Santa arrive with gifts. Overall, it is a fun song that captures the festive holiday spirit.
Line by Line Meaning
The toys gave a party for Poppa Santa Claus
The toys decided to organize a party for Santa Claus (Poppa) to show their appreciation.
And it was the party of the year
The party was so amazing that it stood out as the best celebration of the year.
They all brought a present for Poppa Santa Claus
Each toy wanted to give a gift to Santa Claus as a token of their love for him.
And he grinned from ear to ear
Santa Claus was delighted and happy to receive all the gifts from his toy friends.
There was brand-new harness' for the reindeer
The toy friends gave new harnesses to Santa Claus's reindeer to make their journey easier this Christmas.
New jingle bells for the sleigh
The toy friends gave new jingle bells to Santa Claus's sleigh to spread the festive cheer everywhere he traveled.
And they all wished him a Merry Christmas
All the toy friends wished Santa Claus a very happy Christmas and good fortune for the new year.
And the Toyland band began to play
The toy friends had arranged for a band to play cheerful music and make the party even more delightful.
And the North Pole rocked with laughter and applause
The party was so much fun that everyone, including the North Pole, was filled with joy and laughter.
When the toys gave a party for Poppa Santa Claus
The toys wanted to thank Santa Claus and show their gratitude through this party.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: BURKE, VAN HEUSEN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@genericyoutuber9253
Thanks for uploading this gem! Happy Holidays to you and yours!
@chriscarr7397
Thank you!! Happy Holidays to you, too!!
@robertc391
Don't remember this one. Bing could sin anything.