Mary Frances Penick was born on December 30, 1931 in the small Appalachian town of Dry Ridge, Kentucky. As a child, her grandfather nicknamed her "Skeeter" because she was always active and buzzing around like a mosquito. She got her start in music as part of the duo, The Davis Sisters, along with childhood friend, Betty Jack Davis. Thus, Skeeter Davis was born to the rest of the world.
The Davis Sisters sang in the local Lexington, Kentucky area and appeared on local radio WLAX in 1949. From there, they earned radio and television appearances in Detroit, Cincinnati and Wheeling, WV, where they were part of the WWVA Wheeling Jamboree.
In 1952, Skeeter and Betty Jack recorded for Fortune, but won a recording contract with RCA the following year and achieved their first chart success. "I Forgot More Than You'll Ever Know" went to number one on the U.S. country chart and number eighteen on the U.S. pop chart.
Sadly, on August 23, 1953, Skeeter and Betty Jack were involved in a serious car accident in which Betty Jack died and Skeeter was critically injured. It took Skeeter more than a year to recover both physically and mentally. With great difficulty and a lot of persuasion, Skeeter returned to singing with Betty Jack's sister, Georgia Davis, to briefly resume the Davis Sisters' act. But, within a year, the duo broke up and Skeeter pursued a solo career.
She continued to record on the RCA label where she worked with Eddy Arnold and Elvis Presley. In 1955, she toured for RCA on the Caravan of the Stars. Davis teamed up with producer, Chet Atkins and scored her first solo country chart hit in 1958 with "Lost To A Geisha Girl." This was during a time when the female acts were surging forward with "response" songs to some of the biggest hits by male artists. As Kitty Wells had answered Hank Thompson's "Honky Tonk Angels," with "It Wasn't God Who Made Honky Tonk Angels" in 1952, Skeeter Davis put out this answer to Hank Locklin's "Geisha Girl."
A few years later, Davis recorded another answer to a Hank Locklin song and gained another huge hit. Locklin sang "Please Help Me I'm Falling" and Davis' response was, "I Can't Help You, I'm Falling Too."
In 1959, Davis achieved one of her greatest ambitions when she moved to Nashville and became a regular member of the Grand Ole Opry. In 1960, she married WSM personality, Ralph Emery, but the tumultuous marriage ended in 1964.
During the 1960's, Davis was one of RCA's most successful country artists. She harvested 26 U.S. country hits, 12 of which crossed over to the U.S. pop charts. Among these was what was to become her trademark song, the million-selling record "The End Of The World" which peaked at number two in both the U.S. country and pop charts in 1963. She also earned her only UK chart presence with "The End Of The World" which topped out at number eighteen in only thirteen weeks on the chart.
Davis has also acheived songwriting success. Her co-written song "Set Him Free" became her first country Top 10 hit in 1959. She also co-wrote "My Last Date" with Boudleaux Bryant and Floyd Cramer. Cramer, famed pianist and member of the original A-team, recorded it as an instrumental solo and had a million-selling record on it in 1960.
During the 60's and 70's, Davis toured extensively in the U.S., Canada, Europe and Far East. Her solo career started to wane in the 70's, but she still had several more hits such as "Bus Fare To Kentucky," "I'm A Lover, Not A Fighter," and "One Tin Soldier." Her duets with Bobby Bare, George Hamilton IV, and The Bee Gees gave her a few more hits, but by the mid-70's, Davis was reaching the end of her illustrious career. She ended her twenty-two year relationship with RCA in 1974 and charted her last hit for Mercury in 1976 with "I Love Us."
In 1967, Davis recorded a tribute album to Buddy Holly, which featured Waylon Jennings on the guitar. Later in 1972, she also did a tribute album to her friend, Dolly Parton. In 1985, she re-recorded an old Davis Sisters' hit, "May You Never Be Alone," with the group NRBQ. She married Joey Spampanito of NRBQ, but this marriage ultimately ended in divorce as well.
In 1973, Davis was dropped from the Grand Ole Opry's roster due to her strong criticisms of the Nashville Police Department during one of her performances. Her membership was later reinstated.
Davis has also taken to writing about her real life experiences. Her autobiography, "Bus Fare To Kentucky," was published in 1993. Davis pulls no punches in this brutally honest account of her life. She tells how she endured a family history of alcoholism, incest and murder. She also tells her side of the story regarding her four year marriage to Ralph Emery, following the heavy criticism which she received in Emery's autobiography. In 1997, she co-wrote a children's Christmas book, entitled "The Christmas Note," based on her own childhood.
Skeeter Davis passed away September 19th 2004 after a long battle with cancer.
Written by Sherry Anderson. June 2001
* Article appears courtesy of www.countrypolitan.com
Another You
Skeeter Davis Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Just when I thought that you were mine alone you told me there was someone new
Now it's so hard to think of finding someone else
I know there'll never ever be another you
I can't forget the moments that we shared and all the the happiness we knew
Now as I sit alone with all my memories I know there'll never ever be another you
I know there'll never ever be lips as sweet as yours
I know there'll never ever be another you
I've lost the only one that I have ever loved
I know there'll never ever be another never ever be another
Never ever be another never ever be another you
The lyrics of Skeeter Davis’ “Another You” tell the story of a person who has just been rejected by their lover. The singer, who believed that his or her partner was theirs alone, has been informed that their loved one is seeing someone else. The person is left feeling heartbroken and is unable to imagine finding anyone else as special as their past partner, knowing that there will never be another him or her. The song is a lamentation about the irretrievable loss of the one true love; a realization that their memories together will always remain but the one person who made them a reality will never return.
The lyrics of the song seem simple on their surface, but they reveal a deeper story of lost love and the challenges of moving on. The singer is aware that it is futile to try and continue in the same way – their love has been lost, and the narration implies the harsh reality that no one can replace the once beloved. The lines "I know there'll never ever be lips as sweet as yours /I know there'll never ever be another you" underscore the singer's realization that life can never match what was once experienced with the loved one. The song's deeply emotional message is communicated effectively through its bittersweet melody and Davis' emotive vocal performance.
Line by Line Meaning
I know there'll never ever be another you
I am aware that there is no one like you and that I will never find someone else like you.
Just when I thought that you were mine alone you told me there was someone new
I believed that we were exclusive, but you revealed that there was someone else in the picture.
Now it's so hard to think of finding someone else
It is challenging to imagine being with someone else now that I have lost you.
I can't forget the moments that we shared and all the the happiness we knew
The memories of our time together and the joy we experienced are still vivid in my mind.
Now as I sit alone with all my memories I know there'll never ever be another you
As I reflect on the past with only my memories, I recognize that there is no one that can replace you.
I know there'll never ever be lips as sweet as yours
I realize that your lips were unique and that no one else has lips that are as sweet as yours.
I know it's hopeless to go on this way but what is said for me to do
I understand that moving forward seems futile, but I do not know what else to do in this difficult situation.
I've lost the only one that I have ever loved
You were the only person I have ever loved, and now that you are gone, I have lost that love.
I know there'll never ever be another never ever be another
Never ever be another never ever be another you
I am fully aware that there will never be anyone else like you, and I accept that it is a fact.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: NISAN C. STEWART, GLENDON CAMPBELL, WARRYN S. CAMPBELL, JOHN T. JR. SMITH
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
vera sartika
I know there'll never ever be another you
Just when I thought that you were mine alone you told me there was someone new
Now it's so hard to think of finding someone else
I know there'll never ever be another you
I can't forget the moments that we shared and all the the happiness we knew
Now as I sit alone with all my memories I know there'll never ever be another you
I know there'll never ever be lips as sweet as yours
I know there'll never ever be another you
I know it's hopeless to go on this way but what is said for me to do
I've lost the only one that I have ever loved
I know there'll never ever be another never ever be another
Never ever be another never ever be another you
Sham Mohammed
I was a Skeeter Davis fan since I was about eighteen.I had this LP which I played on my record player.
Debbie
What a beautiful and sad song at the same time.Thank you for putting this up and greatly appreciated. God Bless~ Debbie
Tbird Tim
As with many Skeeter Davis records, I either really like it or I don't. This I like! The harmonies remind me of the Everly Brothers.
My Space
Lovely rendition! a great country talent.
Jackson Mpongo
It is music at its best I keep playing even in my dreams
lettermen1
Love it! RIP Skeeter.......
anthony belcher
Awesome song
s94505
How nice voice !
Gregory S. Kharmalki
Most of Skeeter Davis songs are meant for my ex. Every word of each songs they say so.
WILDE MARTY
THE WONDERFUL SKEETER GREAT VOICE.