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
Fly Me to the Moon
Skeeter Davis Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Let me see what spring is like on Jupiter and Mars
In other words hold my hand in other wods darling kiss me
Fill my heart with song and let me sing forever more
You are all I long for all I worship and adore
In other words please be true in other words I love you
[ strings ]
In other words please be true in other words I love you I love you
The first line of Skeeter Davis's song "Fly Me to the Moon" is a reference to the 1960s space race between the United States and the Soviet Union. At the time, there was a great deal of excitement and curiosity about space exploration, so the idea of flying to the moon was particularly compelling. The singer in the song is using this metaphor to convey a desire for adventure, for experiencing things that are beyond the ordinary. The next line, "Let me play among the stars," continues this theme and emphasizes the singer's desire to be free and unrestrained.
The second stanza takes a turn towards more personal themes, with the singer inviting their partner to hold their hand and fill their heart with song. The use of the phrase "in other words" implies that there is more meaning behind these words than what is being explicitly expressed. The singer is asking their partner to read between the lines, to understand the depth of their feelings. The final line of the song, "In other words I love you," brings this theme to a climax.
Overall, "Fly Me to the Moon" is a romantic song that uses space-themed imagery to express a desire for adventure and intimacy. The metaphor of flying to the moon highlights the singer's yearning for something beyond the everyday, while the repeated refrain of "in other words" emphasizes the importance of understanding the unspoken meanings behind words and actions.
Line by Line Meaning
Fly me to the moon and let me play among the stars
Take me on an adventure, away from this world, where I could have fun and explore my dreams.
Let me see what spring is like on Jupiter and Mars
Let me explore new worlds and see the beauty of nature on different planets.
In other words hold my hand in other words darling kiss me
Show me affection, hold me tight and give me a kiss to express your love.
Fill my heart with song and let me sing forever more
Make me happy and content by providing me with inspiration to sing and express my emotions through music.
You are all I long for all I worship and adore
You are the only one I desire, adore and value the most, with all my heart.
In other words please be true in other words I love you
Demonstrate your loyalty and faithfulness, as I am completely devoted to you and love you unconditionally.
In other words please be true in other words I love you I love you
Reinforcing the importance of faithfulness, while expressing deep and intense feelings of love towards the significant other.
Contributed by Maria V. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Ari Lambertus
Everytime i listen to SD, it always brings my childhood memories, waiting and starring at TV for Little House on the Prairie.
Ariff Ariffin
@skeeterdavis i very pround ...skeeter davis song still people hear 😳
Skeeter Davis
Yeah! A great singer and beautiful harmonies. This one is my favourite of the album!
GONE DO WRONG
i feel so sad