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.
Not For Me
Sammy Davis Jr. Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
A lucky star's above, but not for me
With love to lead the way
I found more clouds are gray
Than any rainy day, could guarantee
I was a fool to fall, and get that way
I should have known the price, I'd have to payAlthough I can't dismiss
The memory of his kiss
I guess he's not for me
The song "Not For Me" by Sammy Davis Jr. is a melancholic ballad that laments the singer's lack of love in his life. The lyrics describe how the world seems to be filled with love and romantic connections, with ballads being sung, church bells ringing, poems being read and prayers being said, but all of it seems to be happening without him.
The first verse sets the tone for the song, with the singer acknowledging that while ballads are being sung and church bells are ringing, it's not for him, as he is without love. The second verse reinforces this sentiment, with the singer never having known or been shown love. The chorus then highlights the disconnect between the singer and the rest of the world, as he says that maybe there is such a thing as warm and tender love, but not for him.
The final verse ends the song with a poignant message, as the singer acknowledges that if tomorrow all of the world's sorrows were like his own, others would cry, but not for him. This final line encapsulates the sense of loneliness and isolation that the singer feels, with nobody to share in his pain.
Line by Line Meaning
Ballads are being sung
Romantic love songs are being performed
But not for me
However, they don't apply to my current situation
Church bells are being rung
Wedding bells are ringing
But not for me
But I am not getting married anytime soon
I am without love
I am currently single and do not have a romantic companion
But I don't doubt love can be
Despite not experiencing love, I know it is possible
Warm and tender for some
Romantic love can be passionate and embracing for certain individuals
But not for me
However, I am not among those who experience it
Poems are being read
Literature and art expressing love are being consumed
But not for me
But I cannot relate to them personally
Prayers are being said
Plea for divine assistance in finding love or happiness
But not for me
However, I don't seem to receive any a divine or good fortune in finding love
I've never known love
I have never experienced or been in love before
Or been shown love, you see
And nobody has ever demonstrated to me affection or fondness
And maybe there is such a thing
Although love could exist,
But not for me
I am still not a recipient of it
So let all of your singers sing
I don't mind if others celebrate or praise love through music
But not for me
But again, it's not applicable to me
And let all of your church bells ring
Weddings and union can proceed without my involvement
But not for me
Since I am still not involved
And if tomorrow
In case that one day
All your sorrows should be
You encounter problems or issues
Just like mine then you cry
You may become as miserable as I am and feel distraught
But not for me
Though, my personal sadness will persist
No, not me
You may experience sorrow like me, but you will discover something meaningful that's not applicable to me.
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: George Gershwin, Ira Gershwin
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@claudepomet810
Bravo Claude MOINE pour la reprise.
@Alvinorloff
Haunting!
@0ptichoux0
i like ;)
@M0DERN_B0REFARE
I like this, but still think the original by Bobby Darin is better.