From 1965 to 1967 Vicki sang with the Young Americans musical group and, also, appeared in the feature film "The Young Americans" which won an Academy Award for Best Documentary.
During her senior year of high school Vicki sent Carol Burnett a letter which included a local newspaper article mentioning their resemblance. Vicki invited Ms. Burnett to the local fire department’s "Miss Fireball Contest" in which she was performing. Ms. Burnett, looking for an actress to play her kid sister on her new variety series, contacted Vicki and made arrangements to come to the event. The rest is television history. "The Carol Burnett Show" premiered in the fall of 1967; the same year Vicki entered UCLA to study Theater Arts. She spent eleven years with Carol, earning one Emmy Award and five Emmy nominations. In 1995 Simon and Schuster published her story. Her autobiography is entitled "Vicki!: The True Life Adventures of Miss Fireball".
In 1968, Vicki went to Viet Nam to visit the U.S. troops with Johnny Grant. Several years later, in 1973, Vicki received a gold record as a recording artist for he international hit single "The Night the Lights Went Out in Georgia".
After the Burnett show ended, Vicki went on to star in her own TV series, "Mama’s Family" with Ken Berry, Dorothy Lyman, Beverly Archer, and Allan Kayser. The last original episode was made in January of 1990, completing five years of first-run syndication. The show still can be seen daily throughout most of the country.
Vicki was the honorary head of the D.A.R.E. program in Long Beach, California for two years while her kids were still young and in school. Around that time she and her husband also became members of the Long Beach Police Officer’s Association that raises money to protect the widows and families of slain police officers. Her efforts to protect women’s rights were recognized in 1988 when Vicki was the first woman to be honored as "Person of the Year" by the Coalition of Labor Union Women. Shortly thereafter, Vicki became one of the few successful, female game show hosts when she took on the daytime network-version of "Win, Lose or Draw".
Vicki further perfected her hosting skills on her own daytime talk show, appropriately called "Vicki!", from 1992 to 1994. She received critical acclaim when she was the only talk show host since Oprah to be nominated for a Daytime Emmy in her freshman year. In the fall of 1997, she briefly returned to daytime talk as the host of "Fox After Breakfast" from New York City.
On stage Vicki has appeared in numerous productions, including "Carousel", "Send Me No Flowers", "No, No, Nanette", "My Fat Friend", "Chapter Two", "Twigs", "Hello Dolly", "Special Occasions", "I’m Getting My Act Together and Taking It ON The Road", "Annie Get Your Gun", and live from the Grand Ole Opry, "Nunsense 3: The Jamboree" which aired on TNN. Most recently she appeared in the Vagina Monologues.
Vicki also travels all over the country speaking to women’s organizations about her life and career, women’s health, and being a woman in a man’s world. All the while she approaches everything with her characteristic sense of humor, reminding us all that "Life is much too serious to be taken seriously!" She also can be seen across the country in her stage production: "Vicki Lawrence and Mama, A Two Woman Show."
Recently Vicki was invited to join The Board of Trustees for Miller Children’s Hospital at Long Beach Memorial Medical Center. One of only eight children’s hospitals in the state, Miller Children’s Hospital was dedicated in 1970 as a community, non-profit hospital and now services patients within a 100-mile radius in LA and Orange counties. Vicki also hosts the annual WALK FOR THE CURE in her hometown where all the proceeds go to breast and ovarian cancer research at Long Beach Memorial Center.
In 1974 Vicki married the head of CBS make-up, Al Schultz, who is both her best friend and professional partner. Al and Vicki have two children, Courtney, 30, and Garrett, 28. They live at the beach with their two dogs, Hannah, a black Labrador Retriever and Watson, a Petit Basset Griffon Vendeen. They adopted a Yorkie Mix named Rosie when Vicki was hosting the Humane Society Telethon in Michigan. In their spare time Al and Vicki enjoy yacht racing. They own a 70-foot sloop named, fittingly, "Vicki".
Little Green Apples
Vicki Lawrence Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
With my hair down in my eyes and she says "Hi"
And I stumble to the breakfast table
While the kids are goin' off to school goodbye
And she reaches out 'n' takes my hand
And squeezes it 'n' says "How ya feelin', hon?"
And I look across at smilin' lips
That warm my heart and see my mornin' sun
And if that's not lovin' me
Then all I've got to say
God didn't make little green apples
And it don't rain in Indianapolis in the summertime
And there's no such thing as Doctor Seuss
Or Disneyland, and Mother Goose, no nursery rhyme
God didn't make little green apples
And it don't rain in Indianapolis in the summertime
And when my self is feelin' low
I think about her face aglow and ease my mind
Sometimes I call her up at home knowin' she's busy
And ask her if she could get away and meet me
And maybe we could grab a bite to eat
And she drops what she's doin' and she hurries down to meet me
And I'm always late
But she sits waitin' patiently and smiles when she first sees me
'cause she's made that way
And if that ain't lovin' me
Then all I've got to say
God didn't make little green apples
And it don't snow in Minneapolis when the winter comes
And there's no such thing as make-believe
Puppy dogs, autumn leaves 'n' BB guns
God didn't make little green apples
And it don't rain in Indianapolis
in the summertime. The lyrics to Vicki Lawrence's song Little Green Apples depict a devoted wife who is deeply in love with her husband. Although the daily routine is busy with sending the kids to school and preparing breakfast, her warmth and affection make the mornings pleasant for him. The singer is grateful for her support and love, and whenever he is feeling low, he pictures her face aglow and feels better. She is always there to help and support him in any way possible.
The chorus of the song talks about unconditional love, and the belief that if this is not what it is, then nothing in the world is absolute. The statement that "God didn't make little green apples" implies that if the love they share is not true, then there is no such thing in the world as ordinary, yet meaningful things such as apples, rain or even nursery rhymes. The song is an emotional expression of the songwriters' relationship with his wife and how her support and love have made his life complete.
Line by Line Meaning
And I wake up in the mornin'
I start my day when I open my eyes in the morning.
With my hair down in my eyes and she says "Hi"
When I wake up, my hair is in my face, and she greets me.
And I stumble to the breakfast table
I go unsteadily to the table to eat breakfast.
While the kids are goin' off to school goodbye
The children are leaving for school as I sit down to eat.
And she reaches out 'n' takes my hand
She holds and comforts me by touching my hand.
And squeezes it 'n' says "How ya feelin', hon?"
She reassures me by squeezing my hand and asking how I'm feeling.
And I look across at smilin' lips
I see her happy face smiling at me.
That warm my heart and see my mornin' sun
Her smile makes me feel happy and content as if the sun has risen in my life.
And if that's not lovin' me
If that doesn't represent love,
Then all I've got to say
then I don't know what else to say.
God didn't make little green apples
What we have is unique and special, rare like little green apples.
And it don't rain in Indianapolis in the summertime
Just like it rarely rains in Indianapolis in the summer, the love we have is constant and stable.
And there's no such thing as Doctor Seuss
Our love is not fictional like Doctor Seuss or make-believe like nursery rhymes.
Or Disneyland, and Mother Goose, no nursery rhyme
It is not a fantasy like Disneyland, nor a made-up storyline like Mother Goose.
And when my self is feelin' low
When I'm feeling down,
I think about her face aglow and ease my mind
I remember her smiling face, and it comforts me.
Sometimes I call her up at home knowin' she's busy
On occasion, I call her even though I know she's busy.
And ask her if she could get away and meet me
I request that she take a break and spend time with me.
And maybe we could grab a bite to eat
Perhaps we could have lunch together.
And she drops what she's doin' and she hurries down to meet me
Even though she's busy, she's willing to stop what she's doing and come meet me.
And I'm always late
I'm always tardy.
But she sits waitin' patiently and smiles when she first sees me
Despite my lateness, she waits for me and greets me with a smile.
'cause she's made that way
It's because of who she is.
And if that ain't lovin' me
If that isn't love,
Then all I've got to say
then I don't know what else to say.
God didn't make little green apples
Our love is unique and cherished; it's not something that can be compared to anything else.
And it don't snow in Minneapolis when the winter comes
Just as it rarely snows in Minneapolis as per the season, the love we have is unwavering and steadfast.
And there's no such thing as make-believe
Our love is very real, and it is not fabricated or imagined.
Puppy dogs, autumn leaves 'n' BB guns
It's not like childhood whimsies of playing with puppies, leaves, and BB guns.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: BOBBY RUSSELL
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind