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.
Bye Bye Blackbird
Sammy Davis Jr. Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Right outside of my door
Blackbird, blackbird who do you sit and say
There's no sunshine in store
All thru the winter you hung around
Now I begin to feel homeward bound
Blackbird, blackbird gotta be on my wayWhere there's sunshine galore
Pack up all my care and woe
Here I go, singing low
Bye bye blackbird
Where somebody waits for me
Sugar's sweet, so is she
Bye bye blackbird
No one here can love and understand me
Oh, what hard luck stories they all hand me
Make my bed and light the light
I'll arrive late tonight
Blackbird, bye bye
Bluebird bluebird calling me far away
I've been longing for you
Bluebird bluebird what do I hear you say
Skies are turning to blue
I'm like a flower that's fading here
Where ev'ry hour is one long tear
Bluebird bluebird this is my lucky day
Now my dreams will come true
Pack up all my care and woe
Bye bye blackbird
Where somebody waits for me
Sugar's sweet, so is she
Bye bye blackbird
No one here can love and understand me
Oh, what hard luck stories they all hand me
Make my bed and light the light
I'll arrive late tonight
Blackbird, bye bye
The song "Bye Bye Blackbird" is a classic jazz standard written in 1926 by Ray Henderson and lyricist Mort Dixon. Sammy Davis Jr's version of the song was recorded in 1955 and, like many jazz songs of that era, tells a story of travel and longing for a better, brighter future. The song addresses the blackbird, a melancholic bird that sings the blues all day long. The singer is captivated by the bird's song and muses about its life and sorrows. The word "blackbird" is used as a metaphor for the singer's current situation, where he feels as though there is no sunshine in store for him.
The lyrics then shift as the singer decides to leave, pack up all his care and woe and go where there's "sunshine galore". He sings goodbye to the blackbird, signaling his farewell to his past struggles and heartache. The lyric "where somebody waits for me, sugar's sweet, so is she" conveys the idea that the singer has someone waiting for him in his destination, someone who will love him and understand him, indicating hope for the future. The song then introduces the bluebird, a symbol of good luck and happiness. The singer hears the bluebird calling him out of his current situation and towards his brighter future.
In summary, "Bye Bye Blackbird" is a song about escaping hardships and embarking on a journey towards happiness and hope. The blackbird represents the struggles and sorrows of the past, while the bluebird represents the brighter future that awaits.
Line by Line Meaning
Blackbird, blackbird singing the blues all day
The blackbird, outside my door, is singing a sad song all day long.
Right outside of my door
The blackbird is singing its song right outside my door.
Blackbird, blackbird who do you sit and say
I wonder who the blackbird is singing to with such a sorrowful tune.
There's no sunshine in store
The blackbird suggests that there will be no happiness or joy to come.
All thru the winter you hung around
The blackbird stayed throughout the entire winter season.
Now I begin to feel homeward bound
I'm starting to feel like it's time to go home.
Blackbird, blackbird gotta be on my way
I gotta leave now, blackbird, because there's sunshine to find.
Where there's sunshine galore
I'm headed to a place where the sun shines bright and there's happiness.
Pack up all my care and woe
I'm leaving behind all of my troubles and worries.
Here I go, singing low
I'm leaving now, singing a sad song.
Bye bye blackbird
Goodbye, blackbird.
Where somebody waits for me
I'm going to a place where someone is waiting for me.
Sugar's sweet, so is she
That person is sweet, just like sugar.
No one here can love and understand me
No one here empathizes with me or can love me like that person can.
Oh, what hard luck stories they all hand me
People here always tell me tough stories and it's hard to listen.
Make my bed and light the light
I'm making my bed and lighting a lamp to prepare for my night journey.
I'll arrive late tonight
I'll be arriving later tonight, after traveling for a long time.
Blackbird, bye bye
Goodbye, blackbird, I won't be hearing your sad song anymore.
Bluebird bluebird calling me far away
A bluebird is calling me from afar.
I've been longing for you
I've been waiting for something or someone like the bluebird.
Bluebird bluebird what do I hear you say
I wonder what the bluebird has to tell me.
Skies are turning to blue
Now the sky is getting brighter and the future looks promising.
I'm like a flower that's fading here
I feel like a flower that's dying here, with nothing to look forward to.
Where ev'ry hour is one long tear
Every hour that passes here is filled with sadness and tears.
Bluebird bluebird this is my lucky day
The bluebird coming to me marks the start of a lucky day for me.
Now my dreams will come true
Now that the bluebird is here, my hopes and dreams will become a reality.
Lyrics © RAY HENDERSON MUSIC CO., INC., BMG Rights Management, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Mort Dixon, Ray Henderson
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@brunolermen
Blackbird, blackbird singing the blues all day
Right outside of my door
Blackbird, blackbird who do you sit and say
There's no sunshine in store
All thru the winter you hung around
Now I begin to feel homeward bound
Blackbird, blackbird gotta be on my way
Where there's sunshine galore
Pack up all my care and woe
Here I go, singing low
Bye bye blackbird
Where somebody waits for me
Sugar's sweet, so is she
Bye bye blackbird
No one here can love and understand me
Oh, what hard luck stories they all hand me
Make my bed and light the light
I'll arrive late tonight
Blackbird, bye bye
Bluebird bluebird calling me far away
I've been longing for you
Bluebird bluebird what do I hear you say
Skies are turning to blue
I'm like a flower that's fading here
Where ev'ry hour is one long tear
Bluebird bluebird this is my lucky day
Now my dreams will come true
Pack up all my care and woe
Here I go, singing low
Bye bye blackbird
Where somebody waits for me
Sugar's sweet, so is she
Bye bye blackbird
No one here can love and understand me
Oh, what hard luck stories they all hand me
Make my bed and light the light
I'll arrive late tonight
Blackbird, bye bye
@brunolermen
No one here can love or understand me
Oh, what hard luck stories they all hand me
Pack up all my cares and woe, here I go, winging low
Bye, bye, blackbird
Where somebody waits for me
Sugar's sweet, so is she
Bye, bye, blackbird
No one here can love or understand me
Oh, what hard luck stories they all hand me
Make my bed and light the light, I'll arrive late tonight
Blackbird, bye, bye
Bye, bye, blackbird
Where somebody waits for me
Sugar's sweet, so is she
Bye, bye, blackbird
No one here can love or understand me
Oh what hard luck stories they all hand me
Make my bed and light the light, I'll arrive late tonight
Blackbird, bye, bye
@MaryPeckAGF
Fabulous and timeless. He could sing the phone book.
@teresalmassie
No one can interpret a song like Sammy Davis Jr. and make Blackbird feel so personal.
@pepperwilliams4428
The Consummate musician.....PERIOD!
@belladonnaisabella8839
He one of the best!
@mymaria888
Sammy Davies Jr. had the best voice of the Rat Pack.
@deniaridley
Agreed.
@Scarfboy01
Wow just beautiful
@coulton-davisjazz2872
He could do everything. Really, he could.
@deniaridley
Pretty much.
@Mike-hu6vs
When I was a kid I used to think he was silly and now I think he's the coolest.