“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.
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The Andrews Sisters Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I'll be right there, I've got my fair
When I see that rusty haired conductor man
I'll grab him by the collar and I'll holler "Alabam'! Alabam'!"
That's where you stop your train, that brings me back again
Down home where I'll remain, where my honey lamb am
I will be right there with bells, when that old conductor yells
The Andrews Sisters' song "When The Midnight Choo Choo Leaves For Alabam'" is an upbeat tune with lyrics about a person excitedly waiting for a train that is headed to Alabama to pick them up. The song's narrator is eagerly anticipating the arrival of the train so they can reunite with their lover who they refer to as their "honey lamb". They express their eagerness to grab onto the train conductor and shout "Alabam'" as they make their way to their destination.
The song's lyrics are simple on the surface, but a deeper interpretation reveals a sense of longing and yearning for the comfort of home and a loved one. The train represents a means of escape from loneliness and the mundane routine of everyday life. The singer is willing to do whatever it takes to leave behind their current situation and make their way to where they truly belong.
Overall, "When The Midnight Choo Choo Leaves For Alabam'" is a fun and spirited tune that encapsulates the excitement of adventure and the joy of reunification with loved ones.
Line by Line Meaning
When the midnight choo choo leaves for Alabam'
When the train heading to Alabama departs at midnight
I'll be right there, I've got my fair
I'll be there on time, I have bought a ticket
When I see that rusty haired conductor man
When I see the conductor who has red hair and may be old or worn
I'll grab him by the collar and I'll holler "Alabam'! Alabam'!"
I will take him by surprise and shout "Alabama! Alabama!"
That's where you stop your train, that brings me back again
That's where you will make a stop, which will bring me back home
Down home where I'll remain, where my honey lamb am
Back home is where I'll stay, with my beloved partner
I will be right there with bells, when that old conductor yells
I'll be there right away, with enthusiasm, when the conductor shouts
"All aboard! All aboard! All aboard for Alabam!"
Calling out "Everyone on board! Everyone on board! Everyone on board for Alabama!"
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: IRVING BERLIN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@steveweinstein3222
I'm proud of my mother, Florence Weinstein, WWII vet and big Andrews Sisters fan, still going strong at 99 1/2 in 2024 — 100 this year. Go, Mom!
@alfiesgirluk
Brilliant sir....respect 👍
@steveweinstein3222
@@alfiesgirluk Thanks. Mom is 97 in 2021, not 2011!
@JaimeGarcia-sg9xj
Sir, good for you. Go for what you know! You are one of the Greatest Generation. You rock!🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸
@steveweinstein3222
@@JaimeGarcia-sg9xj Not I, my mother, but I agree.
@beaserker
Thank you.
@avenger2807
My Great Aunt Bessie was one of the first women to enlist in the Women's Army Corp (WACs) in 1943. I wrote a thesis about her when I was in college in 1982. She died in 2010 at age 103. She was my hero!!!!!!
@teller121
as well she ought to be. Mine, too, and I never met her...sadly.
@gerrynightingale9045
Take a closer look...the uniforms Patty/Maxine/Lavern wore were 'military-style' but NOT actually military.None of them were ever actually 'enlisted-in-service' ...despite that, they were just as 'serving' as any other women during WW2 and personally recognized by FDR as 'vital to the morale of the armed-forces and civilians as well" and received commendations from the President himself! (the hours they put in performing on every 'Front' during the war was incredible...Maxine said in the '60's that "We didn't have a day-off for over two years...but we didn't mind so much when we saw what those boys went through and how happy they were to see a live-show from us and everyone else...I never heard of any performer ever complaining of 'working' then...we saw it as a privilege to help them forget the War for awhile". (not well-known was the fact that "Andrews Sisters" were enormously popular in Germany itself...even during the War! Their records were 'officially banned' of course...but they were highly prized, even being traded for 'black-market' items like real cigarettes and liquor)
@basia3173
Wow. God bless her