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."
Lust
Martha Davis Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The volcanic glass of peles hair
Love was on my doorstep
'Til she wandered off
To who knows where
Lust opened up my window
Lust opened up my eyes
Lust put my heart in motion
I saw the other side
Pressed agaisnt my body
Warmth that love had stolen long ago
Touched by the strangers newness
That somehow I have always known
Lust opened up my window
Lust opened up my eyes
Lust put my heart in motion
I saw the other side
Lust opened up my window
Lust opened up my eyes
Lust put my heart in motion
I saw the other side
Sweet comfort comes
Religiously I pray you'll never leave
My soul's been blessed
By tenderness forever I'm in debt
Silence wanders through the moment
Still my heart would cry out loud
Finally I reach the doorway
Opens to me, I'm inside
Lust opened up my window
Lust opened up my eyes
Lust put my heart in motion
I saw the other side
The song "Lust" by Martha Davis speaks about a person who has been hurt by love and how they turn to lust to cope. The lyrics talk about how lust has opened up their eyes and heart to a new world, after someone they loved left them without an explanation. The volcanic glass of Peles hair, mentioned in the opening line, symbolizes the darkness that the singer of the song feels. They were in a dark place, until lust entered the picture and opened their eyes.
The use of the word "lust" suggests a deep passion for someone. The singer talks about how they felt warmth from a stranger that they had always known. This stranger represents lust and how it opened up their heart and put it in motion. The lyrics suggest that lust has helped the singer move on and see the other side of their pain.
Through the song, the lyrics also take a spiritual tone. The singer of the song prays that the stranger’s sweet comfort stays with them forever, showing a yearning for love and comfort that they haven't been able to find. In the end, they have found comfort in the stranger's newness, but we also see a hint of sadness as they reach the doorway.
Line by Line Meaning
Against my northern window
Looking out of my window to the north
The volcanic glass of peles hair
The view out of my window, where volcanic glass reminds me of Pele's hair
Love was on my doorstep
Love was close to me
'Til she wandered off
Until love left and wandered away
To who knows where
To a place where I do not know
Lust opened up my window
Lust made me open up to new desires
Lust opened up my eyes
Lust made me see things in a new way
Lust put my heart in motion
Lust made my heart start beating faster
I saw the other side
I experienced a new perspective
Pressed against my body
Feeling something touching my body
Warmth that love had stolen long ago
Feeling a warmth that I had not experienced in a long time due to lack of love
Touched by the stranger's newness
Feeling the newness of someone I did not know well
That somehow I have always known
That I have always been searching for
Sweet comfort comes
Feeling comfortable and at ease
Religiously I pray you'll never leave
Hoping that the comfort I am feeling will never go away
My soul's been blessed
Feeling that my soul has been given a gift
By tenderness forever I'm in debt
Feeling that I owe a debt to the tenderness I have experienced
Silence wanders through the moment
Feeling a sense of silence and calmness in the moment
Still my heart would cry out loud
Despite the calmness I am feeling, my heart is still aching
Finally I reach the doorway
Finally arriving at a destination
Opens to me, I'm inside
Entering the destination and feeling a sense of belonging
Contributed by Camilla E. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Nuwavegurl
Three of the most underrated & under appreciated female singers of the eighties on one stage together...classic!
Devonne West
3 awesome women on stage together, this is great, oh my gosh takes me back! How I admired all of them, glad to see they still look and sound amazing! #UNDERAPPRECIATEDUNDERRATED
Kevin Olivas
Dude! Martha Davis of The Motels...Terri Nunn of Berlin and Debora Iyall of Romeo Void! That so fully rocked! Legendary!
walshy492
i love deborah she still sounds great..they all do i wished they would tour
Mike Rundberg
WOW my 2 favorite female singers from the late 70s and the 80s TERRI NUNN and MARTHA DAVIS together
G Mercer
Love it.
mmmmpopmuzik
you're a lucky student, mrs iyall is a legend, make no mistake!! check my page for more clips of her performing.
Christopher Henderson
God, I miss the 80's.
BENJAMIN SCISLY
1st ive seen this is super cool i grew up on romeo void the motels and berlin this is awesome
John Rant
wow martha davis is a good guitar player