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.
Better Luck Next Time
Sammy Davis Jr. Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
That could never be,
Because there ain't gonna be no next time for me,
No sirree!
Made up my mind to make another start,
I've made my mind up but I can't make up my heart.
I'd like a new lucky day, that would be nice,
So don't say, "Better luck next time", that could never be,
Because there ain't gonna be no next time for me.
So don't say, "Better luck next time", that could never be,
Because there ain't gonna be no next time for me,
Because there ain't gonna be no next time for me.
Sammy Davis Jr.'s song "Better Luck Next Time" is a poignant expression of a person who has decided to break things off in a relationship for good. The singer is very clear that there is no going back to the way things were. The title of the song is ironic, as the singer believes that there can be no "next time" for him. While the phrase "better luck next time" is usually a message of encouragement or consolation, in the context of the song, it is a dismissal of false hope.
The singer has "made up [his] mind to make another start," but he acknowledges that he can't change the way his heart feels. In many ways, this song is about the difficulty of moving on from a relationship, even when we know it's the best thing for us. The line "I've made my mind up but I can't make up my heart" is particularly powerful in expressing this sentiment. The singer wants a new "lucky day," but he knows that they only come once in a lifetime.
In conclusion, Sammy Davis Jr.'s "Better Luck Next Time" is a beautiful song that captures the melancholy of a broken heart. The lyrics are simple but powerful, and Davis's delivery is moving. The song speaks to anyone who has had to let go of something they loved and knows that there can be no "next time."
Line by Line Meaning
Better luck next time?
Questioning the possibility of experiencing better luck in the future.
That could never be,
Expressing doubt that luck will change in the future.
Because there ain't gonna be no next time for me,
Resigning to the fact that there will be no future opportunities for luck to change.
No sirree!
Affirmative response to the previous statement.
Made up my mind to make another start,
Deciding to try again.
I've made my mind up but I can't make up my heart.
Struggling to fully commit to trying again.
I'd like a new lucky day, that would be nice,
Expressing desire for good luck.
But this comes just once in a lifetime, not twice,
Acknowledging that good luck may not come around again.
So don't say, "Better luck next time", that could never be,
Rejecting the idea that luck will change in the future.
Because there ain't gonna be no next time for me.
Reiterating that there will be no future opportunities for luck to change.
Because there ain't gonna be no next time for me.
Reiterating that there will be no future opportunities for luck to change.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Capitol CMG Publishing, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: IRVING BERLIN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind