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
Tall Paul
The Chordettes Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Writin′ on the wall
Everybody knows it
I love Paul
Tall Paul, tall Paul
Tall Paul, he's-a my all
Chalk on the sidewalk (chalk on the sidewalk)
′Nitials on a tree ('nitials on a tree)
Ev'rybody knows it (ev′rybody knows it)
Paul loves me
(Tall Paul)
With the king-size arms
(Tall Paul)
With the king-size charms
(Tall Paul)
With the king-size kiss
(He′s my all) He's my all!!
Instrumental
(Tall Paul is my love, tall Paul is my dream)
(He′s the captain of the high school football team)
He's my mountain
He′s my tree
We go steady
Paul and me
Tall Paul (with the great big smile)
Tall Paul (with the great big eyes)
Tall Paul, (with the great big kiss)
He's my all
Tall Paul, tall Paul
Tall Paul, he′s my all
Opelscatweasel
The Chordettes’ song “Tall Paul” is a classic pop song that describes the teenage infatuation with a boy named Paul. The lyrics describe the standard high school romance, where the girl writes her initials with chalk on the sidewalk and on a tree, making it clear to everyone that she loves Paul. The song follows a simple structure, opening with the line “Chalk on the sidewalk, writin’ on the wall, everybody knows it, I love Paul” which acts as a hook and sets the theme for the rest of the song. Throughout the song, the singer asserts her love for Paul, describing him as her all and the captain of the high school football team.
The song’s catchy melody and upbeat tempo make it easy to dance to and sing along to, and the lyrics are relatable for many teenagers. The repetition of Paul’s name in the chorus reinforces the idea that he is the center of the singer’s world, and the mention of his “king-size arms, charms, and kiss” further emphasizes his importance. The use of a range of metaphors throughout the song - Paul being compared to a mountain and a tree - add to the sense of infatuation and teenage romanticism.
Overall, “Tall Paul” is a nostalgic song that captures the essence of teenage love and is relatable to anyone who has ever experienced a teenage crush.
Line by Line Meaning
Chalk on the sidewalk
Writing with chalk on the sidewalk
Writin' on the wall
Writing on the wall
Everybody knows it
Everyone is aware of it
I love Paul
I have feelings of love towards Paul
Tall Paul, tall Paul
Referring to Paul as Tall Paul
Tall Paul, he's-a my all
Tall Paul is my everything
Chalk on the sidewalk (chalk on the sidewalk)
Repeating that they write with chalk on the sidewalk
'Nitials on a tree ('nitials on a tree)
Their initials are carved on a tree
Ev'rybody knows it (ev'rybody knows it)
Repeating that everyone is aware of their love
Paul loves me
Paul has feelings of love towards me
(Tall Paul)
Referring to Paul as Tall Paul
With the king-size arms
Paul has large arms
(Tall Paul)
Referring to Paul as Tall Paul
With the king-size charms
Paul has a lot of charm
(Tall Paul)
Referring to Paul as Tall Paul
With the king-size kiss
Paul is a great kisser
(He's my all) He's my all!!
Paul is everything to me
Instrumental
No lyrics, just music
(Tall Paul is my love, tall Paul is my dream)
Repeating that they love Tall Paul and consider him their dream
(He's the captain of the high school football team)
Tall Paul is the captain of the high school football team
He's my mountain
Paul is a physical and emotional support system
He's my tree
Paul is a source of stability and comfort
We go steady
They are in a committed relationship
Paul and me
Referring to themselves and Paul
Tall Paul (with the great big smile)
Highlighting Paul's smile
Tall Paul (with the great big eyes)
Highlighting Paul's eyes
Tall Paul, (with the great big kiss)
Highlighting Paul's kissing ability
He's my all
Paul is everything to them
Tall Paul, tall Paul
Referring to Paul as Tall Paul
Tall Paul, he's my all
Tall Paul is everything to them
Writer(s): R.m. Sherman, R.b. Sherman, B. Roberts
Contributed by William S. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@JohnnyGNV
Never knew they recorded ANNETTE's big Hit - and copied the arrangement almost note for note -
@ditlee6071
Everybody knows it