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
Bus Fare To Kentucky
Skeeter Davis Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Today my bus pulled out of old Kentucky
My daddy waved and mama cried and I felt all choked up inside
Cause I was leavin' everyone that loved me.
The first I saw of city ways went against how I was raised
This country girl was really out of place
And I was set to go back home but I was broke and all alone
But I didn't have the bus fare to Kentucky
Or this city would have seen the last of me
I didn't have the bus fare to Kentucky
And that old Grey Dog won't let me ride for free.
--- Instrumental ---
I met a boy from Tennessee and I guess he reminded me
Of someone that I knew in old Kentucky
It was good to have a friend and it was good to laugh with him
And it was good to hear him say he loved me.
I never thought he'd do me wrong so I gladly went along
I loved him more than any man I've known
And after he had all his fun he told me that our love was done
And then he left this country girl alone.
I didn't have the bus fare to Kentucky
Or this city would have seen the last of me
I didn't have the bus fare to Kentucky
And that old Grey Dog won't let me ride for free.
I can't afford to go first class so I'll make it the best I can
Anything to get my feet on that good Kentucky land
My thumb is in the air and my suitcase by my side
Won't somebody give this poor old country girl a ride.
Kentucky I'm a comin' home I'll never leave you anymore
Kentucky I don't know why I ever strayed
Kentucky your bluegrass bridges and your valleys call to me
Kentucky I'm comin' home to stay
Kentucky I'm a comin' home I'll never leave you anymore...
Skeeter Davis's song Bus Fare to Kentucky is about a young woman who leaves her home in Kentucky for the first time to travel to the city. The lyrics express her feelings of homesickness and culture shock as she struggles to adapt to life in the city. The singer describes how she felt overwhelmed by the city and longed to return home. However, she was unable to afford the bus fare and felt trapped in the city.
The lyrics also describe the singer falling in love with a man from Tennessee who reminded her of someone from her hometown. However, after he had used her for his own pleasure, he left her alone in the city. This experience made her even more determined to return home to Kentucky, where she felt safe and loved.
Line by Line Meaning
I know I'm just a country girl I hadn't seen much of the world
The singer is acknowledging that they come from a small, rural area and hasn't had much exposure to the wider world.
Today my bus pulled out of old Kentucky
The singer is leaving their home state of Kentucky on a bus.
My daddy waved and mama cried and I felt all choked up inside
The singer's parents are seeing them off and the singer is feeling emotional.
Cause I was leavin' everyone that loved me.
The artist is leaving behind people who love them, which is causing them to feel sad.
The first I saw of city ways went against how I was raised
The artist encountered a culture shock upon arriving in the city because it was not aligned with their rural upbringing.
This country girl was really out of place
The singer feels like they don't fit in with the city lifestyle.
And I was set to go back home but I was broke and all alone
The singer wanted to return home, but they didn't have the funds and were alone.
And I couldn't find another friendly face.
The artist was unable to find anyone else who was kind and willing to help them.
But I didn't have the bus fare to Kentucky
The artist lacked the money to purchase a bus ticket to return home to Kentucky.
Or this city would have seen the last of me
The artist would have left the city for good if they had the funds for a bus ticket home.
I met a boy from Tennessee and I guess he reminded me
The singer encountered a man from Tennessee who reminded them of someone they knew back in Kentucky.
Of someone that I knew in old Kentucky
The man the artist meets in Tennessee reminds them of someone they knew back home in Kentucky.
It was good to have a friend and it was good to laugh with him
The singer enjoyed having someone to talk to and share laughs with.
And it was good to hear him say he loved me.
The singer was happy to hear the man express his love for them.
I never thought he'd do me wrong so I gladly went along
The singer trusted the man and was willing to follow him.
I loved him more than any man I've known
The artist had strong feelings for the man.
And after he had all his fun he told me that our love was done
The man used the artist for his own enjoyment and then ended the relationship.
And then he left this country girl alone.
The man abandoned the singer after using them.
I can't afford to go first class so I'll make it the best I can
The singer can't afford a luxury mode of transportation, so they settle for less in order to get home the best way they can.
Anything to get my feet on that good Kentucky land
The artist is willing to do what it takes to return home to Kentucky.
My thumb is in the air and my suitcase by my side
The artist is hitchhiking with their suitcase as they try to get back to Kentucky.
Won't somebody give this poor old country girl a ride.
The artist is asking for help from anyone who is willing to give them a ride.
Kentucky I'm a comin' home I'll never leave you anymore
The singer is excited to return to Kentucky and vows to never leave again.
Kentucky I don't know why I ever strayed
The artist is unsure why they ever left Kentucky in the first place.
Kentucky your bluegrass bridges and your valleys call to me
The singer is drawn to the natural beauty of Kentucky.
Kentucky I'm comin' home to stay
The singer is returning to Kentucky with the intention of staying there permanently.
Kentucky I'm a comin' home I'll never leave you anymore...
The singer repeats their excitement about returning home to Kentucky and their vow to stay there permanently.
Contributed by Mackenzie C. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Anne Gwinner
fav song ... thx from germany skeeter davis ...
packingten
RIP Skeeter
Gabriella Bailey
I love this song from I was a little girl 2018
truckerbelly
thanks for posting my favorite Skeeter song
KY Stars
She went to the same high school as me. I came there a number of years after she graduated there. but the school was still the same. Still the same now. They added a new gym, the only real change. The old gym is still there. Dixie Heights high school
phoenix penn
that's awesome
Ariff Ariffin
kystars wow so how old are u now
The Outsider
Superb
KY Stars
I am also from Kentucky. I wanted to post a little more. She was born in Glencoe and grew up in Dry Ridge, Ky. I live just 20 minutes north of Dry Ridge. a nice little country town. She was born in Glencoe, Ky. Glencoe , wow talk about a country town. You are on top of a steep hill looking down in the valley and you see Glencoe. when you drive down the road and get there, its surrounded by forest. There are only about 4 or 5 rows of houses. very small little town. There was a white building as I approached.....with letters in black that just say RESTAURANT. good food, but this little town is just that. Later she had moved north and went to school in Covington. everyone may know that town now after that incident with the boy who went to school there and that man which the news media tried to say the boy started trouble , when in fact he did nothing at all. He sued and won a large amount of money. good for him. but Covington in the 50s actually was a large gambling area. larger than Las Vegas. it was number 1 actually. Over the years they slowly removed the gambling places. There are a number of actors that were also from Covington, including Robert Wilke. IF you ever watched Westerns, you saw him a lot. He was in the Bonanza series often. He always played a bad guy. He was in many movies. He was also a sergeant in the movie FROM HERE TO ETERNITY. But mostly played in Westerns. If you look him up, it says he was from Cincinnati. but not true, he was from Northern Kentucky.. Covington. He knew my dad and came to my dad's grandfather's house a lot. My great grandpa was annoyed with him when he said he was from Cincinnati. He said because he didn't think anyone would know Covington, so he picked Cincinnati, which is right across the river. So Skeeter Davis.. not her real name btw went to school there. So yes she really is from Kentucky and did grow up in the country. She graduated school in 1949 from Dixie Heights high school in Edgewood, KY. Where I also graduated. I graduated a number of years after she did.
Timothy Polley
Make sure to read her book: Bus Fare to Kentucky.