1. Martha Davis … Read Full Bio ↴There are two female vocalists named Martha Davis.
1. Martha Davis (December 14, 1917 – April 6, 1960) was an African-American singer and pianist whose musical comedy act, "Martha Davis & Spouse", was popular in the late 1940s and 1950s.
Davis was born in Wichita, Kansas, and raised in Chicago, Illinois. By the mid-1930s, she had met and been influenced by Fats Waller, and performed regularly as a singer and pianist in Chicago clubs. In 1939, she met, and later married, bass player Calvin Ponder (October 17, 1917 - December 26, 1970), who went on to play in Earl Hines' band.
In 1948, Davis and Ponder moved to California, and Davis developed her recording career on Jewel Records in Hollywood with a trio including Ponder, Ralph Williams (guitar) and Lee Young (drums). Their cover of Dick Haymes' pop hit "Little White Lies" reached # 11 on the Billboard R&B chart, followed by a duet with Louis Jordan, "Daddy-O", from the movie A Song Is Born, which reached the R&B top ten later that year.
Davis and Ponder also began performing together on stage, developing a musical and comedy routine as "Martha Davis & Spouse" which played on their physical characteristics (she was large, he was smaller). The act became hugely popular, touring and having a residency at the Blue Angel in New York. They appeared together in movies including Smart Politics (with Gene Krupa), and in the mid-1950s, variety films Rhythm & Blues Revue, Rock 'n' Roll Revue and Basin Street Revue. Several of their performances were filmed by Snader Telescriptions for video jukeboxes, and they also broadcast on network TV, particularly Garry Moore's CBS show.
In 1957, after a break of several years, they resumed recording for the ABC Paramount label, with whom they cut two LPs. Davis died from cancer in New York in 1960, aged only 42, and Ponder died ten years later, aged only 53.
2. Martha Davis is best known as the lead singer of The Motels, a new wave pop band that scored hits in the 80s with songs such as "Only the Lonely" and "Suddenly Last Summer."
Davis released her first solo album entitled Policy in November of 1987, and had a hit with "Don't Tell Me the Time" (#8 in Australia), but in the U.S. the song only went as far as #80. Soon afterwards, Davis asked to be released from her contract with Capitol.
After leaving Capitol Records, Davis focused on different music styles, and recorded songs for several movie soundtracks.
In 2005 Davis released her second solo project entitled So the Story Goes. She is still touring and recording as "Martha Davis and the Motels."
Bridge Of Sighs
Martha Davis Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I want to know where all the feelings went
I keep looking down empty streets
For a lost and forgotten dream
I know it's still mine
I keep looking past
The bridge of sighs
Coming together from different sides
Across the bridge of sighs
Hold very still I need to see you like this
The moonlight falling on your silent lips
No tears tonight, I can suddenly see
We've always been here and we'll always be
Tonight I can feel
There's more between us than
The bridge of sighs
Over the river that we both have cried
Coming together from different sides
Across the bridge of sighs
Over the river that we both have cried
Coming together from different sides
Across the bridge of sighs
We'll search our hearts
We'll find a way
To start again
We can walk away
From the bridge of sighs
Across the bridge of sighs
Over a river that we both have cried
Coming together from different sides
Across the bridge of sighs
The lyrics to Martha Davis's song "Bridge Of Sighs" explore the themes of loss, nostalgia, and reconciliation. The opening line, "I can't remember my innocence," implies a sense of regret and longing for the past. The following line, "I want to know where all the feelings went," suggests that the singer is struggling with an emotional numbness or detachment. The reference to "empty streets" and a "lost and forgotten dream" further reinforces this sense of loss and searching.
However, the singer then declares that "it's still mine" and "keeps looking past" the empty streets. This line suggests that there is still hope for the future and a desire to move beyond the feelings of isolation and detachment. This hope is reinforced in the second verse, where the singer expresses a desire to "start again" and "walk away from the bridge of sighs."
The bridge of sighs is a metaphor for the emotional distance that separates the singer from the other person. The repetition of the phrase "over the river that we both have cried" suggests that both parties have experienced pain in their relationship, but the bridge also represents the potential for connection and reconciliation. In the final chorus, the singer declares that "we'll find a way to start again" and suggests that there is more between them than just the bridge of sighs.
Overall, the lyrics to "Bridge Of Sighs" are a poignant exploration of the human desire for connection and the struggle to overcome emotional obstacles.
Line by Line Meaning
I can't remember by innocence
I cannot recall a time when I was innocent and unburdened by experience or regret.
I want to know where all the feelings went
I desire to understand what happened to the emotions and sensations that I once felt so strongly.
I keep looking down empty streets
I persist in searching for something that is not there, perhaps a lost opportunity or an unfulfilled desire.
For a lost and forgotten dream
I am longing for a dream that has been forgotten or abandoned, and that now exists only as a distant memory or ideal.
I know it's still mine
Despite the passing of time and the changing of circumstances, I remain connected to this dream and still consider it to be my own.
I keep looking past
Rather than dwelling on what I have lost or cannot have, I choose to look beyond and keep searching for something better or different.
The bridge of sighs
Referring to a metaphorical or symbolic structure that represents the passage from one realm or state to another; a place of transition, transformation, or reflection.
Over the river that we both have cried
This bridge traverses a body of water that has been the source of sorrow, pain, or grief for us both, and that we have both experienced in some way.
Coming together from different sides
Despite our individual experiences and perspectives, we are able to connect and relate to one another in this shared space or moment of passage.
Hold very still I need to see you like this
I need to see you in this moment of stillness, quiet, or vulnerability, and to truly take in your presence in a way that I may not have before.
The moonlight falling on your silent lips
The soft illumination of the moon highlights your lips, which remain closed and still, perhaps signifying a moment of peace, contentment, or contemplation.
No tears tonight, I can suddenly see
For the first time in a while, I have a clear vision or understanding of our situation or relationship, unobscured by the emotional turmoil or confusion of the past.
We've always been here and we'll always be
Despite any challenges or changes that we may face, there is an enduring quality to our connection or bond that has always existed and will continue to exist.
Tonight I can feel
In this moment, my emotions are particularly strong and palpable, perhaps due to the combination of our unique circumstances and the overall atmosphere of the setting.
There's more between us than
Our relationship or interactions contain a deeper or more profound dimension than what is immediately apparent or obvious to others.
We'll search our hearts
Together, we will delve deeply into our own innermost thoughts, feelings, and desires in order to better understand ourselves and each other.
We'll find a way
No matter what obstacles or challenges we may face, we will discover a path forward that is honest, true, and fulfilling for both of us.
To start again
We will wipe the slate clean and begin anew, with fresh eyes and an open heart that is ready to embrace new possibilities and experiences.
We can walk away
If necessary, we are willing and able to leave behind what no longer serves us or contributes to our growth and happiness, and to move on to new adventures or opportunities.
From the bridge of sighs
Whatever pains or struggles we may have faced in this intermediate space or moment of transition, we will emerge from it with renewed strength, clarity, and hope.
Over a river that we both have cried
This passage over the water, representing our shared experiences of pain and sorrow, has now been successfully navigated and concluded, and we can look back on it with greater understanding and appreciation.
Contributed by Isaiah T. Suggest a correction in the comments below.