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
Forgot More Than You Ever Know
Skeeter Davis Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Than you'll ever know about him
You think you know the smile on his lips
The thrill at the touch of his fingertips
But I've forgotten more
Than you'll ever know about him
In each caress each tender kiss
But I've forgotten more
Than you'll ever know about him
You stole his love from me one day
You didn't care how you hurt me
But you can never steal away
Memories of what used to be
You think he's yours to have and to hold
Someday you'll learn when his love grows cold
That I've forgotten more
Than you'll ever know about him
You think he's yours to have and to hold
Someday you'll learn when his love grows cold
But I've forgotten more
Than you'll ever know about him
The song I Forgot More Than You'll Ever Know by Skeeter Davis is a heart-wrenching ode to lost love and the pain it brings. The lyrics are sung from the perspective of someone who has been in love with a man who has now moved on to someone else. She informs the other woman that she has forgotten more about him than she could ever possibly know. The song is a bitter reminder that even when a relationship ends, memories and emotions linger on.
The first verse of the song is all about how the other woman thinks she knows everything about him, but she really doesn't. The singer tries to make her understand that she has forgotten much more than what the other woman knows about him. The second verse emphasizes that while the other woman thinks that she has found heaven with him, she hasn't because she doesn't know everything about him. The third verse alludes to the fact that the other woman has stolen him from the singer but cannot take away the memories she has of him.
The final verse of the song is a warning to the other woman that someday she will learn that the singer has forgotten more than she knows about the man. The song overall speaks to the idea that love and heartbreak can be all-consuming, and even when a relationship is over, the memories and emotions will always remain.
Line by Line Meaning
I've forgotten more
Than you'll ever know about him
I have a much deeper knowledge of him that you can never hope to attain.
You think you know the smile on his lips
The thrill at the touch of his fingertips
But I've forgotten more
Than you'll ever know about him
You believe you understand his behavior and moves, but my experience with him surpasses your knowledge.
You think you'll find a heaven of bliss
In each caress each tender kiss
But I've forgotten more
Than you'll ever know about him
You think his love is perfect and can make you happy, but I'm aware of its flaws and limitations, better than you are.
You stole his love from me one day
You didn't care how you hurt me
But you can never steal away
Memories of what used to be
You took his love away from me recklessly, without thinking of my emotions, but even so, you can't erase the good times we shared together.
You think he's yours to have and to hold
Someday you'll learn when his love grows cold
That I've forgotten more
Than you'll ever know about him
You believe you have him fully committed to you, but eventually, when his love for you fades, you'll understand that I knew him better than you ever could.
But I've forgotten more
Than you'll ever know about him
Overall, my knowledge of him is far superior to yours, as I've had more experience and history with him than you ever will.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: CECIL ALLEN NULL
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
fashiongrl2010
Her impact was world wide believe it or not. My parents grew up listening to her in AFRICA. I grew up on skeeter davis and I was born in the 90s...she was before loretta and before dolly she paved the way. it was so hard to be a female country singer in those days and she did it! she deserves the recognition
Wowsowz
fashiongrl2010 she is sadly mostly forgotten. Everybody talks about dolly these days😢
The Carter Family Channel
I agree Skeeter really was a special lady, sadly everyone also forgets about Sara Carter also who paved the way for female country singers starting back in 1927!
코코하
love her music in south korea
IrishMusicCountry Alan
Well Said
Terry Kelt
No other voice gives me more pleasure than that of Skeeter Davis simply heavenly may god rest her soul
OLD GUARD SQUAD
Indeed
rebecca walk
This is the REAL COUNTRY MUSIC, not the garbage that is out now. Skeeter was one of the best
phatgeezer1955
Interestingly enough, when Skeeter Davis was on the charts, people were saying the same thing, but they were talking about Skeeter, Pasty Cline and the other "Nashvile Sound" artists being the people putting out "garbage", and they were mourning the loss of "real country music" like Jimmy Rogers and Bob Wills, and in turn the people before them were complaining about how Bob Wills ruined hillbilly music by adding drums.
So I think everyone has a nostalgic spot for the music of our teens and twenties and somehow after that, the newer stuff doesn't sound as good to us, probably because we were busy working and raising families and didn't have time to keep up with and enjoy the latest music the way we did when we were young and carefree.
rebecca walk
Yes you are very right on that.