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."
Rebecca
Martha Davis Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Why they left him there
In the cold white snow
Rebecca said she only heard
Some angry words from overhead
Rebecca cried and turned away
In her softest voice I heard her say
I'm free
Rebecca stood back
And watched them come
Collect the man that had the gun
Rebecca started off to who knows where
The carnival of carnage lying there
Like a statue she stood there in the frozen air
Under her breath I heard her swear
I'm free
He'll never do this to me again
Rebecca said she didn't know him at all
He just lived down the hall
It's a shame he's dead
But eyes that lie
Will often disguise
The most painful truth
Youth where beauty lies
And with each tear that falls
So sweetly she calls
I'm free
He'll never do this to me again
He'll never do this to me again
I'm free
I'm free
I'm free
The song "Rebecca" by Martha Davis tells the story of a woman named Rebecca who witnessed a violent crime and experienced feelings of liberation and newfound freedom as a result. Rebecca describes hearing "angry words from overhead" before discovering a man dead in the snow. Although she claims not to know the man, she speaks of the burden of living with the painful truth masked by youth and beauty. However, she repeatedly declares her freedom from the abusive relationship she had with the man, promising that he will never hurt her again.
While the exact nature of the relationship between Rebecca and the deceased man is unclear, the song appears to be about the cycle of domestic abuse and the freedom that comes from breaking that cycle. Rebecca's words of empowerment at the end of each verse emphasize her newfound strength and desire to move on from past trauma. The carnival of carnage that she encounters on her journey can also be seen as a metaphor for the chaos and confusion that often surrounds those who have faced violence, but it is clear that Rebecca is determined to move forward with her life.
Line by Line Meaning
Rebecca said she didn't know
Rebecca claimed ignorance about the incident that had just occurred
Why they left him there
Why the man was left in the cold white snow was a mystery to Rebecca
In the cold white snow
The man was abandoned in a cold and chilly environment
Rebecca said she only heard
Rebecca's knowledge of the incident was limited to what she heard
Some angry words from overhead
She heard some angry remarks from someone above the incident
Rebecca cried and turned away
The incident was so overwhelming that Rebecca cried and looked away
In her softest voice I heard her say
Rebecca whispered gently as she spoke
I'm free
Rebecca felt liberated from something that had been holding her captive
He'll never do this to me again
She was determined never to let someone control her like that ever again
Rebecca stood back
Rebecca kept her distance from the unpleasant scene
And watched them come
She observed as the authorities arrived on the scene
Collect the man that had the gun
The authorities collected the man who was armed
Rebecca started off to who knows where
Rebecca began moving away to an unknown location
The carnival of carnage lying there
The unpleasant aftermath of the incident was present nearby
Like a statue she stood there in the frozen air
Rebecca stood motionless in shock amidst the cold and bitter atmosphere
Under her breath I heard her swear
Rebecca muttered something inaudibly under her breath
Rebecca said she didn't know him at all
Rebecca claimed no familiarity with the man who had died
He just lived down the hall
The man was Rebecca's neighbor
It's a shame he's dead
Rebecca expressed sympathy about the man's death
But eyes that lie
She acknowledged that appearances can be deceiving
Will often disguise
The truth can be disguised in various forms
The most painful truth
The most hurtful truth is often the most difficult to face
Youth where beauty lies
Beauty is often associated with youthfulness
And with each tear that falls
Each tear shed by Rebecca signified a sense of her release from something painful
So sweetly she calls
Rebecca's calls for freedom were filled with a sense of positivity
I'm free
Rebecca felt liberated from something that had been holding her captive
He'll never do this to me again
She was determined never to let someone control her like that ever again
He'll never do this to me again
She was determined never to let someone control her like that ever again
I'm free
Rebecca felt liberated from something that had been holding her captive
Contributed by Lila S. Suggest a correction in the comments below.