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.
Rock-A-Bye Your Baby With a Dixie Melody
Sammy Davis Jr. Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
With a Dixie melody
When you croon, croon a tune
From the heart of Dixie
Just hang my cradle, mammy mine
Right on that masoned, Dixen line
And swing it from Virginia, to Tennessee
Weep no more, my lady
Sing that song again, for me
Sing on black Joe, just as though
You have me on your knees
A million baby kisses, I'll deliver
If you will only play that Swanee river
Rock a bye your rock a bye baby
With a Dixie melody
Oh, weep no more, my lady
Sing that song again, for me
Sing on black Joe, just as though
You have me on your knees
A million baby kisses, I'll deliver
If you will only play that Swanee river
Rock a bye your rock a bye baby
With a Dixie melody
The lyrics to Sammy Davis Jr.'s "Rock-A-Bye Your Baby With a Dixie Melody" evoke sentiments of longing for the home and heart of the South. The song begins with the lullaby "rock-a-bye" and asks for the baby to be rocked with a "Dixie melody," a tune that is unique to the Southern region and features influences from African American culture. The crooning of the tune from the heart of Dixie is meant to provide comfort and a sense of peace.
The song's second verse shifts to the imagery of a cradle and the "masoned Dixen line," referring to the Mason-Dixon line that divided the North and the South. The singer is asking for the baby's cradle to be hung on the line and swung from Virginia to Tennessee with all the love in the singer's heart. The last verse refers to a song that is to be sung again, the "Swanee River," another Southern classic that Davis Jr. is asking to be played as he delivers a million baby kisses.
Overall, the song is a tribute to Southern hospitality and culture, and the comfort that it can bring even to those far away from home.
Line by Line Meaning
Rock a bye, your baby
Lull your child to sleep
With a Dixie melody
Singing a traditional southern song
When you croon, croon a tune
Sing with passion
From the heart of Dixie
From the soul of the southern US
Just hang my cradle, mammy mine
Place my bed on the Mason-Dixon line
Right on that masoned, Dixen line
Exact location of the bed
And swing it from Virginia, to Tennessee
Rocking my bed through the southern states
With all the love that's in ya
With great care and affection
Weep no more, my lady
Stop crying, my love
Sing that song again, for me
Please sing that song one more time
Sing on black Joe, just as though
Sing as if you have me captivated
You have me on your knees
As if I'm completely enthralled
A million baby kisses, I'll deliver
Promise of love and affection
If you will only play that Swanee river
If only you'll sing that song
Rock a bye your rock a bye baby
Lull your child to sleep
With a Dixie melody
Singing a traditional southern song
Contributed by Ruby S. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Greg's Gramophones Phonographs 78rpm Records Music
He is one of the best, and should be celebrated much more.
Crooning4Leftovers
Mega~watt talent in a tiny frame ... one of the most supremely gifted artists of all~time!
gizzycat cat
true!
huascar66
Stunning. Surely one of the great entertainers of the 20th century!
Corina Valher
Absolutely out of this world.
Not even his pals Sinatra or Dean Martin could come close to him. He was so amasingly versatile.
Paulo Freire
True legend and one of the all time greatest! His talent will always be alive. Thank you for this wonderful video 👍🏻
Patti Brooks
Awesome talent and he is sadly missed by many people ! Love this song and Judy Garland and LOrna Luft and Jerry Lewis and oh Lena Zavoroni has sang this song !
gizzycat cat
Mr. Sammy Davis can do no wrong, his voice and showmanship is right up there of course, with his friends--------- Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin.
M. H. Nude
Simply amazing!
Michael Mckinley
I just gained HUGE admiration for Sammy Davis Jr. as a performer. Lost a link to Connie Francis for this tune, ended up here, and he owned it with his impressionistic takes. I'm going to take a closer view, this man was an ENTERTAINER.