“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.
Shortnin' Bread
The Andrews Sisters Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Mama's gonna make a little short'nin' bread.
That ain't all she's gonna do,
Mama's gonna make a little coffee, too.
Mama's little baby loves short'nin', short'nin',
Mama's little baby loves short'nin' bread,
Mama's little baby loves short'nin', short'nin',
Three little children, lyin' in bed
Two were sick and the other 'most dead
Sent for the doctor and the doctor said,
"Give those children some short'nin' bread."
Mama's little baby loves short'nin', short'nin',
Mama's little baby loves short'nin' bread,
Mama's little baby loves short'nin', short'nin',
Mama's little baby loves short'nin' bread.
When those children, sick in bed,
Heard that talk about short'nin' bread,
Popped up well to dance and sing,
Skipped around and cut the pigeon wing.
Mama's little baby loves short'nin', short'nin',
Mama's little baby loves short'nin' bread,
Mama's little baby loves short'nin', short'nin',
Mama's little baby loves short'nin' bread.
Slip to the kitchen, slip up the led,
Filled my pockets full of short'nin' bread;
Stole the skillet, stole the led,
Stole the gal makin' short'nin' bread.
Mama's little baby loves short'nin', short'nin',
Mama's little baby loves short'nin' bread,
Mama's little baby loves short'nin', short'nin',
Mama's little baby loves short'nin' bread.
Caught me with the skillet, caught me with the led,
Caught me with the gal makin' short'nin' bread;
Paid six dollars for the skillet, six dollars for the led,
Spent six months in jail eatin' short'nin' bread.
Mama's little baby loves short'nin', short'nin',
Mama's little baby loves short'nin' bread,
Mama's little baby loves short'nin', short'nin',
Mama's little baby loves short'nin' bread.
"Short'nin' Bread" is a traditional Southern American song believed to have originated in the 1890s. The Andrews Sisters performed a popular version of the song in the 1940s. The lyrics tell the story of Mama making short'nin' bread and coffee in the kitchen, while her little baby loves the bread. The second verse introduces three little children in bed; two were sick and the other was almost dead. The doctor recommends that they eat short'nin' bread, and upon hearing this, the children become well enough to dance and sing. In the final verse, someone slips into the kitchen and steals the skillet, lid and gal making the short'nin' bread. They are caught, and as punishment, they spend six months in jail eating short'nin' bread.
The lyrics to "Short'nin' Bread" conjure up images of Southern American life in the late 1800s and early 1900s. The song is steeped in Southern American culture and is an essential part of the region's musical heritage. The act of making short'nin' bread and coffee is a symbol of Southern hospitality, and the song's upbeat rhythm and catchy melody reflect the region's lively spirit. The doctor's recommendation of short'nin' bread as a cure for the sick children is an example of folk medicine, widely practiced in rural communities across the South.
Line by Line Meaning
Put on the skillet, slip on the lid,
We are preparing to make short’nin’ bread by heating up a skillet with a lid.
Mama's gonna make a little short'nin' bread.
Mama is going to make some delicious short’nin’ bread for us to enjoy.
That ain't all she's gonna do,
In addition to making the short’nin’ bread, Mama is also going to make some coffee.
Mama's gonna make a little coffee, too.
Mama is making coffee to go along with the short’nin’ bread.
Mama's little baby loves short'nin', short'nin',
Mama’s baby really enjoys eating short’nin’ bread.
Mama's little baby loves short'nin' bread,
The baby really loves the taste of the short’nin’ bread that Mama makes.
Three little children, lyin' in bed
There are three young children who are currently in bed.
Two were sick and the other 'most dead
Two of the children are unwell, and the other child is very close to death.
Sent for the doctor and the doctor said,
The family called the doctor for help, and the doctor arrived.
"Give those children some short'nin' bread."
The doctor prescribed short’nin’ bread for the sick children to help them feel better.
When those children, sick in bed,
The children who were sick in bed earlier are still there.
Heard that talk about short'nin' bread,
When the children heard that they were going to get short’nin’ bread, they perked up.
Popped up well to dance and sing,
The children suddenly had a lot of energy and started dancing and singing.
Skipped around and cut the pigeon wing.
The children were so ecstatic that they started skipping and even did a fancy dance move called the pigeon wing.
Slip to the kitchen, slip up the led,
Someone is sneaking into the kitchen and trying not to alert anyone else to their presence.
Filled my pockets full of short'nin' bread;
The person is taking as much short’nin’ bread as they can carry and putting it in their pockets.
Stole the skillet, stole the led,
The person has stolen the skillet and the lid as well.
Stole the gal makin' short'nin' bread.
The person has even stolen the woman who was making the short’nin’ bread.
Caught me with the skillet, caught me with the led,
The thief was eventually caught by the authorities with the skillet and the lid.
Caught me with the gal makin' short'nin' bread;
The thief was caught with the woman who was making the short’nin’ bread.
Paid six dollars for the skillet, six dollars for the led,
As punishment for stealing, the thief had to pay six dollars for the skillet and six dollars for the lid.
Spent six months in jail eatin' short'nin' bread.
The thief had to spend six months in jail, where the only food they were given to eat was short’nin’ bread.
Writer(s): Pd Traditional, J Baird
Contributed by Gavin G. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
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@savannahsussman7225
My Little Mama sang this to me...she just sang it for me and couldn't remember one of the verses, so we looked it up and found this fantastic rendition❤
@whitetrash5627
My grandmother was born in the 1930s she sings this to all her grandkids and Great grandkids when they are babies. I thought she just made it up but here I am! This is so lovely to me that I can look it up and find it and hear it whenever I want. Since my grandmother doesn’t have internet or even a phone, I’m definitely gonna have to play this for her. I hope to make her day!
@dededethesuperstarwarrior
I wonder if you succeeded in making her day.
@jeffsmith4945
My grandmother was born in 1915 and sang the same song to her grandkids.
@kelliintexas3575
Here's the original I found in the Jim Crow Museum here on Youtube! https://youtu.be/zjZo_xY7w-M
@kellBelliam
Made my heart smile! 🫠
@sammy3212321
Dolly Parton and Patti Labelle on their acrylic nails
@adrianknight8697
that’s what brought me here
@batsybatsybats_
Hi yes that brought me here too