Morris Mac Davis (born in Lubbock, TX, on 21 January 1942; died September 2… Read Full Bio ↴Morris Mac Davis (born in Lubbock, TX, on 21 January 1942; died September 29, 2020) was an American country music singer, songwriter, and actor who has enjoyed much crossover success. His early work writing for Elvis Presley produced the hits "Memories", "In the Ghetto", "Don't Cry Daddy", and "A Little Less Conversation". A subsequent solo career in the 1970s produced hits such as "Baby, Don't Get Hooked on Me", making him a well-known name in pop music. He also starred in his own variety show, a Broadway musical, and various films and TV shows.

Davis graduated at 16 from Lubbock High School in Lubbock, Texas. He spent his childhood years with his sister Linda, living and working at the former College Courts, an efficiency apartment complex owned by his father, T. J. Davis, located at the intersection of College Avenue and 5th Street. Davis describes his father, who was divorced from Davis's mother, as "very religious, very strict, and very stubborn." Though Davis was physically small, he had a penchant for getting into fistfights. "In those days, it was all about football, rodeo, and fistfights. Oh, man, I got beat up so much while I was growing up in Lubbock," Davis said in a March 2, 2008, interview with the Lubbock Avalanche-Journal newspaper. "I was 5 feet, 9 inches, and weighed 125 pounds. I joined Golden Gloves, but didn't do good even in my (own) division." After he finished high school, Davis moved to Atlanta, Georgia, where his mother lived, to get out of Lubbock.

Once he was settled in Atlanta, he organized a rock and roll group called the Zots, and made two singles for OEK Records, managed and promoted by OEK owner Oscar Kilgo. Davis also worked for the Vee Jay record company (home to such R&B stars as Gene Chandler, Jerry Butler, and Dee Clark) as a regional manager, and later also served as a regional manager for Liberty Records.

Davis became famous as a songwriter and got his start as an employee of Nancy Sinatra's company, Boots Enterprises, Inc. Davis was with Boots for several years in the late 1960s. During his time there, he played on many of Sinatra's recordings, and she worked him into her stage shows. Boots Enterprises also acted as Davis's publishing company, publishing songs such as "In the Ghetto", "Friend, Lover, Woman, Wife", "Home", "It's Such a Lonely Time of Year", and "Memories", which were recorded by Elvis Presley, Nancy Sinatra, B. J. Thomas, and many others. Davis left Boots Enterprises in 1970 to sign with Columbia Records, taking all of his songs with him.

One of the songs he wrote in 1968, called "A Little Less Conversation", was recorded by Elvis Presley (and would become a posthumous success for Presley years later). Presley recorded "In the Ghetto" in sessions in Memphis. According to maverick record producer Jimmy Bowen, "Ghetto" was originally pitched to Sammy Davis, Jr. Mac, guitar in hand, played the song in a studio, with onlookers such as Rev. Jesse Jackson and other members of the black activist community. Mac Davis, the only white man in the room at the time, eventually told Bowen, "I don't know whether to thank ya, or to kill ya." Mac Davis eventually recorded the tune after Presley's version became a success, and was released in a Ronco In Concert compilation in 1975. It was later released on a campy Rhino Records Golden Throats compilation in 1991. The song became a success for Presley and he continued to record more of Davis's material, such as "Memories", "Don't Cry Daddy", and "Clean Up Your Own Backyard". Bobby Goldsboro also recorded some of Davis's songs, including "Watching Scotty Grow", which became a #1 Adult Contemporary success for Goldsboro in 1971. Other artists who recorded his material included Vikki Carr, O.C. Smith, and Kenny Rogers and The First Edition. "I Believe in Music", often considered to be Davis's signature song, was recorded by several artists (including Marian Love, B.J. Thomas, Louis Jordan, Perry Como, Helen Reddy, and Davis himself) before it finally became a success in 1972 for the group Gallery.

Later, he also became known as a country singer. During the 1970s, many of his songs "crossed over", successfully scoring on both the country and popular music charts, including "Baby, Don't Get Hooked on Me" (a number one Grammy-nominated success), "One Hell of a Woman" (pop no. 11), and "Stop and Smell the Roses" (a no. 9 pop hit). Also, during the 1970s, he was very active as an actor, appearing in several movies, as well as hosting a successful variety show.

Davis soon decided to pursue a career of his own in country music; he was signed to Columbia Records in 1970. After several years of enriching the repertoires of other artists, his big success came two years after signing with Columbia. He topped the Country and Pop charts with the song "Baby Don't Get Hooked on Me". It sold over one million copies and was awarded a gold disc by the Recording Industry Association of America in September 1972.

Some of Davis's lyrics invoked overtly sexual relationships. In the song "Baby Don't Get Hooked on Me", he pleads with a woman not to become too enamored with him, because he does not want to commit to a full-time relationship. Other successful songs, such as "Naughty Girl" and "Baby Spread Your Love on Me", contained similar lyrics.

In 1974, Davis was awarded the Academy of Country Music's Entertainer of the Year award. Some of Davis's other successes include the songs "Stop and Smell the Roses" (a number one Adult Contemporary success in 1974) (pop no. 9), "One Hell of a Woman" (pop no. 11), "Rock'n'Roll (I Gave You The Best Years Of My Life)" (pop no. 15), and "Burnin' Thing" (pop no. 53). At the end of the 1970s, he moved to Casablanca Records, which was best known at the time for its successes with disco star Donna Summer and rock'n'roll band Kiss. His first success for the company in 1980 was the novelty song "It's Hard To Be Humble", a light-hearted look at how popularity and good looks could go to one's head. The song became his first Country music top 10 and a rare top 30 hit in the UK. (It was translated into Dutch as "Het is moeilijk bescheiden te blijven" and became a hit for the Dutch singer Peter Blanker in 1981). Later that year, he also had another top 10 song with "Let's Keep It That Way". In November, "Rock'n'Roll (I Gave You The Best Years Of My Life)" was played by KHJ in Los Angeles as its last song before it switched from Top 40 to Country music. He achieved other successful songs, such as "Texas In My Rear View Mirror" and "Hooked on Music", which became his biggest Country music success in 1981, going to no. 2. In 1985, he recorded his last top 10 country music success with the song "I Never Made Love (Till I Made Love With You)".

On January 19, 1985, Davis performed "God Bless the USA" at the 50th Presidential Inaugural Gala, held the day before the second inauguration of Ronald Reagan.

Davis was inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2000.

Friend Lover Woman Wife
Mac Davis Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

She's a friend, she's a lover, she's a woman, she's a wife.
She's the answered prayer ev'ry lonely man dreams of.
She's a temptress, she's a lady, she's the mother of my baby.
I thank God I'm the lucky man she loves.

Sometimes I lie awake and watch her sleeping;
and I just wanna bust and the teardrops fill my eyes.
And I wonder what she'd think if she woke up and caught me weeping;

'cause daddies and heroes ain't supposed to cry.
The morning always seems to catch us laughing
with the baby in the bed between us, safe and warm.
And I thank the Lord above for all the good times that I'm having
wrapped up in my woman's loving arms.
She's a friend, she's a lover, she's a woman, she's a wife.
She's the answered prayer ev'ry lonely man dreams of.
She's a temptress, she's a lady, she's the mother of my baby.
I thank God I'm the lucky man she loves.

And when the load gets heavy on my shoulders;
and I can't keep the pace, and I need a place to hide,
I run home to my own little world and take her in my arms,
and hold her; and I soon forget there's another world outside.
'cause she's a friend, she's a lover, she's a woman, she's a wife.
She's the answered prayer ev'ry lonely man dreams of.
She's a temptress, she's a lady, she's the mother of my baby.

I thank God I'm the lucky man she loves.
I thank God I'm the lucky man she loves.

Overall Meaning

Mac Davis's song "Friend Lover Woman Wife" is a beautiful tribute to a man's love for all the different roles his partner plays in his life. The song's opening lines state that she is a friend, a lover, a woman, and a wife, embodying all the different facets of a woman's personality. The lyrics then describe her as an answered prayer and the dream of every lonely man, highlighting that she is not just any woman but someone special, someone he feels lucky to have in his life.

Throughout the song, the singer expresses his love and admiration for his partner, referring to her as a temptress and a lady, both powerful but opposite forces that create a perfect balance. He also acknowledges her as the mother of his baby, solidifying their bond as a family unit. While the singer feels grateful for his partner, he also expresses vulnerability and tenderness as he watches her sleep, weeping quietly and recognizing that fathers and heroes are not supposed to cry.

The song's chorus serves as a tribute to the beauty of their relationship, and the singer expresses gratitude for the good times they share while wrapped up in her loving arms. In times of stress, he finds solace and comfort in her presence, recognizing her as his safe haven.

Overall, "Friend Lover Woman Wife" is a beautiful tribute to the multi-dimensional aspect of a relationship and the strong bond between partners. It highlights the many roles a woman can play in a man's life, from being his lover to his confidante, and the importance of finding balance and support in a family unit.

Line by Line Meaning

She's a friend, she's a lover, she's a woman, she's a wife.
She is the ultimate partner, providing different kinds of love as a friend, lover, woman, and wife.

She's the answered prayer ev'ry lonely man dreams of.
She is the fulfillment of every lonely man's wish for true companionship.

She's a temptress, she's a lady, she's the mother of my baby.
She is a seductress in the most dignified way, a lady in every sense, and the mother of my child.

I thank God I'm the lucky man she loves.
I acknowledge my good fortune to have her love me back.

Sometimes I lie awake and watch her sleeping;
I appreciate her presence and watch her in peaceful slumber.

and I just wanna bust and the teardrops fill my eyes.
I feel overwhelmed with emotion, often leading to tears.

And I wonder what she'd think if she woke up and caught me weeping;
I'm unsure how she would react to seeing me cry.

'cause daddies and heroes ain't supposed to cry.
There's a societal expectation for men to be strong and not show vulnerability, especially in front of their partners.

The morning always seems to catch us laughing
We start our day on a positive note, often sharing moments of joy and laughter.

with the baby in the bed between us, safe and warm.
Our child is a precious presence that adds to our sense of security and warmth.

And I thank the Lord above for all the good times that I'm having
I express gratitude to a higher power for the joyful moments we share together.

wrapped up in my woman's loving arms.
I feel safe and cared for in the embrace of my partner's affection.

And when the load gets heavy on my shoulders;
When the burden of life feels too much to bear,

and I can't keep the pace, and I need a place to hide,
And I no longer can keep up with the demands and need a place of respite,

I run home to my own little world and take her in my arms,
I return to our home, our small world, and seek her comforting embrace.

and hold her; and I soon forget there's another world outside.
As I hold her, my worries and troubles dissipate, and the existence beyond the present moment fades away.

I thank God I'm the lucky man she loves.
I'm incredibly grateful for her affections towards me and recognize it as a blessing.

Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: MAC DAVIS

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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