They were first organized in Sheboygan, Wisconsin in 1946. The original members of the group were Janet Ertel (1913-November 4, 1988), Carol Bushman (her sister-in-law), Dorothy Schwartz, and Jinny Osborn (or Lockard) (April 25, 1927-May 19, 2003). In 1952, Lynn Evans replaced Schwartz, and in 1953, Margie Needham replaced Osborn (who was having a baby), though Osborn later returned to the group. Nancy Overton also was a member of the group at a later time. Originally they sang folk music in the style of The Weavers, but eventually changed to a harmonizing style of the type known as barbershop harmony. Part of this change seems to be influenced by Osborn's father.
Jinny Osborn was born in Seattle, Washington. She was born Virginia Cole, the daughter of O. H. "King" Cole, who was president of the Barbershop Harmony Society (then known as SPEBSQSA), and Katherine Flack.
After performing locally in Sheboygan, they went on Arthur Godfrey's radio program, Talent Scouts in 1949.They went on to feature status on Godfrey's daily program, and then went on to make a number of recordings for Columbia Records.
In 1953, Godfrey's music director and orchestra leader, Archie Bleyer, founded Cadence Records. He signed a number of Godfrey regulars and former regulars, including the Chordettes, who had a number of hit records for Cadence.
Their biggest hit was Mr. Sandman in 1954. Archie Bleyer himself is on that record along with the group, Bleyer stripping the sound down the better not to clutter the girls' voices. They also hit the top twenty with 1958's "Lollipop," and also charted with a vocal version of the themes from television's Zorro (1959) and the film Never on Sunday (1961). Other hits for the girls included "Eddie My Love," "Born to Be With You," and "Lay Down Your Arms" in 1956 and "Just Between You and Me" in 1957.
Janet Ertel married Bleyer in 1954. Her daughter Jackie married another Cadence recording star, Phil Everly of The Everly Brothers. She died of cancer in 1988.
The Chordettes appeared on American Bandstand August 5, 1957, kicking off the first episode of the show over the ABC Television Network.
In 1961, Jinny Osborn left the group, and they were unable to find a replacement with whom they were happy, leading to a breakup.
The group was inducted into the Vocal Group Hall of Fame in 2001.
Jinny Osborn (by that time Jinny Janis) died in 2003
Down By The Old Mill Stream
The Chordettes Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
When you and I were sweethearts beneath the summer sky;
Your hair has turned to silver the gold has faded too;
But still I will remember, where I first met you.
The old mill wheel is silent and has fallen down,
The old oak tree has withered and lies there on the ground;
While you and I are sweethearts the same as days of yore;
Down by the old mill stream where I first met you,
With your eyes of blue, dressed in gingham too,
It was there I knew that you loved me true,
You were sixteen, my village queen, by the old mill stream.
The lyrics of The Chordettes' "Down By The Old Mill Stream" portray a sentimental longing for the past and for a lost love. The opening lines of the song "My darling I am dreaming of the days gone by, When you and I were sweethearts beneath the summer sky" set the tone for the reminiscence of a love that has lasted over the years, despite the changes that time has brought. The singer sings about the transformation of their love from a youthful, innocent romance to a mature, enduring bond, as evidenced by the lines "Your hair has turned to silver the gold has faded too; But still I will remember, where I first met you". The lyrics in this stanza exemplify the singer's deep affection for their partner, even after the passage of time and the changes that come with aging.
The second stanza of the song describes the decline of the natural landscape around the lovers, as symbolized by the old mill wheel that has stopped turning and the oak tree that has withered away. Despite this decay, the couple's love appears to remain everlasting, as "you and I are sweethearts the same as days of yore; Although we've been together, forty years and more". The final stanza of the song takes us back to the place where their love story began, the old mill stream, and it is here that the singer recounts the moment they knew that they were loved by their partner, and how they became each other's "village queen" and "sweet sixteen" respectively. Overall, this song is a poignant reflection on the enduring nature of love, even as physical elements fade over time.
Line by Line Meaning
My darling I am dreaming of the days gone by,
I long to relive the memories of our past together.
When you and I were sweethearts beneath the summer sky;
We were in love during the warm season of our youth.
Your hair has turned to silver the gold has faded too;
Time has aged us, and we are no longer as youthful as we once were.
But still I will remember, where I first met you.
I will never forget the place where we initially fell in love.
The old mill wheel is silent and has fallen down,
The mill, which holds precious memories for us, is now broken and abandoned.
The old oak tree has withered and lies there on the ground;
The oak tree, which symbolized our love, is now dead and rotting on the earth.
While you and I are sweethearts the same as days of yore;
Despite our changes, we are still lovers, just like in the old days.
Although we've been together, forty years and more.
Our love has withstood the test of time for over four decades.
Down by the old mill stream where I first met you,
The river, where we fell in love, is a significant place for us.
With your eyes of blue, dressed in gingham too,
I remember the way you looked on that day in your blue outfit.
It was there I knew that you loved me true,
At that moment, I realized that you were my one true love.
You were sixteen, my village queen, by the old mill stream.
You were young, beautiful, and the love of my life, by the river where we had our first kiss.
Contributed by Henry B. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Helen Wietlisbach
This is great to listen to. Sadly overlooked.