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.
I Believe In Music
Mac Davis Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
As long as I'm making my music ain't gonna do nobody no harm
And who knows maybe I'll come up with a song
To make people want to stop all this fussing and fighting
Long enough to sing along
I believe in music
I believe in love
I believe in love
Music is love and love is music if you know what I mean
People who believe in music are the happiest people I've ever seen
So clap your hands and stomp your feet and shake those tambourines
Lift your voices to the sky tell me what you see.
I believe in music
I believe in love
I believe in music
I believe in love
Music is the universal language, and love is the key
To peace hope and understanding, and living in harmony
So take your brother by the hand and come along with me
Lift your voices to the sky, tell me what you see
I believe in music
I believe in love
I believe in music
I believe in love
The lyrics of Mac Davis's song "I Believe In Music" convey the powerful and positive force that music has on people's lives. The first stanza talks about how music is a harmless activity that the singer could do all day long. The second half of the stanza suggests that music has the power to unite people and create solidarity among them. The second stanza reiterates this idea by stating that music is love and those who believe in it are the happiest people on earth. This stanza also includes an invitation to the listeners to engage with the music, clap their hands, stomp their feet and lift their voices up, in order to appreciate its beauty.
The third stanza highlights the universality of music and how it speaks to people across borders and cultures. It suggests that music has the power to foster peace, hope, and mutual understanding. The singer seems to suggest that music is the key to solving many of the world's problems. The song ends with a powerful and affirmative statement that the singer believes in music, love, and their ability to change the world.
Overall, the song is a celebration of music, its positive impact on people, and how it can bring them together to make the world a better place. The lyrics convey a message of hope, peace, and unity that is universally appealing and uplifting.
Line by Line Meaning
I could just sit around making music all day long
I am passionate about creating music and can do it all day, without causing harm to anyone.
As long as I'm making my music ain't gonna do nobody no harm
My music is something that I am proud of, and I do not intend to harm anyone while pursuing it.
And who knows maybe I'll come up with a song
I am open to different sources of inspiration for my music and believe that I might create something new.
To make people want to stop all this fussing and fighting
I believe that my music has the potential to bring people together and create a peaceful environment.
Long enough to sing along
My music can make people forget the disagreements and join together in singing and enjoying the moment.
Music is love and love is music if you know what I mean
Music and love are inseparable and interconnected; they complement each other and evoke strong emotions.
People who believe in music are the happiest people I've ever seen
Those who love music and actively practice it are some of the happiest people I have met.
So clap your hands and stomp your feet and shake those tambourines
Let's celebrate music and enjoy it fully by clapping, stomping, and shaking instruments.
Lift your voices to the sky tell me what you see.
Sing your heart out and let your happiness and love for music reflect what you see in the sky.
Music is the universal language, and love is the key
Music is a language that transcends cultural and linguistic barriers and fosters love, which is the ultimate tool for peace and understanding.
To peace hope and understanding, and living in harmony
Music and love have the power to bring people together in peace, hope, understanding, and harmony.
So take your brother by the hand and come along with me
Join me in spreading the love and joy of music, bringing people together as brothers and sisters.
Lift your voices to the sky, tell me what you see
Let's sing together and let our voices and love for music reflect what we see in the sky.
I believe in music
I strongly believe in the power and significance of music.
I believe in love
I strongly believe in the power and importance of love in our lives.
I believe in music
I strongly believe in the power and significance of music.
I believe in love
I strongly believe in the power and importance of love in our lives.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: MAC DAVIS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@smokinjz
I could just sit around making music all day long
As long as I'm making my music ain't gonna do nobody no harm
And who knows maybe I'll come up with a song
To make people want to stop all this fussing and fighting
Long enough to sing along
I believe in music
I believe in love
I believe in music
I believe in love
Music is love and love is music if you know what I mean
People who believe in music are the happiest people I've ever seen
So clap your hands and stomp your feet and shake those tambourines
Lift your voices to the sky tell me what you see.
I believe in music
I believe in love
I believe in music
I believe in love
Music is the universal language, and love is the key
To peace hope and understanding, and living in harmony
So take your brother by the hand and come along with me
Lift your voices to the sky, tell me what you see
I believe in music
I believe in love
I believe in music
I believe in love
@michaelschwab9806
Who's listening to this in 2023? I remember being a kid in the 70s and hearing this song all the time..I can hardly believe it wasn't a hit on the charts..so hard to believe,cause it's a good song!
@suziehealy3515
2024
@user-ub3el2fe6g
Dont like it...don't listen. Let others enjoy what they enjoy. No one's stopping you.
@markmyers7008
This song used to make me feel so good when I was a kid. It still makes me feel good. RIP Mac.
@winifredogilvie4179
Single 2022?
@Venetiababy1
I.played for him in Colorado one night. I wanted to play this song but my drummer was too chicken.
I was so POd I could have spit..
@angelablackwood4063
I heard it today n omg
I had was to tape it on my ph
It really brought back a whole lot of memories
My Childhood
Yu are sooo right when we were kids
Clean beautiful music 🎶🥳🎉🎊👏👏👏👍👍
@songlyon7795
Thanks for sharing that.
@tinapiano
We sang this song in church! This song still carries a strong message ❤
@bustertn2014
I still remember The Mac Davis Show I used to watch as a kid in the 70's. One of the most talented singer/songwriters of all time.