Davis, Jr. was born in Harlem, Manhattan, New York City, New York, to Elvera Sanchez, a dancer, and Sammy Davis, Sr., an African-American entertainer. The couple were both dancers in vaudeville. As an infant, he was raised by his paternal grandmother. When he was three years old, his parents split up. His father, not wanting to lose custody of his son, took him on tour. Sammy Davis Jr. claimed that his mother was Puerto Rican, however the 2003 biography In Black and White alleges that he made this claim due to the political sensitivities of the 1960s (during the Cuban Missile Crisis), and that his mother was born in New York of Cuban descent rather than in San Juan, Puerto Rico.
As a child he learned how to dance from his father, Sammy Davis, Sr., and his "uncle" Will Mastin, who led the dance troupe his father worked for. Davis joined the act as a young child in 1928 and they became the Will Mastin Trio. Throughout his long career, Davis included the Will Mastin Trio in his billing.
Mastin and his father had shielded him from racism. Snubs were explained as jealousy. But during World War II, Davis served in the United States Army, where he was first confronted by strong racial prejudice. As he said later, "Overnight the world looked different. It wasn't one color anymore. I could see the protection I'd gotten all my life from my father and Will. I appreciated their loving hope that I'd never need to know about prejudice and hate, but they were wrong. It was as if I'd walked through a swinging door for eighteen years, a door which they had always secretly held open.
Back In Your Own Back Yard
Sammy Davis Jr. Lyrics
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Hoping ev'ry cloud will be silver lined.
But we all return as we live wo learn,
That we left our happiness behind.
When they sing you "Look for the Silver Lining,"
It is silver dollars they're looking for.
You will find my friend that the rainbow's end,Is somewhere around your kitchen door.
The bird with feathers of blue, is waiting for you,
Back in your own back yard,
You'll see your castle in Spain, through your window pane,
Back in your own back yard.
Oh you can go to the East go to the West,
But someday you'll come weary at heart back where you started from,
You'll find your happiness lies, right under your eyes,
Back in your own backyard.
In Sammy Davis Jr.'s song Back In Your Own Back Yard, the singer relates a poignant message about how often people leave their homes with a sense of aspiration and expectation, only to return later and realize that they left their happiness behind. The lyrics contrast the initial anticipation of finding a bluebird and searching for the silver lining in every cloud with the eventual realization that true contentment and joy can only be found in simple pleasures and the familiarity of one's own home.
When the song refers to "looking for the silver lining," it is a tongue-in-cheek acknowledgement that while people may search for something more, they are often focused on materialistic gains like silver dollars. The true pot of gold, so to speak, is found closer to home, as symbolized by the blue bird waiting for you in your own backyard. Rather than journeying to extraordinary places or seeking out exotic adventures, the song suggests that we should appreciate what we already have and find joy in the familiar, comfortable surroundings of our own homes and backyards.
Overall, Back In Your Own Back Yard is a reminder that sometimes the greatest treasures can be found in the simplest places, and that we may only need to open our eyes to our own homes and backyards to find true happiness.
Line by Line Meaning
We leave home expecting to find a blue bird,
We embark on new adventures with high hopes, searching for happiness like finding a blue bird.
Hoping ev'ry cloud will be silver lined.
We hope that everything in life will be perfect, like every cloud having a silver lining.
But we all return as we live wo learn,
We eventually return home and realize that life is a learning experience.
That we left our happiness behind.
We discover that the key to our happiness was right in front of us all along, back in our own home.
When they sing you "Look for the Silver Lining,"
People often tell us to look on the bright side or find the silver lining in difficult situations.
It is silver dollars they're looking for.
However, sometimes they are more concerned with material wealth than genuine happiness.
You will find my friend that the rainbow's end,
The end of the rainbow, a symbol of treasure and hope, can be found in unexpected places.
Is somewhere around your kitchen door.
In fact, the treasure can be as close as your own home, represented by the door to your kitchen.
The bird with feathers of blue, is waiting for you,
The metaphorical blue bird of happiness is waiting for us to return home and discover it.
Back in your own back yard,
Our own home and familiar surroundings hold the key to our happiness.
You'll see your castle in Spain, through your window pane,
We may dream of far-off places, but we can experience the same joy and contentment by simply looking out our own window.
Oh you can go to the East go to the West,
We may travel the world searching for happiness and fulfillment.
But someday you'll come weary at heart back where you started from,
However, eventually we will grow tired and return to our humble beginnings.
You'll find your happiness lies, right under your eyes,
We will finally realize that true happiness has been right in front of us all along, right in our own home.
Back in your own backyard.
We will finally return to our own backyard and find the happiness we have been searching for.
Lyrics © BOURNE CO., Universal Music Publishing Group, Downtown Music Publishing
Written by: Al Jolson, Billy Rose, Dave Dreyer
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind