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.
I Should Care
Sammy Davis Jr. Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Should I confess I love you?
Should I recite beneath the pale moonlight?
And swear by the stars above you?
Could I repeat the sweetest story told?
Could I entreat, would it be too bold?
Should I reveal 'xactly how I feel?
Should I confess I love you?
Could I repeat that sweetest story told?
Could I entreat, would it be too bold?
Should I reveal 'xactly how I feel?
Should I confess I love you?
And swear by stars above you?
Should I confess I love you?
The lyrics of Sammy Davis Jr.'s song "I Should Care" express a sense of uncertainty and hesitation in voicing one's feelings of love. The singer questions whether or not they should reveal their love, asking themselves if it would be too bold or if they should simply keep their emotions hidden. The repetition of the lines "Should I reveal exactly how I feel?" and "Should I confess I love you?" emphasizes the singer's internal struggle and indecision.
The second stanza of the song suggests a longing to express love through storytelling, as the singer asks if they could repeat "the sweetest story told." They also question whether it would be too bold to entreat the person they love. The final stanza brings the song full circle as the singer once again asks if they should reveal their true feelings and swear their love by the stars above.
Overall, the lyrics of "I Should Care" convey a sense of vulnerability and fear of rejection when it comes to expressing love.
Line by Line Meaning
Should I reveal exactly how I feel?
Am I ready to open up and share my emotions?
Should I confess I love you?
Do I have the courage to admit my love?
Should I recite beneath the pale moonlight?
Is now the moment to pour out my heart?
And swear by the stars above you?
Am I willing to make a sincere vow to you?
Could I repeat the sweetest story told?
May I narrate the most loving tale I know?
Could I entreat, would it be too bold?
May I make a request, or is it too forward?
Should I reveal 'xactly how I feel?
Would it be appropriate to express my true feelings?
Should I confess I love you?
Do I have the bravery to confess my love?
And swear by stars above you?
Should I make a solemn pledge to you?
Should I confess I love you?
Should I bring myself to confess my love for you?
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Nacio Brown, Arthur Freed
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind