“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.
Six Jerks in a Jeep
The Andrews Sisters Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Choo-choo to Broadway! Boo, Cincinnati!
In a jeep that was built for the six of us.
Beep, beep! Beep, beep!
This is a taxicab to Hackensack
We're goin' up to camp and back
An' we're ready.
We're six jerks in a jeep,
Six creeps in a jeep that leaps.
Now here we come, beep, beep!
We're six jerks in a jeep.
We're six WAACs in a hack,
Six WAACs here to send you, Jack.
Now look here, Max, no cracks!
We're six WAACs in a hack.
The jeep goes jumpin' an' a-bumpin' along.
Gonna knock you right off your seats,
Till we come rompin' an' a-stompin' a song.
Dig it with a reet beat!
We're six jerks in a jeep,
Six bleeps in a jeep that weeps.
Now here we go, beep, beep!
We're six jerks in a jeep.
The jeep goes a-jumpin' along
Gonna knock you right off your seats.
Here we come, stompin' along,
Just a-rompin' along in our jeep.
Beep, beep! Toot, toot! La-da-da-da.
Beep, beep! Toot, toot! La-da-da.
We're six chicks on a scoot back to a root to markazie
Beauts on on a toot that's a hoot
Now here we come
Toot, toot, toot, toot, toot
Six chicks on a toot
We're six heels on wheel,
Schlemiels on a wheel that will real.
We're lookin', lookin' for a meal.
We're six heels on a wheel.
The jeep goes jumpin' an' a-bumpin' along.
Gonna knock you right off your seats,
Till we come rompin' an' a-stompin' a song.
Dig it with a reet beat!
We're six blokes on a boat
Five blokes and a stear remote
And oh boy are we broke
Yes we have six blokes on this boat
We're six jerks in a jeep.
Six of us WAACs in a hack that will leap like a jeep.
Now here we come, beep, beep!
All heels, schlemiels, on a wheel that reels.
We're six jerks in a jeep, beep, beep, beep!
Six bleeps in a jeep that weeps.
Now here we go, beep, beep!
Here we go, all six jerks in a jeep.
The Andrews Sisters' song "Six Jerks in a Jeep" is a playful and lively tune about a group of six people riding in a jeep together. The song describes their journey from Broadway to Cincinnati, then to Hackensack and finally to camp. The group includes six jerks, six WAACs, six chicks on a scoot, six heels on wheels, and six blokes on a boat. The jeep is the main focus of the song as it jumps and bumps along the way, knocking the passengers off their seats. The lyrics are full of whimsy and humor, making it a fun and lighthearted tune that is easy to enjoy.
While the lyrics of "Six Jerks in a Jeep" are straightforward and easy to comprehend, there is a deeper meaning to the song. It is a representation of the carefree and optimistic spirit of the people during the wartime era. The song was written during World War II when many men and women were being deployed to fight overseas. The Andrews Sisters sought to uplift the morale of the troops and the general public by creating music that was fun and entertaining. The upbeat rhythm and joyful lyrics of “Six Jerks in a Jeep” conveyed the message that life should be enjoyed to the fullest, even during challenging times.
Line by Line Meaning
Beep, beep! Beep, beep!
The jeep's horn is honking twice in a row.
Choo-choo to Broadway! Boo, Cincinnati!
We are taking a roundabout way to get to our destination.
In a jeep that was built for the six of us.
There are six people riding in our jeep, which was made to hold exactly that number.
This is a taxicab to Hackensack We're goin' up to camp and back An' we're ready.
We are using a taxi to reach Hackensack and we are prepared to go up to camp and come back.
We're six jerks in a jeep, Six creeps in a jeep that leaps. Now here we come, beep, beep! We're six jerks in a jeep.
There are six foolish people riding in our jeep, which is bumpy and jumps a lot.
We're six WAACs in a hack, Six WAACs here to send you, Jack. Now look here, Max, no cracks! We're six WAACs in a hack.
There are six women in our jeep (members of the Women's Army Auxiliary Corps), and we are ready to do our duty.
The jeep goes jumpin' an' a-bumpin' along. Gonna knock you right off your seats, Till we come rompin' an' a-stompin' a song. Dig it with a reet beat!
Our jeep is jolting and bouncing down the road, which will make you feel like you are almost falling out of your seat. But we are still managing to play a catchy tune that you should enjoy.
We're six bleeps in a jeep that weeps. Now here we go, beep, beep! We're six jerks in a jeep.
There are six annoying people in our jeep, which also happens to be in bad condition.
Beep, beep! Toot, toot! La-da-da-da. Beep, beep! Toot, toot! La-da-da.
Our jeep's horn is honking and we are singing a funny melody to accompany it.
We're six chicks on a scoot back to a root to markazie Beauts on on a toot that's a hoot Now here we come Toot, toot, toot, toot, toot Six chicks on a toot
There are six women riding on a scooter, on the way back to a place called Markazie, and we are having a fun time.
We're six heels on wheel, Schlemiels on a wheel that will real. We're lookin', lookin' for a meal. We're six heels on a wheel.
There are six inept people in our car, who are hoping to find a place to eat.
We're six blokes on a boat Five blokes and a stear remote And oh boy are we broke Yes we have six blokes on this boat
There are six guys on our boat, but only one of them is steering. And unfortunately, we are all broke.
Six of us WAACs in a hack that will leap like a jeep. Now here we come, beep, beep! All heels, schlemiels, on a wheel that reels.
We are six women in our jeep, members of the Women's Army Auxiliary Corps, and we are ready to drive quickly like a jeep. Everyone inside the car is a bit clumsy though.
We're six jerks in a jeep, beep, beep, beep! Six bleeps in a jeep that weeps. Now here we go, beep, beep! Here we go, all six jerks in a jeep.
We have six annoying people in our car and our car is in poor condition. But we are still managing to honk our horn and go on our way.
Contributed by Aria C. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@vlopes3000
Beep, beep! Beep, beep!
Choo-choo to Broadway! Boo, Cincinnati!
In a jeep that was built for the six of us
Beep, beep! Beep, beep!
This is a taxicab to Hackensack
We're goin' up to camp and back
An' we're ready
We're six jerks in a jeep
Six creeps in a jeep that leaps
Now here we come, beep, beep!
We're six jerks in a jeep
We're six WAACs in a hack
Six WAACs here to send you, Jack
Now look here, Max, no cracks!
We're six WAACs in a hack
The jeep goes jumpin' an' a-bumpin' along
Gonna knock you right off your seats
Till we come rompin' an' a-stompin' a song
Dig it with a reet beat!
We're six jerks in a jeep
Six bleeps in a jeep that weeps
Now here we go, beep, beep!
We're six jerks in a jeep
The jeep goes a-jumpin' along
Gonna knock you right off your seats
Here we come, stompin' along
Just a-rompin' along in our jeep
Beep, beep! Toot, toot! La-da-da-da
Beep, beep! Toot, toot! La-da-da
We're six chicks on a scoot back to a root to markazie
Beauts on on a toot that's a hoot
Now here we come
Toot, toot, toot, toot, toot
Six chicks on a toot
We're six heels on wheel
Schlemiels on a wheel that will real
We're lookin', lookin' for a meal
We're six heels on a wheel
The jeep goes jumpin' an' a-bumpin' along
Gonna knock you right off your seats
Till we come rompin' an' a-stompin' a song
Dig it with a reet beat!
We're six blokes on a boat
Five blokes and a stear remote
And oh boy are we broke
Yes we have six blokes on this boat
We're six jerks in a jeep
Six of us WAACs in a hack that will leap like a jeep
Now here we come, beep, beep!
All heels, schlemiels, on a wheel that reels
We're six jerks in a jeep, beep, beep, beep!
Six bleeps in a jeep that weeps
Now here we go, beep, beep!
Here we go, all six jerks in a jeep
@CrossOfBayonne
Hackensack is a city in my state of New Jersey and I know a WW2 vet named August Caccavone who was in the 7th Army who was from there but later moved now 93 years old.
@Craziness714
The Andrews Sisters are fantastic! They have such a unique, fun sound, and never fail to put a smile on your face. I could listen to them all day!
@olhole
The Andrews Sisters were the best, and Patty was just amazing. Between 1937 and 1947 they were untouchable.
@CrossOfBayonne
Up into the 1950s too.
@ThomasBMawn
Just heard this while driving my jeep. Had to look it up! I like it haha
@citizen427
RIP Patty. They will be missed, but the music will last on.
@Peter1999Videos
Lovely clip ! Feels good music, another time, another people
@thejerseyj9422
In the worst of times, a world war. They were the best of times in some ways.
The Andrew's sisters are an icon.
@mattnesspl6785
A quote stucked in my head: worst times bring the best in humans
@Tairqthephotoman2024
This is why I love the Andrew sisters bec they are very good at dancing singing and more of their pay is money making thees songs anytime .