“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.
Santa Claus Is Comin' to Town
The Andrews Sisters Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You better not pout, I'm telling you why
Santa Claus is comin' to town, gather around
He's making a list and checking it twice
He's gonna find out who's naughty and nice
Santa Claus is comin' to town
He sees you when you're sleepin'
He knows if you've been bad or good
So be good for goodness sake
You better watch out, you better not cry
You better not pout, I'm telling you why
Santa Claus is comin' to town
With little tin horns and little toy drums
Rooty toot toots and rummy tum tums
Santa Claus is comin' to town
And curly head dolls that toddle and coo
Elephants, boats, and kiddie cars too
Santa Claus is comin' to town
The kids in girls and Boyland will have a jubilee
They're gonna build a Toylandtown all around the Christmas tree
You better watch out, you better not cry
You better not pout, I'm telling you why
Santa Claus is comin' to town
He sees you when you're sleepin'
And he knows when you're awake
He knows if you've been bad or good
So be good for goodness sake
You better watch out, you better not cry
You better not pout, I'm telling you why
Santa Claus is comin' to town
You better watch out, you better not cry
You better not pout, I'm telling you why
Santa Claus is comin'
You mean the big fat man with the long white beard
He's comin' to town
The Andrews Sisters's song "Santa Claus Is Coming to Town" is a catchy and festive tune that has been a classic Christmas song since it was written by J. Fred Coots and Haven Gillespie in 1934. The lyrics warn children to be on their best behavior because Santa Claus is coming to town, and he's making a list and checking it twice to find out who's been naughty or nice. The song emphasizes the importance of being good, and using positive reinforcement to encourage children to be well-behaved.
The lyrics also highlight the excitement and joy of Christmas, with references to little tin horns and little toy drums, curly head dolls that toddle and coo, elephants, boats, and kiddie cars too. The kids in Girls and Boyland will have a jubilee, and they're going to build a Toylandtown all around the Christmas tree. The song tells us that Santa Claus is not just a jolly old man with a big white beard, he's also a symbol of generosity, good cheer, and the holiday spirit.
In conclusion, The Andrews Sisters's song "Santa Claus Is Coming to Town" is a timeless classic that has been enjoyed by generations of listeners. Its message of kindness and goodwill reminds us of the true meaning of Christmas, and its catchy melody and joyful lyrics make it a perennial favorite. So, watch out, don't cry, and be good for goodness sake, because Santa Claus is coming to town!
Line by Line Meaning
You better watch out, you better not cry
Keep your eyes open, don't shed tears
You better not pout, I'm telling you why
Don't grumble, here is the reason
Santa Claus is comin' to town, gather around
Santa Claus is arriving, let's come together
He's making a list and checking it twice
He's creating a list and reviewing it twice
He's gonna find out who's naughty and nice
He'll discover who's behaved poorly and well
Santa Claus is comin' to town
Santa Claus is on his way
He sees you when you're sleepin'
He observes you when you're resting
He knows when you're awake
He knows when you're conscious
He knows if you've been bad or good
He knows if you've behaved badly or well
So be good for goodness sake
Thus, behave well for the sake of being good
With little tin horns and little toy drums
Using little tin horns and toy drums
Rooty toot toots and rummy tum tums
Playing rooty toot toots and rummy tum tums
And curly head dolls that toddle and coo
Along with curly-headed dolls that waddle and make cute noises
Elephants, boats, and kiddie cars too
In addition to elephants, boats, and children's cars
Santa Claus is comin' to town
Santa Claus is on his way
The kids in girls and Boyland will have a jubilee
The children in girls and Boyland will have a celebration
They're gonna build a Toylandtown all around the Christmas tree
They're constructing a Toylandtown around the Christmas tree
You better watch out, you better not cry
Keep your eyes open, don't shed tears
You better not pout, I'm telling you why
Don't grumble, here is the reason
Santa Claus is comin' to town
Santa Claus is on his way
He sees you when you're sleepin'
He observes you when you're resting
And he knows when you're awake
And he knows when you're conscious
He knows if you've been bad or good
He knows if you've been naughty or nice
So be good for goodness sake
Thus, behave well for the sake of being good
You better watch out, you better not cry
Keep your eyes open, don't shed tears
You better not pout, I'm telling you why
Don't grumble, here is the reason
Santa Claus is comin'
Santa Claus is arriving
You mean the big fat man with the long white beard
Do you mean the huge portly man with the lengthy white beard?
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: HAVEN GILLESPIE, J. FRED COOTS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@patriciaclark4773
Christmas just isn't Christmas without hearing Bing Crosby singing Santa Claus Is Coming To Town and White Christmas! Two of my all time favorite Christmas songs!
@BreakingAllIllusions
Christmas isn't complete without Bing Crosby and I am not even a Christian 😅 I just LOVE celebrating Christmas since I was a little kid and now I am 41 🎄🦌⛄🦌🎄
@wallshootout5616
Merry Christmas with Bing Crosby!!Thats a must have!!Now and in the future!!No Christmas without Bing!!
@user-nn1ik7jj2l
Such a fun song, love it!
MERRY CHRISTMAS!
@Grizzlied555
Awesome!👍😁🎄❄️⛄
@horaciomilo4113
It's always sunny in philadelphia brought me here lol 😆
@ReAnIMaT1OnzXD
cant wait for all the santas to get home
@normancoulman9277
I just love the big band sound on this song.You don't hear it anymore on Christmas songs.
@cuentaton
Merry Christmas everyone. Greetings from Lima Perú!
@emmastraub6842
I always think of Krampus movie when I hear this song