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
Don't Let Me Cross Over
Skeeter Davis Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Don't let me cross over stay out of my way
You know that I love you and I'm not the cheating kind
Don't let me cross over love's cheating line.
Don't let me cross over love's cheating line
You belong to another you can never be mine
I know one step closer would be heaven divine
--- Instrumental ---
I've tried to forget you but what else can I do
When your eyes keep saying that you love me too
I know if I lose you not a dream would I have left
I don't want to cheat dear but I can't help myself.
Don't let me cross over love's cheating line
You belong to another you can never be mine
I know one step closer would be heaven divine
Don't let me cross over love's cheating line...
The lyrics of Skeeter Davis's "Don't Let Me Cross Over" speak of the internal conflict and struggle of the singer who is torn between their love for someone who is already taken and their moral conscience. The singer acknowledges their love for the person but knows that acting on it would be a violation of moral principles. The first verse subtly suggests that the singer's desire is extremely strong, but the second verse reveals their emotional vulnerability and desperation, "I've tried to forget you but what else can I do, When your eyes keep saying that you love me too". The chorus stresses the need for restraint, that the love interest belongs to another, and their desire to cross the line between love and infidelity should be suppressed.
The singer recognizes the gravity of the potential consequences of embracing their love interest, as it could end their relationship and have irreversible effects. However, with their feelings and emotions running deep, they are struggling to keep themselves in check. The singer recognizes the moral high ground and emphasizes the fact that they are not the cheating kind of person. The chorus constantly repeats the line "Don't let me cross over love's cheating line" emphasizing the importance of sticking to one's morals and ethics to not end up hurting people.
Overall, the lyrics evoke the internal struggle and moral dilemma that arise when tempted to betray one's moral values for the sake of love. Skeeter Davis's performance adds to the melancholic tonality of the song and enhances the lyrics' emotions.
Line by Line Meaning
I'm tempted my darling to steal you away
I'm feeling a strong urge to take you away from your current partner
Don't let me cross over stay out of my way
Please prevent me from acting on my emotions and coming between you and your partner
You know that I love you and I'm not the cheating kind
I want you to know that my intentions are pure and I'm not someone who is used to cheating
Don't let me cross over love's cheating line.
I'm afraid of crossing a boundary that would make me a dishonest person
You belong to another you can never be mine
I am aware of the fact that you are already committed to someone else and I can never have you
I know one step closer would be heaven divine
I can't resist the temptation of being closer to you, even if it's just one step
I've tried to forget you but what else can I do
I have attempted to forget you but it seems impossible and I'm now at a crossroads
When your eyes keep saying that you love me too
Despite the fact that you are committed to someone else, your eyes show me that you have feelings for me
I know if I lose you not a dream would I have left
I understand that if I lose you, I would not have anything to hold on to or live for
I don't want to cheat dear but I can't help myself
I don't have the intention to deceive you, but my emotions are so strong that I'm finding it difficult to control myself
Contributed by Eva T. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@donaldewert2402
I Can't Believe SKeeter Davis isn't in Country Music Hall of Fame. I met her once and it was like meeting an old friend. SKeeter was one of the nicest, down to earth people I've ever met!!
@waynejohanson1083
That is hard to believe. How can she not be in the hall.
@WildPhotoShooter
The Hall of fame overlooked many people that should have been inducted, they have made some amends in the last decade but there are still many that have been forgotten. Some recent so called country singers have been inducted even before people like Skeeter and Connie Smith . It is a disgrace.
@waynejohanson1083
How is that possible that she is not in.
@jacknelson5952
Skeeter Davis was one of the most underrated singers ever she had a voice of an angel, can't believe she dose not have a place in the Country Music Hall of Fame it's a shame
@paulh9018
She was no Patsy or Connie Smith, but she had great heart and personality and feeling in her voice, and that is what made her great. A wonderful lady, and yes she should have been in the Hall of Fame years ago.
@majeedhalil6053
Jack Nelson dki,urirdkiflf8 f
@sonnydave8551
IMO, she is better than Patsy Cline and Connie Smith.
@dilinidolapihilla
She sings so effortlessly. Love her voice and songs. They are timeless.
@robertho7047
I've never get tired of listening to her songs it's just beautiful to listen...