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.
Please Don't Talk About Me When I'm Gone
Sammy Davis Jr. Lyrics
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Seems we can't get along,
No matter what I do
I don't appeal to you
Makes no difference whether
I am right or wrong
If we can't be sweethearts
This much you can do
Please don't talk about me when I'm gone
Oh, Honey, though our friendship ceases from now on
And listen, if you can't say anything real nice
It's better not to talk at all, that's my advice
We're parting, you go your way, I'll go mine
It's best that we do
Here's a kiss, I hope that this brings lots of luck to you
Makes no difference how I carry on
Just remember
Please don't talk about me when I'm gone.
As recorded by Kay Starr.
The above lyrics are from Sammy Davis Jr.'s song "Please Don't Talk About Me When I'm Gone". The song highlights the strained relationships between two people who have been together for a long time but cannot seem to get along. The tenuousness of the relationship is evident in the opening lines: "Years we've been together/ Seems we can't get along". The singer is pleading with his partner not to speak ill of him after he's gone. The lyrics imply that their relationship has run its course and they are parting ways.
The singer tries to end things on good terms, asking his partner not to say anything negative about him after he is gone. The lyrics "If we can't be sweethearts/ This much you can do" suggest that even if they can't be together, they can still maintain a certain degree of mutual respect. The singer recognizes that the relationship is over and wants to end things amicably. He wants his partner to remember the good things about him after he is gone, instead of talking about the parts of the relationship that didn't work out.
Overall, the song is a poignant reminder that even when relationships end, it's important to treat one another with respect and kindness. It's a plea for civility and understanding when things don't work out, and a reminder that sometimes it's better to move on than to dwell on the negative.
Line by Line Meaning
Years we've been together
We have been in a relationship for a long time
Seems we can't get along,
It appears that we are unable to have a good relationship
No matter what I do
My efforts to improve our relationship are futile
I don't appeal to you
You do not find me attractive
Makes no difference whether
It does not matter if
I am right or wrong
Whether I am correct or mistaken
If we can't be sweethearts
If we cannot be lovers
This much you can do
At least do this for me
Please don't talk about me when I'm gone
Do not speak of me when I am no longer present
Oh, Honey, though our friendship ceases from now on
Although our friendship is ending from this point forward
And listen, if you can't say anything real nice
And if you cannot say anything kind
It's better not to talk at all, that's my advice
It would be best not to speak at all, that is my suggestion
We're parting, you go your way, I'll go mine
We are separating, you will continue in your direction and I will continue in mine
It's best that we do
It is the best thing for us to do
Here's a kiss, I hope that this brings lots of luck to you
Here is a kiss, I hope it brings you a lot of fortune
Makes no difference how I carry on
It does not matter how I continue
Just remember
Only remember
Please don't talk about me when I'm gone.
Do not speak about me when I am no longer present
Lyrics © Wixen Music Publishing, Universal Music Publishing Group, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Bee Palmer, Sidney Clare, Sam Stept
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Lucy
I love this song!! Thank you for putting this CD on here!! I love every one of these tracks.
steveknows62
Anything is better than what's out there today.
Bobbie Schroder
I love and respect Sammy Davis, Jr. There are people on the internet who want to call him a "devil worshiper". They are going against his wishes. HE WAS A GOOD MAN BECAUSE HE HAD A LOVING HEART. This is all we need to know.
SINCE GOD IS LOVE, WHEREVER THERE IS LOVE, THERE IS GOD. Since there was obviously love in Sammy Davis, Jr., then there was also obviously God. Period. 'Nuff said.
Gianmarco Bezada
:)
Moe Green
Only Sammy and Ella can sing a song like that
Anthony Parisian
Ya...no the fat girl Julianna bella is me. It's Anna shull no. The girl perm
Cees Lodders
I love Sammy Davis all together but who really made this song famous was Billy Holyday.
Abbe Buck Hann
Cees Lodders Actually it was Bee Palmer in 1926! LOL!
IgNaceus
The Rite of Spring???
steveknows62
Much