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.
The People Tree
Sammy Davis Jr. Lyrics
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Wouldn't it be nice to make a people tree.
The likes of you,
The likes of me.
We can do it very easily.
We barely even have to try.
Let a little time go by.
And pretty soon before we know it.
Suddenly the two of us are one, two, three.
And there we see, our people tree.
Soon the score is up to four or more.
As other little branches grow.
(Other little branches grow)
That's the way it's meant to go.
And there's no way I know to slow it.
(There's no way to slow it)
(What a source of mutual satisfaction when we see the tree bare room)
Evidence beyond dispute of all our mutual attraction.
Nothing is as lovely as a people tree.
(the people tree)
I think that we
(I'd think that we)
Would all agree
(would all agree)
Of the miracles that God created.
Rated number one.
Would have to be the people tree.
The People Tree by Sammy Davis Jr. is a song that speaks of the beauty and wonder of human connection. The lyrics suggest that it would be wonderful to create a people tree - a tree made up of individuals like you and me. The song encourages the listener to recognize the ease with which this can be done and to take advantage of the opportunity to create a people tree by simply letting time pass. The resulting growth of the tree and the little branches that grow from it are seen as evidence of mutual attraction, connection, and love.
The song is a celebration of the human experience and the connections that we make with one another. The lyrics invite the listener to witness the unfolding of the people tree, which is described as a source of mutual satisfaction as we see evidence of our connections to one another. The people tree is portrayed as a wonder of creation - a miracle that is rated number one among all of God's creations. The song encourages us to cherish these connections and to revel in the beauty of the people tree.
Overall, The People Tree is a song that is full of warmth and positivity. It is a call to recognize the beauty of human connection and to celebrate the growth of our relationships with one another. The song encourages us to revel in the wonder of the people tree, which is a testament to the power of human connection and love.
Line by Line Meaning
Hay,
Expression of surprise or greeting
Wouldn't it be nice to make a people tree.
Wouldn't it be wonderful to bring people together and form a community?
The likes of you,
People like you with whom we want to connect
The likes of me.
People like me with whom we want to connect
We can do it very easily.
We can connect easily without much effort
We barely even have to try.
It doesn't take much effort to form bonds with others
Let a little time go by.
Just give it some time
And pretty soon before we know it.
Before we realize it
(soon before we know it)
Repeated emphasis that things will happen quickly
Suddenly the two of us are one, two, three.
We will form connections with others so easily that we will become a group of three in no time
And there we see, our people tree.
We will be proud of the community that we have formed
Soon the score is up to four or more.
More people will join us, and we'll grow to be four or more
As other little branches grow.
Just as the tree branches out, so will the group
(Other little branches grow)
Emphasis that growth will continue naturally
That's the way it's meant to go.
This growth is natural and healthy
And there's no way I know to slow it.
We don't want to or need to slow down the growth and forming of connections
(There's no way to slow it)
Repeated emphasis that growth will happen continuously
(What a source of mutual satisfaction when we see the tree bare room)
We will be happy when we see our community grow from what was once a bare room
Evidence beyond dispute of all our mutual attraction.
This community will be a sign of the attraction that we feel toward each other
Nothing is as lovely as a people tree.
There is nothing as beautiful as a community of people
(the people tree)
Repetition of the main idea of the song
I think that we
I believe that we
(I'd think that we)
Emphasis on the belief that we all share this idea
Would all agree
We would all come to the same conclusion
(would all agree)
Repeated emphasis that we all feel the same way
Of the miracles that God created.
Out of all the incredible things God has created
Rated number one.
This community will be the most wonderful thing created by God.
Contributed by Emily T. Suggest a correction in the comments below.