For the past ten years Davis has been forging ahead as an entrepreneur, with Hip-Bone Music, a growing business that presently handles his publishing activities and work as a recording artist. Dedicated to increasing the popularity and stature of brass instruments and emphasizing “how hip, cool and fun it is to play music,” Hip-Bone Music is set on expanding its educational focus and becoming a viable avenue for other brass artists.
A native of San Jose, California, Davis received his musical training at the prestigious Eastman School of Music in Rochester, New York. Upon graduation he hooked up with the Buddy Rich Band for a two-year stint that brought an immeasurable amount of bandstand experience and a wealth of professional friendships that continue to this day. He settled in Manhattan in the mid-1980s and before long was being regarded as one of the top trombonists around. As testimony to his versatility and wide regard, the list of jazz and pop luminaries he has worked with over the years reads like a who’s who: Sarah Vaughan, Sting, Harry Connick, Jr., David Sanborn, Beck, Branford Marsalis, Aerosmith, Bon Jovi, Sheryl Crow, Lyle Lovett, Terence Blanchard, Bob Mintzer and scores of others.
A multiple recipient of awards from the National Endowment for the Arts, Davis maintains his own jazz groups and projects as well. Through Hip-Bone Music, Davis has documented his efforts on five solo CDs — Trumpets Eleven, a showcase for eleven virtuosic trumpet masters; New Brass, a melding of jazz and classical brass styles; Brass Nation, a gathering together of fifty-five of the world’s greatest brass players; Bonetown, a pairing of Davis with LA bass trombone maestro Bill Reichenbach; and Absolute Trombone, yet another musical conclave, this time with eighteen New York City-based trombonists.
Acknowledged by popular musicians, fellow educators and audiences around the world as an immensely talented musical artist who’s committed to setting the highest standards possible for both jazz and his instrument, it is no wonder that legendary Rolling Stones drummer Charlie Watts was moved to comment, “In this ‘bone-dry’ era, it is essential to have Michael Davis around.”
Helter Skelter
Michael Davis Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Where I stop and I turn and I go for a ride
Till I get to the bottom and I see you again.
Do, don't you want me to love you
I'm coming down fast but I'm miles above you
Tell me, tell me, tell me, come on tell me the answer
You may be a lover but you ain't no dancer.
Helter skelter, helter skelter
Helter skelter.
Will you, won't you want me to make you
I'm coming down fast but don't let me break you
Tell me, tell me, tell me the answer
You may be a lover but you ain't no dancer.
Look out
Helter skelter, helter skelter
Helter skelter.
Look out 'cause here she comes.
When I get to the bottom I go back to the top of the slide
Where I stop and I turn and I go for a ride
Till I get to the bottom and I see you again.
Well do you, don't you want me to love you
I'm coming down fast but don't let me break you
Tell me, tell me, tell me the answer
You may be a lover but you ain't no dancer.
Look out
Helter skelter, helter skelter
Helter skelter.
Look out helter skelter
She's coming down fast.
Yes she is.
Yes she is
(I've got blisters on my fingers)
The lyrics of Michael Davis' song, "Helter Skelter," depict a dizzying, thrilling ride that seems to represent the intensity of a romantic relationship. The song starts with the line, "When I get to the bottom I go back to the top of the slide," which could be interpreted as the singer feeling like they are stuck in a cycle with their lover. Despite this, they seem to enjoy the rush, as they "go for a ride" again and again. There is a sense of urgency in the lyrics, with the repeat of "Do, don't you want me to love you" and "Tell me, tell me, tell me, come on tell me the answer." The singer seems to be seeking some kind of validation or acknowledgement from their lover, perhaps trying to prove their worth to them. However, they still seem to feel superior in some way, saying "I'm coming down fast but I'm miles above you," and calling their lover out with the line, "You may be a lover but you ain't no dancer." The song ends with the repeated line, "Look out helter skelter, she's coming down fast," creating a frenetic, chaotic feeling.
"Helter Skelter" has an interesting history - it was actually originally written and recorded by the Beatles for their White Album in 1968. The song was famously covered by Charles Manson and his followers, who interpreted it as a call to incite a race war. Manson infamously claimed that the Beatles were sending him hidden messages through their music, and Manson dubbed his own version of "Helter Skelter" as "the soundtrack for the end of the world." The fact that Michael Davis chose to cover this particular song is significant, as it was already associated with violence and mayhem. Davis' version of the song is much more straightforward and lacks the sinister edge of Manson's, but the history of the song adds an extra layer of meaning to the lyrics.
Line by Line Meaning
When I get to the bottom I go back to the top of the slide
Repeating a cycle that always leads back to the same place
Where I stop and I turn and I go for a ride
Taking a new path but with no real direction
Till I get to the bottom and I see you again.
The same cycle will keep repeating until I see you again
Do, don't you want me to love you
Questioning whether or not you want my love
I'm coming down fast but I'm miles above you
I feel ahead of you but coming towards you quickly
Tell me, tell me, tell me, come on tell me the answer
Urging you to give me an answer or direction
You may be a lover but you ain't no dancer.
You might be good at love, but not at moving forward
Helter skelter, helter skelter
A chaotic and disorderly state
Will you, won't you want me to make you
Asking if you want me to make a move
I'm coming down fast but don't let me break you
Pushing forward with intensity but not wanting to hurt you
Tell me, tell me, tell me the answer
Once again, urging you to give me direction
You may be a lover but you ain't no dancer.
Repeating the idea that you may be good at love, but not at moving forward
Look out
A warning to be on the lookout
Helter skelter, helter skelter
Another reference to chaos and disorder
Look out 'cause here she comes.
A specific warning that someone is approaching
Well do you, don't you want me to love you
Repeating the question of whether or not you want my love
I'm coming down fast but don't let me break you
Repeating the intensity without wanting to hurt you
Tell me, tell me, tell me the answer
Once again, the plea for direction
You may be a lover but you ain't no dancer.
Repeating the idea that you may be good at love, but not at moving forward
Look out
Another warning to be vigilant
Helter skelter, helter skelter
Repeating the chaotic state once again
Look out helter skelter
Call to attention once more
She's coming down fast.
The subject is approaching rapidly
Yes she is.
Confirming the previous statement
(I've got blisters on my fingers)
A reference to the intensity of playing music and the strain it can cause
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: John Lennon, Paul McCartney
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind