“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.
Younger Than Springtime
The Andrews Sisters Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Softer than starlight are you;
Warmer than winds of June are the gentle lips you gave me.
Gayer than laughter are you,
Sweeter than music are you;
Angel and lover, heaven and earth,
Are you to me.
And fill my heart, as now they do,
Younger than springtime am I,
Gayer than laughter am I,
Angel and lover, heaven and earth,
Am I with you.
The Andrews Sisters's song Younger Than Springtime is a romantic ballad that expresses an overwhelming feeling of love and admiration towards someone. The first two lines of the song, "Younger than springtime are you, Softer than starlight are you," describe the person's beauty and youthfulness. The next two lines, "Warmer than winds of June are the gentle lips you gave me, Gayer than laughter are you," emphasize the person's affectionate nature and their ability to bring happiness into the singer's life. The line "Sweeter than music are you" compares the person's sweetness to the beauty of music. The singer goes on to describe the person as "Angel and lover, heaven and earth" which symbolizes the person's perfection and completes the metaphorical description of their indescribable beauty.
In the second stanza, the singer describes how the person's youth and joy have made them feel younger and happier than ever before, thus continuing the metaphor from the first stanza. The lines "Younger than springtime am I, Gayer than laughter am I, Angel and lover, heaven and earth, Am I with you" suggest that the singer's love for this person has made them feel rejuvenated and alive. The repetition of the phrase "Angel and lover, heaven and earth" reinforces the idea that the person is divine and perfect.
Line by Line Meaning
Younger than springtime are you,
You are so full of youthful energy and vitality, even more so than the season of spring itself.
Softer than starlight are you;
Your presence is comforting and gentle, like the soft glow of starlight.
Warmer than winds of June are the gentle lips you gave me.
Your gentle kiss is filled with warmth, just like the pleasant winds of June.
Gayer than laughter are you,
Your joyful spirit is even more infectious than a good hearty laugh.
Sweeter than music are you;
You bring even more sweetness to my life than the beauty of music.
Angel and lover, heaven and earth,
You are the embodiment of both an angelic and loving presence, as well as the union of heaven and earth.
Are you to me.
You provide all these wonderful things to me and I cherish you for it.
And when your youth and joy invade my arms
When I hold you, your youthful energy and happiness spread to me.
And fill my heart, as now they do,
Your love and joy have already filled my heart.
Younger than springtime am I,
Being with you makes me feel even more youthful and alive than the season of spring itself.
Gayer than laughter am I,
My happiness and joy are magnified even beyond the effect of laughter when I'm with you.
Angel and lover, heaven and earth,
Just like you, I too feel like a combination of both an angel and a lover, as well as a union of heaven and earth when I'm with you.
Am I with you.
Your presence with me completes me and brings out the best in me.
Lyrics © CONCORD MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC
Written by: Richard Rodgers Hammerstein
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
nipstertunes
The wonderful Andrews Sisters. I love their music. You are very welcome! I'm so happy you enjoyed this one. Thank you for the very nice comments! Thanks so much for taking the time to watch it! Jim
nipstertunes
Oh, Thanks for the stars, Steve and thanks so much for listening! They had a wonderful and unmistakable sound, for sure. Cheers! Jim
LoveTheOConnor
Stunning video, Jim!!! Such a great version of this song, and your pictures and clip are perfect!! I always thought John Kerr was the cutest thing...:)) Thanks so much for another fabulous upload!
Jamie Freed
Man this is beautiful! I would love to have just the music by itself, it's that good
nipstertunes
Oh, Thank You, Heather! I don't know about John Kerr but I do know that France Nuyen (Liat) and Mitzi Gaynor (Nellie) were definitely Cuties!! Ha! Thank You So Much for watching it and for leaving a comment! It means a lot my Friend! Jim