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.
That Lucky Old Sun
Sammy Davis Jr. Lyrics
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But that lucky old sun has nothin' to do
But roll around heaven all day
Fuss with my woman toil for my kids
Sweat 'til I'm wrinkled and gray
While that lucky old sun has nothin' to do
But roll around heaven all day
Good Lawd above, can't you know I'm pinin'
Tears all in my eyes
Send down that cloud with a silver linin'
Lift me to paradise
Show me that river
Take me across and wash all my troubles away
Like that lucky old sun, give me nothin' to do
But roll around heaven all day
Up in the mornin' out on the job,
Work like the devil for my pay
But that lucky old sun has nothin' to do
But roll around heaven all day
Fuss with my woman toil for my kids
Sweat 'til I'm wrinkled and gray
While that lucky old sun has nothin' to do
But roll around heaven all day
Good Lawd above, can't you know I'm pinin'
Tears all in my eyes
Send down that cloud with a silver linin'
Lift me to paradise
Show me that river
Take me across and wash all my troubles away
Like that lucky old sun, give me nothin' to do
But roll around heaven all day
The song "That Lucky Old Sun" by Sammy Davis Jr. is a melancholic yet hopeful song about the struggles of daily life while dreaming of an easy life in heaven. The first verse describes the singer's daily tasks of working hard for his pay while the sun above seems to have nothing to do but roll around in heaven all day. The second verse is a prayer to God asking for relief from the struggles of life on earth, with tears in the singer's eyes and a desire to be lifted to paradise.
The imagery of the song is powerful, with the lucky sun rolling around in heaven while the singer toils and struggles on earth. The song is also filled with longing for relief, from the hard work of daily life to the struggles of relationships and parenting. It speaks to the universal desire for an easier life and the hope of finding that relief in something greater than ourselves.
Line by Line Meaning
Up in the mornin' out on the job, work like the devil for my pay
I wake up early every morning to work hard and earn my living
But that lucky old sun has nothin' to do But roll around heaven all day
Meanwhile, the sun just exists without any worries, rolling around in the sky
Fuss with my woman toil for my kids Sweat 'til I'm wrinkled and gray
I struggle to take care of my family, working hard until I am physically worn out
While that lucky old sun has nothin' to do But roll around heaven all day
Yet the sun continues to just exist without any worries or work to do
Good Lawd above, can't you know I'm pinin' Tears all in my eyes
Dear Lord, can't you see that I'm longing for a better life? I am so sad and overwhelmed
Send down that cloud with a silver linin' Lift me to paradise
Please send me some relief, take me away to a better place
Show me that river Take me across and wash all my troubles away
Take me to a peaceful river where I can forget all my worries and be free
Like that lucky old sun, give me nothin' to do But roll around heaven all day
I wish I could just exist without any worries or work, like the sun rolling around in the sky
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Downtown Music Publishing
Written by: Beasley Smith, Haven Gillespie
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind