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.
Lush Life
Sammy Davis Jr. Lyrics
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Those come what may places
Where one relaxes on the axis of the wheel of life
To get a feel of life
From jazz and cocktails
The girls I knew had sad and sullen grey faces
With distant gay tracesThat used to be there
You could see where they've been washed away
By too many through the day
Twelve o'clock tales
Then suddenly you came along
With a siren song
It tempts me to madness
I thought for a while that your poignant smile
Was tinged with the sadness
Of a great love for me
But, I was wrong
I was wrong
Life is lonely again,
And only last week, everything seemed so sure.
Now life is awful again,
A trough full of hearts will probably be a bore, a bore
A week I might go to Paris
At least a bite of it
All, all I want to do is laugh in spite of it
I'll forget you, I will
And yet you are still
Burning inside my brain
And it stifles those who strive
Well I'll live a lush life in some small dive
And I, I'll be alright with the rest
All those whose lives are lonely too
Sammy Davis Jr.'s song Lush Life is a melancholic and nostalgic reflection on life, love, and heartbreak. Davis Jr. sings about his past experiences visiting "gay places" and the people he met there, including women with "sad and sullen grey faces" who had lost their spark due to the pressures of life. However, his mood changes when he meets someone special who tempts him to madness with their siren song. He believes that their poignant smile is tinged with sadness, leading him to believe that they share a great love for him. Unfortunately, he later realizes that he was wrong and that life has once again become lonely and uncertain. He contemplates forgetting this person, but they continue to burn inside his brain.
Davis Jr. sings about the futility of romance, which he feels stifles those who strive for something more. He vows to live a lush life, indulging in jazz and cocktails in some small dive, and finds solace in knowing that he is not alone in his loneliness.
The song's melody, with its swooning strings and mournful horns, perfectly captures the bittersweet emotions conveyed in the lyrics. Sammy Davis Jr.'s smooth and expressive voice adds to the song's poignancy, making it a timeless classic.
Line by Line Meaning
I, I used to visit all these very gay places
I used to frequent various joyful locations
Those come what may places
Regardless of the circumstances in those locations
Where one relaxes on the axis of the wheel of life
People who go to such places to unwind and seek solace in life
To get a feel of life
To experience a taste of existence
From jazz and cocktails
Entertainment and refreshments usually obtained at such locations
The girls I knew had sad and sullen grey faces
The females I knew looked downcast with gloomy countenances
With distant gay traces
Although somewhat lighthearted or cheerful in the background
That used to be there
Which had previously been present and more prominent
You could see where they've been washed away
Evident that those traces had been faded or eroded from them
By too many through the day
Due to the problems and stresses encountered during daylight hours
Twelve o'clock tales
Stories heard around midnight
Then suddenly you came along
Then you suddenly appeared
With a siren song
Using an irresistible melody or voice
It tempts me to madness
It's so alluring that it drives me crazy
I thought for a while that your poignant smile
For some time, I believed your meaningful grin
Was tinged with the sadness
Was mixed with a touch of sadness
Of a great love for me
Of a deep passion and affection for me
But, I was wrong
However, my assumption was mistaken
Life is lonely again,
I again feel isolated in existence
And only last week, everything seemed so sure.
It was only the prior week when everything felt secure
Now life is awful again,
Now I again loathe this existence
A trough full of hearts will probably be a bore, a bore
Manifold options to choose from is likely going to be monotonous
A week I might go to Paris
Perhaps, within a week, I might journey to Paris
At least a bite of it
At least have a momentary experience of it
All, all I want to do is laugh in spite of it
I aspire to laugh despite everything
I'll forget you, I will
I will forget about you
And yet you are still
Nevertheless, you still linger in my mind
Burning inside my brain
Persistently entrenched in my memory
Romance is mush
Love stories and affection are trivial
And it stifles those who strive
It suppresses the people who yearn for more
Well I'll live a lush life in some small dive
So I will have a vibrant and luxurious life in a modest establishment
And I, I'll be alright with the rest
And I shall be fine amongst others who also feel detached and alone
All those whose lives are lonely too
All those who are also living in seclusion or solitude
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Reservoir Media Management, Inc.
Written by: Billy Strayhorn
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind