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.
Stan' Up An' Fight
Sammy Davis Jr. Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I'm sure glad to be,
To be where I c'n see
So many friends o' mine.
How've I been doin'?
How've I been doin'?
If you really wanta know de truth,
I'm doin' fine!
Decisions in a row,
An' only five on points;
De res' was all K.O.
Jackson an' Johnson,
Murphy an' Bronson,
One by one dey come,
An' one by one to dreamland dey go.
How's it done?
You ask me, how's it done?
I got a trainer man
Who taught me all I need to know.
Sure feels good to have him in my corner,
Hear his voice a-whisp'rin' low:
"Big boy, remember,
You mus' remember
Stan' up an' fight until you hear de bell,
Stan' toe to toe,
Trade blow fer blow,
Keep punchin' till you make yer punches tell,
Show dat crowd watcher know!
Until you hear dat bell,
Dat final bell,
Stan' up an' fight like hell!"
When you fight
Out in de open air,
In a patch o' light
De ring looks small an' white.
Out in de blackness,
Out in de blackness,
You c'n feel a hun'erd thousan' eyes
Fillin' de night.
Cigarettes
Are blinkin' in de dark,
An' makin' polka dots
Aroun' de baseball park,
People are quiet~
Den dere's a riot!
Someone t'rows a punch
An' plants it right smack on de mark...
Somebody's hurt,
You kinda think it's you.
You hang across de ropes
Da's all you want to do.
Den you look aroun' an' see your trainer's eyes,
Beggin' you to see it through,
Dey say, "Remember,
Big Boy, remember
Stan' up an' fight until you hear de bell,
Stan' toe to toe,
Trade blow fer blow,
Keep punchin' till you make yer punches tell,
Show dat crowd watcher know!
Until you hear dat bell,
Dat final bell,
Stan, up an' fight like hell!"
The song "Stan' Up an' Fight" by Sammy Davis Jr. is about a boxer, detailing his thoughts and feelings during a match. The opening lines express his gratitude to be in the presence of his friends and his contentment with his life. He mentions his winning streak, knocking out 12 opponents in a row, with only 5 of them lasting until the end of the fight. He then names a few notable boxers such as Jackson, Johnson, Murphy, and Bronson, hinting at their downfall in the ring. The boxer attributes his success to his trainer, who has taught him everything he knows.
The next verse describes the ambiance of the fight, how the blackness around the ring is filled with the eyes of the spectators, with cigarettes creating a polka dot effect in the darkness. The boxer then mentions a brawl that breaks out in the crowd, and while he's hanging on the ropes, he sees his trainer's eyes "begging him to see it through." His trainer's words of encouragement are then repeated, "Stan' Up an' Fight until you hear de bell, Stan' toe to toe, Trade blow fer blow, Keep punchin' till you make yer punches tell, Show dat crowd watcher know! Until you hear dat bell, Dat final bell, Stan' up an' fight like hell!"
The lyrics reflect the never-ending fight for survival and one's dreams. The boxer's triumph in the ring mirrors the struggles we face in everyday life. The encouragement given by the trainer shows the importance of having someone by our side, pushing us to our limits, and helping us reach our goals.
Line by Line Meaning
I'm sure glad to be, To be where I c'n see So many friends o' mine.
I am very happy to be in a place where I can see so many of my friends.
How've I been doin'? How've I been doin'? If you really wanta know de truth, I'm doin' fine!
If you want to know how I am doing, I am doing well!
Seventeen Decisions in a row, An' only five on points; De res' was all K.O.
Out of the seventeen decisions I made, only five were based on points, while the rest were made by knockout.
Jackson an' Johnson, Murphy an' Bronson, One by one dey come, An' one by one to dreamland dey go.
Fighters like Jackson, Johnson, Murphy, and Bronson come one by one, and one by one, they get knocked out.
How's it done? You ask me, how's it done? I got a trainer man Who taught me all I need to know.
If you're wondering how I became a successful fighter, I learned everything I know from my trainer.
Sure feels good to have him in my corner, Hear his voice a-whisp'rin' low:
It feels great to have my trainer by my side, quietly encouraging me.
"Big boy, remember, You mus' remember Stan' up an' fight until you hear de bell, Stan' toe to toe, Trade blow fer blow, Keep punchin' till you make yer punches tell, Show dat crowd watcher know! Until you hear dat bell, Dat final bell, Stan' up an' fight like hell!"
My trainer's advice to me is to keep fighting until the final bell, give it my all, don't hold back, show the crowd what I'm made of!
When you fight Out in the open air, In a patch o' light De ring looks small an' white.
When you fight outside, the ring looks small and white in the patch of light.
Out in de blackness, Out in de blackness, You c'n feel a hun'erd thousan' eyes Fillin' de night.
In the darkness, you can feel a hundred thousand eyes watching you.
Cigarettes Are blinkin' in de dark, An' makin' polka dots Aroun' de baseball park, People are quiet~ Den dere's a riot!
Cigarettes are lighting up and making polka dots around the baseball park. People are quiet until a riot breaks out!
Someone t'rows a punch An' plants it right smack on de mark... Somebody's hurt, You kinda think it's you.
Someone throws a punch and hits the mark; someone is hurt and you start to think it's you.
You hang across de ropes Da's all you want to do. Den you look aroun' an' see your trainer's eyes, Beggin' you to see it through, Dey say, "Remember, Big Boy, remember Stan' up an' fight until you hear de bell, Stan' toe to toe, Trade blow fer blow, Keep punchin' till you make yer punches tell, Show dat crowd watcher know! Until you hear dat bell, Dat final bell, Stan, up an' fight like hell!"
You hang on the ropes, feeling defeated, but then you look and see your trainer's eyes, and they urge you to remember their earlier advice: to fight until you hear the final bell and give it all you have got!
Lyrics © IMAGEM U.S. LLC
Written by: GEORGE BIZET, OSCAR HAMMERSTEIN II
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind