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
Foggy Mountain Top
Skeeter Davis Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I'd sail away to the west
I'd sail around this whole wide world
To the boy I love the best
If I had listened to what my mama said
I would not have been here today
Oh, wishin' for things that I'll never have
He taught me to weep, he taught me to moan
He taught me to leave my home
That lonesome town and those good old times
I'm on my way back home
If I was on some foggy mountain top
I'd sail away to the west
I'd sail around this whole wide world
To the boy I love the best
Now when you see that other blond
There's something you can tell her
She need not fool her time away
Tryin' to steal my feller
Now when you come upon me
Put on your navy blue
That long tail [Incomprehensible]
Don't blew a thing for you
If I was on some foggy mountain top
I'd sail away to the west
I'd sail around this whole wide world
To the boy I love the best
The lyrics of Skeeter Davis's song "Foggy Mountain Top" depict a woman's yearning for a lost love. She fantasizes about sailing away to the west, around the world to be reunited with her beloved. She acknowledges that her current situation is a result of ignoring her mother's advice against chasing after an unattainable love. The man in question, who she affectionately calls "the boy I love the best," has taught her heartache, but she's ready to return to her hometown and the good old times she left behind.
The lyrics are full of longing and regret, as the woman reflects on the choices she's made and the pain she's endured. She's bitter towards the other woman who may be vying for her lover's affection, but ultimately she's focused on her own journey back home. The image of the foggy mountain top adds to the sense of the unknown and the distance between the woman and her lover.
Overall, the song is a somber but beautiful representation of heartbreak and the desire for home and love. Skeeter Davis's haunting vocals bring a sense of nostalgia and sadness to the lyrics, making it a classic of the country genre.
Line by Line Meaning
If I was on some foggy mountain top
If I could escape my troubles and worries by being on a remote and misty mountain peak
I'd sail away to the west
I would travel as far as possible to escape my problems
I'd sail around this whole wide world
I would explore the world to find contentment and happiness
To the boy I love the best
To be reunited with the person who makes me feel loved and valued
If I had listened to what my mama said
Regret for not heeding the advice given by a loved one
I would not have been here today
Feeling that past choices and actions have led to present struggles and hardships
Oh, wishin' for things that I'll never have
Longing for dreams and goals that are unattainable
And weepin' my young love away
Feeling heartbroken and sad due to the loss of a significant other or a failed relationship
He taught me to weep, he taught me to moan
Attributing the pain and sorrow felt to the actions of the person who caused it
He taught me to leave my home
Being influenced by someone to leave the comfort and familiarity of one's own surroundings
That lonesome town and those good old times
Nostalgia for the past but feeling a sense of isolation and loneliness that comes with it
I'm on my way back home
Looking forward to returning to a place of familiarity and comfort
Now when you see that other blond
Addressing a third party who may try to come between oneself and their love interest
There's something you can tell her
Asserting that the person speaking is in control of their own situation and does not need outside interference
She need not fool her time away
Encouraging someone else to not waste their time and energy trying to pursue the singer's significant other
Tryin' to steal my feller
Feeling possessive over a loved one and warning others to not interfere or try to take them away
Now when you come upon me
Preparing for a face-to-face confrontation with the third party mentioned earlier
Put on your navy blue
Wearing a uniform or matching attire to distinguish one's self from the other person
That long tail [Incomprehensible]
Unclear due to the incomprehensible lyrics
Don't blew a thing for you
Declaring that the other person's efforts to win over the artist's love interest will be unsuccessful
Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc., Peermusic Publishing
Written by: J BAIRD, TRADITIONAL, PD TRADITIONAL
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@rick17345
And each time I think I've found the best version of a random song... I run into Skeeter's one!
@DeZug
The best version - Skeeter Davis
@yedon68
....Skeeter was something special...knew much about the recording industry...smart business woman too.!
@marji889
Looking forward to more on Skeeter Davis!
@marji889
Love it! Thanks for sharing!
@darlamorlan3911
i have foggy mountain top on vinyl
@Rockyasmr
for real am searching for it lol
@GlennEric
Is this specific recording available on CD anywhere!?