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
The World Is Waiting for the Sunrise
The Chordettes Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Rise the moon,
One messy night in june (in june)
Stars shimering soft in a bed of bloom,
While I am calling, I′m calling you.
Sweet dreaming as the dawn comes slowly streaming
Waken love in your vowel, greet our tristing out.
Dear one, the world is wating for the sunrise,
Every rose is heavy with dew.
The thrush on high his sleepy mate is calling,
And my heart (my heart) is calling you.
The world is waiting for you,
For you dear one.
The Chordettes's song The World Is Waiting for the Sunrise is a romantic and dreamy song that captures the beauty of a lazy evening in the west. The lyricist sets the scene of a starry night in June, with a moon casting a shimmering light on a bed of bloom. The singer is calling out to their beloved, dreaming sweet dreams as the dawn begins to break. The song is filled with longing and emphasizes that the world is waiting for the sunrise, every rose is heavy with dew, and the thrush is calling out to her mate. Ultimately, the chorus emphasizes that the world is waiting for the dear one, for the person that the singer is calling out to.
This song is full of romantic imagery, evoking the beauty of nature as a backdrop for the singer's emotions. The use of a thrush calling out for their mate adds to the sense of longing in the song, further emphasizing the singer's own longing for their loved one. The use of the phrase "calling out" repeated throughout the song further emphasizes the sense of distance between the singer and their beloved, creating a sense of tenderness and melancholy throughout the piece.
Line by Line Meaning
Down in the lazy west
In the peaceful western region
Rise the moon
The moon in the sky is ascending
One messy night in june (in june)
A chaotic night in the month of June
Stars shimering soft in a bed of bloom
The stars are softly shining in a flower-filled landscape
While I am calling, I′m calling you.
I am trying to reach you, calling out your name.
Sweet dreaming as the dawn comes slowly streaming
Having pleasant dreams as the sunrise slowly emerges
Waken love in your vowel, greet our tristing out.
Wake up your love, greet our romantic meeting.
Dear one, the world is wating for the sunrise,
My beloved, the world is eagerly anticipating the sunrise
Every rose is heavy with dew.
Each rose is covered in heavy dew
The thrush on high his sleepy mate is calling,
The thrush up high is calling out for its sleepy mate
And my heart (my heart) is calling you.
And my heart, my dear, is calling out to you
The world is waiting for you,
The world is waiting for you, my love
For you dear one.
For you, my dearest one.
Contributed by David Y. Suggest a correction in the comments below.