“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.
The Donkey Serenade
The Andrews Sisters Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
But the fair senorita doesn't seem to care
For the song in the air.
Oh, I'll sing to the mule
If you're sure she won't think that I am just a fool
Serenading a mule.
Amigo mio, does she not have a dainty bray?
She listens carefully to each little tune you play.
Oh, la bella senorita!
Si, si, mi muchachito,
She'd love to sing it too if only she knew the way.
But try as she may, in her voice there's a flaw
And all that the lady can say
Is hee-haw-w-w-w-w-w-w-w-w-w
Senorita, donkey's feet are
Not so fleet as a mosquito
But so sweet like my chiquita
You're the one for me!
There's a light in her eye
Though she may try to hide it, she cannot deny
There's a light in her eye.
Oh, the charm of her smile
So beguiled Don Diego that he rode a mile
For the charm of her smile.
Amigo mio, is she listening to my song?
Que, esta?
No, no, mi muchachito, how can you be so wrong?
Si, la bella senorita!
Si, si, la senorita,
She'd love to sing it too if only she knew the way.
Her face is a dream, like an angel I saw,
And all that my darling can scream
Is hee-haw-w-w-w-w-w-w-w-w-w
Senorita, donkey's feet are
Not so fleet as a mosquito
But so sweet like my chiquita
You're the one for me!
Ole!
The Andrews Sisters' "The Donkey Serenade" is a charming and amusing song about a lovestruck gentleman who serenades a donkey with a beautiful song that he wishes to sing to a lovely senorita who doesn't seem to notice him. He sings to the donkey, hoping that it won't think he's a fool, but in his heart, he knows that he's doing it to cheer himself up. The song has a Latin feel and tells a story of a man's unrequited love for a woman.
The cleverly written lyrics are full of humor and wit. The senorita in the song is represented by the donkey, as she does not seem to care for the song the man is singing. However, she listens closely to each little tune he plays, and the man imagines that she would love to sing along with him if only she knew how. He describes her as having a light in her eye, but she may try to hide it. The man is smitten with her charm, but unfortunately, all she can say is "hee-haw-w-w-w-w-w-w-w-w-w." Despite this, the man makes it clear that the donkey's feet may not be as fleet as a mosquito, but it's so sweet like his chiquita, and she's the one for him.
Line by Line Meaning
There's a song in the air
There's a tune being played
But the fair senorita doesn't seem to care
The woman doesn't seem interested in the tune
For the song in the air.
The tune is still being played
Oh, I'll sing to the mule
I'll sing to the donkey
If you're sure she won't think that I am just a fool
If you're certain the donkey won't think I'm foolish
Serenading a mule.
Singing to a donkey
Amigo mio, does she not have a dainty bray?
My friend, doesn't the donkey have a delicate voice?
Que, esta?
What?
She listens carefully to each little tune you play.
The donkey is listening intently to the music being played
Oh, la bella senorita!
Oh, the beautiful lady!
Si, si, mi muchachito,
Yes, yes, my little boy,
She'd love to sing it too if only she knew the way.
The donkey would also like to sing along if she could
But try as she may, in her voice there's a flaw
She tries but her voice isn't perfect
And all that the lady can say
All the donkey can do is
Is hee-haw-w-w-w-w-w-w-w-w-w
Make a braying sound
Senorita, donkey's feet are
Lady donkey, your hooves aren't
Not so fleet as a mosquito
As fast as a mosquito's wings
But so sweet like my chiquita
But they are sweet like my love
You're the one for me!
You are the one I love!
There's a light in her eye
The donkey has a look of excitement
Though she may try to hide it, she cannot deny
Even if she tries to hide it, she is clearly happy
There's a light in her eye.
She is still looking excitedly
Oh, the charm of her smile
Oh, the lovely smile she has
So beguiled Don Diego that he rode a mile
That made Don Diego ride a mile
For the charm of her smile.
Because of her lovely smile
Amigo mio, is she listening to my song?
My friend, is the donkey listening to my music?
Que, esta?
What?
No, no, mi muchachito, how can you be so wrong?
No, no, my little boy, you're mistaken
Si, la bella senorita!
Yes, the beautiful lady!
Si, si, la senorita,
Yes, yes, the lady,
She'd love to sing it too if only she knew the way.
She also wants to sing along but she doesn't know how
Her face is a dream, like an angel I saw,
Her face is so beautiful, like that of an angel
And all that my darling can scream
All the donkey can do is
Is hee-haw-w-w-w-w-w-w-w-w-w
Make a braying sound
Senorita, donkey's feet are
Lady donkey, your hooves aren't
Not so fleet as a mosquito
As fast as a mosquito's wings
But so sweet like my chiquita
But they are sweet like my love
You're the one for me!
You are the one I love!
Ole!
Hurray!
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: CHET FORREST, RUDOLF FRIML, HERBERT STOTHART, BOB WRIGHT
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
J Parker
on Crazy Arms
And I'll move the mountains
If he wants them out of the way
Crazy, he calls me
Sure I'm crazy
Crazy in love, I'd say
I say I'll go through fire
And I'll go through fire
As he wants it, so it will be
Crazy, he calls me
Sure I'm crazy
Crazy in love, you see
Like the wind that shakes the bough
He moves me with a smile
The difficult I'll do right now
The impossible will take a little while
I say I'll care forever
And I mean forever
If I have to hold up the sky
Crazy, he calls me
Sure I'm crazy
Crazy in love am I
Like the wind that shakes the bough
He moves me with a smile
The difficult I'll do right now
The impossible will take a little while
I say I'll care forever
And I mean forever
If I have to hold up the sky
Crazy, he calls me
Sure I'm crazy
Crazy in love am I
sonichits has completely wrong lyrics for this song. Correct ones are - Now blue ain't the word for the way that I feel
And the storm's brewing in this heart of mine
This is no crazy dream I know that it's real
You're someone else's love now you're not mine
Crazy arms that reach to hold somebody new
But my yearning heart keeps saying you're not mine
My troubled mind knows soon to another you'll be wed
And that's why I'm lonely all the time
Please take the treasured dreams I have for you and me
And take all the love I thought was mine
Someday my crazy arms will hold somebody new
But now I'm so lonely all the time
interlude
Crazy arms that reach to hold someone new
But my yearning heart keeps saying you're not mine
My troubled mind knows soon that you soon will be wed
And that's why I'm lonely all the time
Crazy arms and lonely all the time
Harold Chernofsky
on Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy
i love them