Samuel George "Sammy" Davis, Jr. (born December 8, 1925 in Harlem, New York… Read Full Bio ↴Samuel George "Sammy" Davis, Jr. (born December 8, 1925 in Harlem, New York; died May 16, 1990 in Beverly Hills, California) was a Grammy Award winning singer, Golden Globe and Emmy Award winning actor, dancer, multi-instrumentalist and only black member of Frank Sinatra's The Rat Pack. Davis began his career with his father and uncle in the Will Mastin Trio and he toured nationally with them, only leaving due to military service. He became an overnight sensation following a nightclub performance at Ciro's after the 1951 Academy Awards, became a successful recording artist and then made his first film performances later that decade.

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.

Too Darn Hot
Sammy Davis Jr. Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

It's too darn hot
It's too darn hot

I'd like to sup with my baby tonight
And play the pup with my baby tonight
I'd like to sup with my baby tonight
And play the pup with my baby tonight
But I ain't up to my baby tonight

Cause it's too darn hot
It's too darn hot
It's too darn hot

I'd like to stop for my baby tonight
And blow my top with my baby tonight
I'd like to stop with my baby tonight
And blow my top with my baby tonight
But I'd be a flop with my baby tonight
Cause it's too darn hot,
It's too darn hot
It's too darn hot

I'd like to fool with my baby tonight
Break every rule with my baby tonight
I'd like to fool with my baby tonight
Break every rule with my baby tonight
But pillow you'll be my baby tonight
Cause it's too darn hot
It's too darn hot

According to the Kinsey report
Every average man you know
Much prefers to play his favorite sport
When the temperature is low
But when the thermometer goes way up

And the weather is sizzling hot
Mister Adam for his madam is not
Cause it's too too
It's too darn hot, it's too darn hot
It's too too too too darn hot

I'd like to call on my baby tonight
And give my all to my baby tonight
I'd like to call on my baby tonight
And give my all to my baby tonight
But I can't play ball with my baby tonight
Cause it's too darn hot
It's too darn hot

I'd like to meet with my baby tonight
Get off my feet with my baby tonight
I'd like to meet with my baby tonight
Get off my feet with my baby tonight
But no repeat with my baby tonight
Cause it's too darn hot
It's too darn hot

I'd like to coo with my baby tonight
And pitch some woo with my baby tonight
I'd like to coo with my baby tonight
And pitch some woo with my baby tonight
But sister you fight my baby tonight
Cause it's too darn hot
It's too darn hot

According to the Kinsey report
Every average man you know
Much prefers to play his favorite sport
When the temperature is low
But when the thermometer goes way up
And the weather is sizzling hot
Mister GOB for his squab,
A marine for his queen
A G.I. for his cutie-pie is not
Cause it's too too too darn hot
It's too darn hot
It's too darn hot

Overall Meaning

In Sammy Davis Jr.'s song Too Darn Hot, the singer is trying to express his frustration about the heat, which is preventing him from enjoying time with his girlfriend. The lyrics talk about wanting to have a romantic dinner (“sup with my baby”), engage in playful activities (“play the pup”), and be intimate (“pitch some woo”) with his significant other. However, the heat is making him too uncomfortable to follow through on these desires. The song also references the Kinsey report, a study about human sexuality from the 1950s, which suggests that men prefer to engage in sexual activity when the temperature is low.

The repetition of the phrase “it’s too darn hot” emphasizes the discomfort that the heat is causing, and the use of colloquialisms, such as “blow my top,” “coo,” and “squab,” add a playful and romantic tone to the song. The lyrics express the feeling of being thwarted by an uncontrollable external force, echoing the feeling of being trapped in unbearable conditions.

Overall, "Too Darn Hot" is a sonically delightful song that combines jazz, swing, and traditional show tunes. It showcases Sammy Davis Jr.'s unparalleled talent as a performer, as he effortlessly combines humor, romance, and frustration in his vocal delivery.

Line by Line Meaning

It's too darn hot
The weather is unpleasantly hot

It's too darn hot
The weather is still unpleasantly hot

I'd like to sup with my baby tonight And play the pup with my baby tonight I'd like to sup with my baby tonight And play the pup with my baby tonight But I ain't up to my baby tonight Cause it's too darn hot It's too darn hot It's too darn hot
I want to have dinner with and fool around with my partner, but I am too uncomfortable due to the heat

I'd like to stop for my baby tonight And blow my top with my baby tonight I'd like to stop with my baby tonight And blow my top with my baby tonight But I'd be a flop with my baby tonight Cause it's too darn hot, It's too darn hot It's too darn hot
I want to flirt and have fun with my partner, but I cannot perform well due to the heat making me feel unwell

I'd like to fool with my baby tonight Break every rule with my baby tonight I'd like to fool with my baby tonight Break every rule with my baby tonight But pillow you'll be my baby tonight Cause it's too darn hot It's too darn hot
I want to be mischievous and break the rules with my partner, but I will be too tired and sleepy to do so because of the heat

According to the Kinsey report Every average man you know Much prefers to play his favorite sport When the temperature is low But when the thermometer goes way up And the weather is sizzling hot Mister Adam for his madam is not Cause it's too too It's too darn hot, it's too darn hot It's too too too too darn hot
Men prefer to indulge in sports when the weather is cooler, but when it is too hot, they cannot even satisfy their partners

I'd like to call on my baby tonight And give my all to my baby tonight I'd like to call on my baby tonight And give my all to my baby tonight But I can't play ball with my baby tonight Cause it's too darn hot It's too darn hot
I want to spend time with my partner and give my best effort, but I cannot play sports or engage in physical activities due to the heat

I'd like to meet with my baby tonight Get off my feet with my baby tonight I'd like to meet with my baby tonight Get off my feet with my baby tonight But no repeat with my baby tonight Cause it's too darn hot It's too darn hot
I want to see my partner and relax, but I cannot repeat as I will be too exhausted from the heat to perform again

I'd like to coo with my baby tonight And pitch some woo with my baby tonight I'd like to coo with my baby tonight And pitch some woo with my baby tonight But sister you fight my baby tonight Cause it's too darn hot It's too darn hot
I want to be charming with my partner and flirt, but my partner will be too irritated to participate due to the heat

According to the Kinsey report Every average man you know Much prefers to play his favorite sport When the temperature is low But when the thermometer goes way up And the weather is sizzling hot Mister GOB for his squab, A marine for his queen A G.I. for his cutie-pie is not Cause it's too too too darn hot It's too darn hot It's too darn hot
Even men in relationships with women with different titles (as in Mister for his madam, GOB for his squab, marine for his queen, and G.I. for his cutie-pie) are unable to fulfill their desires due to the excessive heat.

Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: COLE PORTER

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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Comments from YouTube:

@user-vs8kp4uz8h

11y↑3

this is terrific. Mel Torme has another great version. Thanks for posting.

@BruceTheSillyGoose

6y↑2

SING IT! he RULES this song! RIP.

@CATWITCHJudie

8y↑2

YEAHH, it swingsssss :)

@michaelholland1189

10y↑2

Djean Schna, the version by a woman is probably Ella Fitzgerald's amazing version. She is incredible, and Sammy is great too here, but Ella wins out due to her stellar emotional take on the song, and her superior technical abilities too! Sammy was no slouch, it's obvious he was incredible, but Ella was one in a billion, where Sammy was one in ten million! Is that all LOL:-)