“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.
Toolie Oolie Doolie
The Andrews Sisters Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
There's a certain thing he's gotta do
He can never, never take her by the hand
'Til he learns to toolie oolie doo
When a Swiss boy goes calling
On a Swiss miss in June
Toolie oolie doolie doo
And he charms her like magic
When he yodels this tune
Toolie oolie doolie doo
Beneath the Alpine moon
The echo
Goes higher
And higher
And soon their hearts are both on fire
When you get lonely
Now you know what to do
Toolie oolie doolie doo
And make your dreams come true
The echo (the echo)
Goes higher (goes higher)
And higher (and higher)
And soon their hearts are both on fire
When you get lonely
Now you know what to do
Toolie oolie doolie doo
And make your dreams come true
Toolie oolie doolie doo
And make your dreams come true
The Andrews Sisters' song Toolie Oolie Doolie is a cheerful tune about a Swiss tradition that involves wooing a woman with singing and yodeling. The lyrics portray that when a fella meets a girl in Switzerland, he can never take her by the hand until he learns to Toolie Oolie Doolie doo. This expression refers to a melodic tune or a yodel that Swiss boys use to charm Swiss girls. In June, when a Swiss boy goes to call on a Swiss miss, he sings "Toolie oolie doolie doo," which is a pretty tune that bewitches her like magic beneath the Alpine moon. The yodel goes higher and higher, and soon their hearts are on fire, making their dreams come true.
The song helps to shed light on Swiss culture and shows how music can be used to express love and affection. The Andrews Sisters' rendition of the song is charming and upbeat, and it helps paint a picture of Swiss traditions. It is interesting to note that the Andrews Sisters were not Swiss but were an American vocal trio and were known for their close harmonies and catchy songs.
Line by Line Meaning
When a fella meets a girl in Switzerland
When a man meets a woman in Switzerland
There's a certain thing he's gotta do
He must do something specific
He can never, never take her by the hand
He must not hold her hand
'Til he learns to toolie oolie doo
Until he learns to sing the Toolie Oolie Doolie song
When a Swiss boy goes calling
When a Swiss boy goes to visit
On a Swiss miss in June
To see a Swiss girl in June
He sings this pretty tune
He sings a beautiful song
And he charms her like magic
He enchants her magically
When he yodels this tune
When he sings this song with yodeling
Beneath the Alpine moon
Under the moon in the Alps
The echo
The sound that bounces back
Goes higher
Goes up
And higher
And continues to go up
And soon their hearts are both on fire
And their hearts are filled with passion
When you get lonely
When you feel alone
Now you know what to do
Now you know what action to take
Toolie oolie doolie doo
Sing the Toolie Oolie Doolie song
And make your dreams come true
And make your wishes a reality
The echo (the echo)
The sound that bounces back (the sound that bounces back)
Goes higher (goes higher)
Goes up (continues to go up)
And higher (and higher)
And continues to go up (up and up)
And soon their hearts are both on fire
And their hearts are filled with passion
When you get lonely
When you feel alone
Now you know what to do
Now you know what action to take
Toolie oolie doolie doo
Sing the Toolie Oolie Doolie song
And make your dreams come true
And make your wishes a reality
Toolie oolie doolie doo
Sing the Toolie Oolie Doolie song
And make your dreams come true
And make your wishes a reality
Lyrics © Peermusic Publishing
Written by: Artur Beul, Vaughn Horton
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Imani M
They had so many cute little songs. I love The Andrews Sisters! Their music is fun to sing 😂
Svenja Polesana
I come from switzerland and can say that everything is true... had that song in school during the english lessons...such a great tune!
SpiderGamer 1
Me to
Aubrey Juliet
My grandma sang this to my mom and my mom would swing it to us, and now I sing it to my little one. 💕 Slowed down it’s a lovely bedtime song. 🤗
n00se
When a fella meets a girl in Switzerland
There's a certain thing he's gotta do
He can never, never take her by the hand
Till he learns to toolie oolie doo
When a Swiss boy goes calling
On a Swiss miss in June
Toolie oolie doolie doo
He sings this pretty tune
And he charms her like magic
When he yodels this tune
Toolie oolie doolie doo
Beneath the Alpine moon
The echo
Goes higher
And higher
And soon their hearts are both on fire
When you get lonely
Now you know what to do
Toolie oolie doolie doo
And make your dreams come true
The echo (the echo)
Goes higher (goes higher)
And higher (and higher)
And soon their hearts are both on fire
When you get lonely
Now you know what to do
Toolie oolie doolie doo
And make your dreams come true
Toolie oolie doolie doo
And make your dreams come true
TheAloweWolf
Cool Song!! A really Good Friend of mine mentioned this song to me. Nice!
Wade Raney
Sweet Harmony😉
Dievozh h
I have these song in the school
Balakrishna Rao
good
Nft Toxic
Lost