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.
Lucas Was A Redneck
Mac Davis Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Drinkin' and fightin' was all the boy knew
Born with a corncob in his mouth
In Tupelo Mississippi way down south
His daddy died drunk with a belly fulla rum
His mama died waitin' for a miracle to come
People said
Hangin' around with the rest of the riff-raff
Down at the pool hall on Main Street
Wearin' a red bandana and a sweaty ol' straw hat
Union-All coveralls, dirty bare feet
One half stupid and the other half dumb
Born to live and die in a sharecropper's slum
People said
The boy's born to be a bum
Who's gonna cry when ya die, Lucas
Who's gonna miss ya when you're gone
Will it be the black man you call the nigger
The hippie that'cha beat up just 'cause you was bigger
Will the riff-raff laugh at the epitaph on your tombstone
Betcha says "Here lies Lucas, born to be a bum...
...Died like his daddy with a belly fulla rum"
Now who's gonna cry when ya die, Lucas
Who's gonna miss ya when you're gone
Will it be the black man you call the nigger
The hippie that'cha beat up just 'cause you was bigger
Will the riff-raff laugh at the epitaph on your tombstone
I'll Betcha says "Here lies Lucas, born to be a bum...
...Died like his daddy with a belly fulla rum"
UHHHHHHHH!
Goodbye, Lucas...
The song "Lucas Was A Redneck" tells the story of a young man named Lucas who was born and raised in Tupelo, Mississippi, a place known for its sharecropping and poverty in the early 20th century. Lucas was described as a typical redneck who spent his days drinking, fighting, and hanging around with the other riff-raff at the Main Street pool hall. He wore a red bandana and a sweaty old straw hat, dirty bare feet, and Union-All coveralls as his attire.
Lucas’s parents struggled to make ends meet, and his dad died drunk with a belly full of rum, while his mama died waiting for a miracle to come. The people in town did not have high hopes for Lucas, and many regarded him as being born to be a bum. The song then poses the question of who would cry for Lucas when he eventually dies, and whether it would be the people he had hurt and bullied, such as the black man he called a racial slur or the hippie he had beaten up because of his size.
The song is a commentary on the cycle of poverty and violence that can occur in a small town, as well as the consequences of one's actions. It also touches upon themes of racism, classism, and the fragility of life. Through its lyrics, the song reminds the listener that the choices they make in life have consequences and that kindness and respect towards others are essential virtues regardless of social standing.
Line by Line Meaning
Lucas was a redneck through and through
Lucas was a person who embodied and lived the stereotypical characteristics of a redneck.
Drinkin' and fightin' was all the boy knew
Lucas' lifestyle revolved around two things - drinking and fighting.
Born with a corncob in his mouth
Lucas was born and raised in a rural region where corn was a staple crop and influenced his way of life.
In Tupelo Mississippi way down south
Lucas was born and raised in Tupelo, Mississippi which is located in the southern region of the United States.
His daddy died drunk with a belly fulla rum
Lucas' father died while intoxicated from drinking too much rum.
His mama died waitin' for a miracle to come
Lucas' mother passed away while hoping for a miracle to improve their dire living conditions.
People said The boy's born to be a bum
Lucas was subjected to negative stereotyping and viewed by others as destined to live an unproductive, poor life.
Hangin' around with the rest of the riff-raff
Lucas spent his time loitering with other troublemakers and people viewed as low class.
Down at the pool hall on Main Street
Lucas was frequently found at the pool hall situated on Main Street, which was a common hangout spot for him.
Wearin' a red bandana and a sweaty ol' straw hat
Lucas was known for wearing a red bandana and a worn straw hat which were visible parts of his rugged dress sense.
Union-All coveralls, dirty bare feet
Lucas often wore dirty and labor-intensive clothes characteristic of those who worked physically demanding jobs in farms or construction.
One half stupid and the other half dumb
Lucas was considered to lack intelligence, and was a combination of two negative traits.
Born to live and die in a sharecropper's slum
Lucas was tragically born into poverty, raised in a place with poor sanitary conditions, and destined to live his whole life in similar unfavorable conditions.
Who's gonna cry when ya die, Lucas
The song poses a rhetorical question about who might mourn Lucas' death.
Will it be the black man you call the nigger
The song implies the irony of Lucas being mourned by someone he had a derogatory name for in his life.
The hippie that'cha beat up just 'cause you was bigger
The song highlights the senselessness of Lucas' tendency to physically harm others due to his ego of being bigger than them.
Will the riff-raff laugh at the epitaph on your tombstone
Lucas' legacy and life struggles may be the subject of humor for the society he couldn't fit in.
Betcha says "Here lies Lucas, born to be a bum...
The final line of the song continues to question the legacy that Lucas might have left and the lack of redemption from the negative stereotypes and circumstances of his life.
Contributed by Reagan R. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@dianablevins2146
miss this music
@svnnx3216
Love this song hecc
@RaceFanDana
No soft a at the end, he went full tilt in the lyrics. This would never be played unedited on the radio today. Mac Davis was awesome, musician, actor (QB in North Dallas Forty) had a TV show regularly just like Sonny & Cher or Donnie and Marie or Tony Orlando and Dawn
@richardbranton7396
So what?there are thousands upon thousands of things that where once said ,did and used that aren't anymore
@joomomma9463
Wgaf
@RaceFanDana
@@joomomma9463 apparently you do, replying to a 4 year old comment.
@joomomma9463
@@RaceFanDana and you are responding to a 4 yr old comment lmfao
@RaceFanDana
@@joomomma9463 21 hours, doofus
@philobrandon5710
ATL 💯COUNTRY FUNK
@CoughHiccup
so why is the name Lucas on some songs.....and Rufus on others? it is the same song !