“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.
Winter Wonderland
The Andrews Sisters Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
In the lane, snow is glistening
A beautiful sight, we're happy tonight
Walking in a winter wonderland
Gone away is the bluebird
Here to stay is a new bird
He sings a love song, as we go along
In the meadow we can build a snowman
Then pretend that he is Parson Brown
He'll say, "Are you married?"
We'll say, "No man"
But you can do the job, when you're in town
Later on, we'll conspire
As we dream by the fire
To face unafraid, the plans that we've made
Walking in a winter wonderland
Sleigh bells ring, are you listening
In the lane, snow is glistening
A beautiful sight, we're happy tonight
Walking in a winter wonderland
Gone away is the bluebird
Here to stay is a new bird
He sings a love song, as we go along
Walking in a winter wonderland
In the meadow we can build a snowman
And pretend that he's a circus clown
We'll have lots of fun with Mister Snowman
Yes, until the all the kids knock him down
And later on,we'll conspire
As we dream by the fire
To face unafraid, the plans that we've made
Walking in a winter wonderland
Walking in a winter wonderland
The song Winter Wonderland by The Andrews Sisters encapsulates the joy and excitement of winter. The opening lines, "Sleigh bells ring, are you listening? In the lane, snow is glistening," evoke the image of a peaceful, snowy night. The song paints a perfect picture of people taking a walk on a chilly winter night while the snow sparkles under the streetlights. It's almost as if the smell of hot cocoa is in the air and the people singing the song have rosy cheeks from the cold air.
The song continues to describe the joys of winter, mentioning the absence of the bluebird, replaced by a new bird that sings a love song. The Andrews Sisters then go on to mention the typical winter activity of building a snowman in the meadow, and pretending he is Parson Brown. The chorus repeats, and this time the snowman is turned into a circus clown. As the song winds down, the singers imagine themselves sitting by the fire, dreaming of the future, and making special plans for the season.
Overall, Winter Wonderland is a beautiful and comforting song that celebrates the wonders of winter. The lyrics remind us of the beauty of nature, the joys of spending time with loved ones, and the magic of the holiday season.
Line by Line Meaning
Sleigh bells ring, are you listening
The sound of bells ringing from the sleigh can be heard, are you paying attention?
In the lane, snow is glistening
In the street, the snow is shiny and reflecting light.
A beautiful sight, we're happy tonight
The view is very pretty and we're feeling joyful tonight.
Walking in a winter wonderland
We're taking a walk in a majestic world of snow and ice.
Gone away is the bluebird
The bluebird has left and gone on a journey.
Here to stay is a new bird
A new bird has arrived and is planning to stay here.
He sings a love song, as we go along
As we walk, the bird sings a song of love.
Walking in a winter wonderland
We're exploring a fantastical winter landscape.
In the meadow we can build a snowman
We're able to easily construct a snowman in the field.
Then pretend that he is Parson Brown
We imagine that the snowman is a clergyman named Parson Brown.
He'll say, "Are you married?"
The snowman will ask if we're married or not.
We'll say, "No man"
We'll answer by saying that we're not married.
But you can do the job, when you're in town
We tell the snowman that he can officiate a wedding if he's ever in town.
Later on, we'll conspire
In the near future, we'll plan secretly.
As we dream by the fire
We'll daydream while we sit by the warm fire.
To face unafraid, the plans that we've made
We'll be ready to face the plans we've made without fear.
Walking in a winter wonderland
Going on a journey through the magical winter land again.
Sleigh bells ring, are you listening
Once again, the sounds of bells from the sleigh ring. Are you paying attention this time too?
In the lane, snow is glistening
The snow in the street continues to sparkle in the light.
A beautiful sight, we're happy tonight
We're experiencing the lovely view and feeling content tonight.
Walking in a winter wonderland
Taking another stroll in the wonderland of snow and ice.
Gone away is the bluebird
The bluebird has once again flown off and disappeared from this place.
Here to stay is a new bird
A different bird has arrived and will remain here for the time being.
He sings a love song, as we go along
The new bird sings a sweet melody of affection as we journey.
Walking in a winter wonderland
Still traveling through the magical winter place.
In the meadow we can build a snowman
We remember we can construct a snowman in the meadow.
And pretend that he's a circus clown
This time, we imagine the snowman as a clown in a circus.
We'll have lots of fun with Mister Snowman
We'll play and entertain ourselves with Mister Snowman.
Yes, until the all the kids knock him down
This will continue until all the children come and destroy the snowman.
And later on,we'll conspire
Afterwards, we'll make more secretive plans.
As we dream by the fire
We'll daydream again, sitting next to the warm fire.
To face unafraid, the plans that we've made
We'll confront the plans we've made without fear.
Walking in a winter wonderland
Finishing the journey through the wonderful winter realm.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: Richard B. Smith, Felix Bernard
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@jurassicpowers4053
Sleigh bells ring, are you listening
In the lane, snow is glistening
A beautiful sight, we're happy tonight
Walking in a winter wonderland
Gone away is the bluebird
Here to stay is a new bird
He sings a love song, as we go along
Walking in a winter wonderland
In the meadow we can build a snowman
Then pretend that he is Parson Brown
He'll say, "Are you married?"
We'll say, "No man"
But you can do the job, when you're in town
Later on, we'll conspire
As we dream by the fire
To face unafraid, the plans that we've made
Walking in a winter wonderland
Sleigh bells ring, are you listening
In the lane, snow is glistening
A beautiful sight, we're happy tonight
Walking in a winter wonderland
Gone away is the bluebird
Here to stay is a new bird
He sings a love song, as we go along
Walking in a winter wonderland
In the meadow we can build a snowman
And pretend that he's a circus clown
We'll have lots of fun with Mister Snowman
Yes, until the all the kids knock him down
And later on,we'll conspire
As we dream by the fire
To face unafraid, the plans that we've made
Walking in a winter wonderland
Walking in a winter wonderland
@sebbysuperstar8394
The Polar Express brought me here! 🚂❄️
@dilanndii
Omg me toooo
@kathleenwalker8842
Me too!
@todorokisgurl3456
Same
@llamaplayz2909
Same
@CrossOfBayonne
As a railfan same here, As you can tell my pfp is a CNJ Pacific
@jonathancreveling5658
2:16
Do you hear it?
I hear it too!
I don't hear anything
It's coming from that tunnel!
@joescicchitano3120
oh i remember that
@coashddjj2
Hard to believe people could sing like this. That seemed like such a beautiful era back then, where things mattered and people cared. The Andrew Sisters bring a very special charm to Christmas with their music.
@2bit8bytes
What things mattered? People cared about what?