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.
Laura
Sammy Davis Jr. Lyrics
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Of something that never happened, yet you recall it well
You know the feeling of recognizing someone
That you've never met as far as you could tell, well
Laura is the face in the misty light
Footsteps that you hear down the hall
The laugh that floats on a summer night
And you see Laura on the train that is passing through
Those eyes, how familiar they seem
She gave your very first kiss to you
That was Laura but she's only a dream
The lyrics to Sammy Davis Jr.'s song Laura describe the feeling of nostalgia and a sense of longing for a memory or person that may not have actually existed. The first verse paints a picture of something half-remembered or never experienced, yet feeling familiar. The second verse introduces the character of Laura, who is described as a face in the misty light, footsteps down the hall, and a laugh on a summer night. Laura is a fleeting memory that can never quite be recalled, and the singer sees her on a passing train with familiar eyes. The final line reveals that Laura was only a dream, leaving the singer with a sense of sadness and yearning.
Line by Line Meaning
You know the feeling of something half remembered
Memories that are not fully formed and are only partially recollected
Of something that never happened, yet you recall it well
Vivid memories of nonexistent events that are imagined as if they had taken place
You know the feeling of recognizing someone
Familiarity with a person who is a stranger at first glance
That you've never met as far as you could tell, well
Knowing someone without ever having officially introduced yourself to them
Laura is the face in the misty light
Laura is a mysterious and elusive person, hidden in dim reflections
Footsteps that you hear down the hall
Faint sounds that suggest the presence of a distant, fleeting figure
The laugh that floats on a summer night
Echoes of a joyful sound, drifting on breeze-like memories
That you can never quite recall
Moments of happiness that are elusive and difficult to fully remember
And you see Laura on the train that is passing through
A fleeting glimpse of happiness that is quickly vanishing
Those eyes, how familiar they seem
A sense of recognition and longing for something or someone that is out of reach
She gave your very first kiss to you
A reminder of a happy moment from the past that is impossible to recreate
That was Laura but she's only a dream
The realization that the happiness and familiarity of the past is just an illusion and can never be fully recaptured
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: David Raksin
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind