Early life
Samuel George "Sammy" Davis, Jr. was born in New York City, New York to Elvera Sanchez (1905-2000)[1], a Puerto Rican tap dancer, and Sammy Davis, Sr. (1900-1988), 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. During his lifetime Sammy Davis, Jr. stated that his mother was Puerto Rican and born in San Juan.[2] As a child he learned how to dance from his father and his "uncle" Will Mastin, who led the dance troupe his father worked for. Davis joined the act as a young child 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, for instance. When Davis served in the United States Army during World War II however, he was 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."
Career
While in the service, however, he joined an integrated entertainment Special Services unit, and found that the spotlight removed some of the prejudice. "My talent was the weapon, the power, the way for me to fight. It was the one way I might hope to affect a man's thinking," he said.[3]
Sammy Davis, Jr. (left) with Roy Wilkins (right) at the 1963 Civil Rights March on Washington, D.C.
After he was discharged, Davis rejoined the dance act which played at a wide variety of spots around Portland Oregon, and began to achieve success on his own as he was singled out for praise by critics. The next year, he released his second album. The next move in his growing career was to appear in the Broadway show Mr. Wonderful in 1956.
In 1959, he became a member of the Rat Pack, which was led by his old friend Frank Sinatra, and included such fellow performers as Dean Martin, Joey Bishop, Peter Lawford, and Shirley MacLaine. Initially, Sinatra called the gathering of fast-living friends "the Clan," but Sam voiced his opposition, saying that it invoked thoughts about the Ku Klux Klan. Sinatra renamed the group "the Summit"...but nevertheless, the media kept on calling it the Rat Pack all along.
Davis was a headliner at The Frontier Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada for many years, yet was required to accept accommodations in a rooming house on the west side of the city, rather than reside with his peers in the hotels, as were all black performers in the 1950s. For example, no stage dressing rooms were provided for black performers, so they were required to wait outside by the swimming pool between acts. [4]
During his early years in Las Vegas, he and other African-American artists like Nat King Cole and Count Basie could entertain on the stage, but often could not reside at the hotels at which they performed, and most definitely could not gamble in the casinos or go to the hotel restaurants and bars. After he achieved superstar success, Davis refused to work at venues which would practice racial segregation. His demands eventually led to the integration of Miami Beach nightclubs and Las Vegas casinos. Davis was particularly proud of this accomplishment. [5]
Although James Brown would claim the title of "Hardest Working Man in Show Business," the argument could be made that Sammy Davis, Jr. deserved it more. For example, in 1964 he was starring in Golden Boy at night and shooting his own New York-based afternoon talk show during the day. When he could get a day off from the theater, he would either be in the studio recording new songs, or else performing live, often at charity benefits as far away as Miami, Chicago and Las Vegas, or doing television variety specials in Los Angeles. Even at the time, Sam knew he was cheating his family of his company, but he couldn't help himself; as he later said, he was incapable of standing still.
Although still a huge draw in Las Vegas, Davis' musical career had sputtered out by the latter years of the 1960s, although he had a #11 hit (#1 on the Easy Listening singles chart) with "I've Gotta Be Me" in 1969. An attempt to update his sound and reconnect with younger people resulted in some embarrassing "hip" musical efforts with the Motown record label.[6] But then, even as his career seemed at its nadir, Sammy had an unexpected worldwide smash hit with "Candy Man". Although he didn't particularly care for the song and was chagrined that he was now best known for it, Davis made the most of his new opportunity and revitalized his career. Although he enjoyed no more Top 40 hits, he did enjoy some extra popularity with his performance of the theme song from the T.V. series Baretta (1975-1978) which was not released as a single but was given extensive radio play and he remained a successful live act beyond Vegas for the remainder of his career. He would still occasionally land television and film parts, including high profile visits to the All in the Family series playing himself. In the 1970s, he also appeared in a series of memorable commercials in Japan for Suntory whiskey.
On December 11, 1967, NBC broadcast a musical-variety special entitled Movin' With Nancy. In addition to the Emmy Award-winning musical performances, the show is famous for Nancy Sinatra and Sammy Davis, Jr. greeting each other with a kiss, one of the first black-white kisses in U.S. television history.[7]
In Japan, Davis appeared in television commercials for coffee, and in the U.S. he joined Sinatra and Martin in a radio commercial for a Chicago car dealership.
Davis was one of the first male celebrities to admit to watching television soap operas, particularly the shows produced by the American Broadcasting Company. This admission led to him making a cameo appearance on General Hospital and playing the recurring character Chip Warren on One Life to Live for which he received a Daytime Emmy nomination in 1980. He was also a game show fan, making a cameo on the ABC version of Family Feud in 1979, and hosting a question with Richard Dawson watching from the sidelines. He appeared on Tattletales with third wife Altovise Davis in the 1970s. He also made a cameo during an episode of the NBC version of Card Sharks in 1981.
Davis was an avid photographer who enjoyed shooting family and acquaintances. His body of work was detailed in a 2007 book by Burt Boyar. "Jerry [Lewis] gave me my first important camera, my first 35 millimeter, during the Ciro's period, early '50s," Boyar quotes Davis. "And he hooked me." Davis used a medium format camera later on to capture images. Again quoting Davis, "Nobody interrupts a man taking a picture to ask... 'What's that nigger doin' here?' ". His catalogue of photos include rare shots of his father dancing onstage as part of the Will Mastin Trio. Also, intimate snapshots of close friends: Jerry Lewis, Dean Martin, Frank Sinatra, James Dean, Nat "King" Cole and Marilyn Monroe. His political affiliations also were represented in his images of: Robert Kennedy, Jackie Kennedy, Martin Luther King Jr. His most revealing work comes in photographs of wife May Britt and their three children, Tracey, Jeff and Mark.
(Credit Wikipidia.org)
The People Tree
Sammy Davis Jr. Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
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.
Mike Wise
As the Cheery song begins the camera fades in from black to a beautiful Forest. Sparse and hilly, the first verse invites us to look around.
The camera pans overlooking the beautiful landscape and then centers on a point and begins to zoom in.
As the camera pulls in the second verse begins and we notice that the sound begins to slow and distort. There is a mass of some sort in the horizon it looks to be in the shape of a tree. As the picture becomes clearer a horrible sight appears.
A mass of humanity beginning from the ground sprouting to the heavens. Human dead carcasses seemingly plastered together in the shape of a tree trunk. The branches of this tree made from limbs. Perhaps a hand or two waves in the breeze. Maybe there is a head scattered here and there or a skull. Instead of sap there is blood dripping down the sides of the trunk, or what appears to be a trunk.
To the right is a horrific looking Maniac known only as the gardener. As he gazes upon his masterpiece, the picture begins to stutter and roll vertically. Sammy's voice and music have become terribly distorted. The music ends at a point, the reverb rolling to nothingness. The picture fades to Black.
Over the back black round a phrase written in red in Gothic font appears.
"The People Tree"
dexoticaqua
1971, I was 9yrs old, my brother and I had been given back to our mother who had a new husband that abused us. It was so horrible and really bloody. But on this day my mother had taken us to the laundromat(free from him for a while). I sat down in one of those plastic chairs and he(Sammy) started to sing this song on the radio and for the first time I escaped to a better life mentally. Today I’ve been in a 30yr relationship, happy home, and it was this song that started me to believe it possible. Where ever you are Sammy, I hope you found happiness. I miss you.
Kenny Charles
Sammy simply the best what more can I say than I love all his music he was blessed with talent ..
Syneathia Bell
I listen to Sammy everyday...Thank you for posting this 💗
Vinnie Vegas
Knocks it out of the park every time.
LifeWorks, ndh enterprises,llc.
Brings back memories,we sang that in school
Sammy had brought the child on all of us. It he fo looked like my father 5/7/1990- rest in peace, papa Sammy.
Kathleen Varco
Love this song classic also my other favorite song of sammy Davis jr candyman
Petunia-Liebling MacPumpkin
Its interesting to hear, but I am still partial to Newley's version. Sammy always sings all my fav songs!
Robert Michael
I HEARD THIS SONG BY THE LATE GREAT SAMMY DAVIS JR. ON THE RADIO THIS MORNING AND I HAVE TO SAY I LOVE IT :):) AWESOME:) RIP ALWAYS SAMMY:)
Joe Cohen
yessssssss!...im feeling happy and joyful now! :-) sweet gingerbread man!
Joe Cohen
yessssssss!...im feeling happy and joyful now! :-)