Joanna is an introvert who may be so horrified by this blog when she finds out about it that I have to adjust the settings so that no one other than the two of us can see it. In that respect, she is like the famous actress Greta Garbo (who famously did not say, “I want to be alone,” other than in the movies), a beautiful woman who very much liked her privacy.
A few days ago, I offered a song featuring an Italian word; the title and key phrase for this one is Yiddish, meaning, “I Think You’re Beautiful” or “I Think You’re Lovely.” (There is some debate over the proper spelling of the last word, and the words for the popular mostly English version of the song vary significantly from the original.) Though I’d change the fourth word of the song from “boys” to “girls,” otherwise, it fits.
The Andrews Sisters did the most popular version of “Bei Mir Bist Du Schoen,” and Joanna and I have enjoyed singing along with (and dancing to) the song. We’ve also heard 6 Foot Swing, a popular local band that until recently was fronted by one of my former students, perform it.
The Andrews Sisters were most famous for their World War II-era versions of “‘Don’t Sit Under the Apple Tree” (great clip from a TV variety show), “Rum and Coca Cola,” “Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy,” and “I’ll Be With You in Apple Blossom Time.” (The last two of those clips are from movies starring Abbott & Costello, perhaps Joanna’s favorite comedy duo.)
For this blog, it seems appropriate to have a video that combines the Andrews Sisters version of the song with Garbo. Lyrics here, with video below:
Love Songs for Joanna 