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.

Half And Half
Mac Davis Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

You lie in gentle sleep beside me
I hear your warm and rhythmic breathing
I take your hand and hold it tightly
Listen
Can you not hear our young hearts beating
I kiss the sleep from your eyes
Your smile is sweeter than the morning

Here it comes
Can't you feel it Baby
Can't you feel it
Here comes
Feel it
Feel it
Fire
Fire
Something's Burning
Something's Burning
Something's Burning
Something's Burning I think it's love
I believe it's love

And now the sun is burning brightly
We lie in love so close together
I get the feeling deep inside me
My love for you will burn forever
I cup my hands to touch your face
Once again I feel your fire

Here it comes
Can't you feel it Baby
Can't you feel it
Here comes
Feel it
Feel it
Fire
Fire
Something's Burning
Something's Burning
Something's Burning
Something's Burning I think it's love
I believe it's love

I believe it's love
I believe it's love
I believe it's love

I believe it's love

Overall Meaning

In this song, Mac Davis talks about his love for someone who is sleeping soundly beside him. He is holding her hand tightly and can hear their young hearts beating in unison, which fills him with joy. As he wakes her up with a kiss, he admires her smile, which is sweeter than the morning. He then feels a burning sensation deep within him, which he recognizes as love. He believes that their love is true and will last forever, as he touches her face and feels a fire burning within him. The lyrics describe the strong passion between two people in love, and the intensity of their connection.

Throughout the song, Davis repeats the phrase “something’s burning, I think it’s love” which is a metaphor for the intense heat and passion that comes with being in love. The word “fire” is also repeated several times, emphasizing the heat of the love that Davis feels. He indicates that the love they share will never die, even as the sun rises and shines brightly. He believes that their love will last forever, which is why he repeats the phrase “I believe it’s love” multiple times throughout the song.

Overall, “Half and Half” is a song that describes the powerful feelings of love that two people can share. With lyrics that speak to the intensity and passion of romance, the song captures the feeling of being in love and how it can be an all-consuming fire that burns brightly and powerfully.

Line by Line Meaning

You lie in gentle sleep beside me
You are peacefully sleeping next to me

I hear your warm and rhythmic breathing
I can hear the sound of your relaxed breathing

I take your hand and hold it tightly
I hold your hand firmly

Listen
I want you to hear something

Can you not hear our young hearts beating
Can you not feel the love between us

I kiss the sleep from your eyes
I gently wake you with a kiss

Your smile is sweeter than the morning
Your smile is incredibly beautiful

Here it comes
It's starting

Can't you feel it Baby
Don't you feel it, my love

Feel it
Experience the emotion

Fire
Passionate feeling