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.
September Song
Sammy Davis Jr. Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I played me a waiting game
If a maid refused me with tossing curls
I'd let the old Earth make a couple of whirls
While I plied her with tears in lieu of pearls
And as time came around she came my way
As time came around, she came
When you meet with the young girls early in the Spring
You court them in song and rhyme
They answer with words and a clover ring
But if you could examine the goods they bring
They have little to offer but the songs they sing
And the plentiful waste of time of day
A plentiful waste of time
Oh, it's a long, long while from May to December
But the days grow short when you reach September
When the autumn weather turns the leaves to flame
One hasn't got time for the waiting game
Oh, the days dwindle down to a precious few
September, November
And these few precious days I'll spend with you
These precious days I'll spend with you
The lyrics to Sammy Davis Jr.'s song "September Song" present a nostalgic and reflective tone regarding the fleeting nature of time in relationships. The song begins with a recounting of the singer's youth, during which he played a "waiting game" when courting girls. He would persist in his pursuit, despite any initial rejections, and eventually the girl would come around. This passage represents the idealism and hopefulness of youth, where the idea exists that time is limitless and that eventually, everything one desires can come to fruition.
However, the second verse presents a more sobering perspective, as the singer notes that the young girls in spring have "little to offer but the songs they sing / And the plentiful waste of time of day." The passage implies that youthful dalliances are ultimately insubstantial and unfulfilling, consisting of little more than fleeting pleasures and the passing of time. This sentiment leads to the melancholy chorus, where the singer acknowledges that time is fleeting, and the days grow shorter as one approaches the autumn of their life.
Overall, the lyrics to "September Song" capture a sense of reflection and wistfulness, acknowledging that while youth is hopeful and full of promise, time is ultimately limited.
Line by Line Meaning
When I was a young man courting the girls
In my youth, I used to pursue women
I played me a waiting game
I exercised patience in my pursuit
If a maid refused me with tossing curls
If a woman rejected my advances with disdain
I'd let the old Earth make a couple of whirls
I'd wait for some time before making any further attempts
While I plied her with tears in lieu of pearls
I tried to win her over with my emotional appeals
And as time came around she came my way
Eventually, she reciprocated my feelings
As time came around, she came
As time passed, we became a couple
When you meet with the young girls early in the Spring
When you start dating young women in your early years
You court them in song and rhyme
You woo them with poetry and music
They answer with words and a clover ring
They respond with sweet words and gifts
But if you could examine the goods they bring
But if you look closely at what they offer
They have little to offer but the songs they sing
They have little substance besides their charm
And the plentiful waste of time of day
And the many hours spent in idle talk
A plentiful waste of time
A significant waste of time
Oh, it's a long, long while from May to December
Oh, the time between youth and old age is vast
But the days grow short when you reach September
But as you age, time seems to pass quickly
When the autumn weather turns the leaves to flame
As the weather changes, the leaves turn color and fall from the trees
One hasn't got time for the waiting game
One cannot afford to be patient anymore
Oh, the days dwindle down to a precious few
Oh, the number of days left is rapidly decreasing
September, November
The months when autumn is at its peak
And these few precious days I'll spend with you
And I want to spend them with you, my love
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Royalty Network, Songtrust Ave, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Kurt Weill, Maxwell Anderson
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@bennyjazzful
WOW
Wonderful version of a classic song by the one & only Sammy Davis Jr.
" Nice arrangement " --what an understated comment by ferociousgumby!
Amazing sounds & so,so good---from a 70yo Aussie fan.
@counter-weightmedias2263
I enjoy this music, this is Sammy at his best in the ‘50s
@rader304
Fabulous !
@ferociousgumby
Nice arrangement.