Mary Frances "Skeeter" Davis (December 30, 1931 – September 19, 2004) was a… Read Full Bio ↴Mary Frances "Skeeter" Davis (December 30, 1931 – September 19, 2004) was a country music singer and a member of the Grand Ole Opry radio show for more than 40 years. She was best known for her hit song "The End of the World" (1963), one of the most popular American records of the 1960's. One of the first women to achieve major stardom in the country music field as a solo vocalist, she was an acknowledged influence on Tammy Wynette and Dolly Parton.

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

He Called Me Baby
Skeeter Davis Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

He called me baby baby all night long
Used to hold and kiss me till the dawn
Then one day I awoke and he was gone
There's no more baby baby all night long.

He called me baby baby all night long
Kissed my tears away when things went wrong
What I'd give if he'd just come back home

And call me baby baby all night long.

--- Instrumental ---

He called me baby baby all night long
Held me up so high and made me strong

Now each time in dreams just like a song
I still hear baby baby all night long...

Overall Meaning

In this classic country tune by Skeeter Davis, the singer reminisces about a past relationship where her partner referred to her as "baby" throughout the night. He would kiss her and hold her until the morning. However, one day, the singer wakes up to find that her partner has left her, and she is no longer called "baby" throughout the night. She expresses her yearning for him to come back and call her "baby" again, especially in times when she's feeling down.

The lyrics evoke a sense of nostalgia and a longing for something that was once familiar and comforting but has now been lost. The word "baby" is used as a term of endearment, which shows the connection between the two lovers. The line, "Kissed my tears away when things went wrong," also portrays the partner as someone who was supportive and cared for the singer. The instrumental part of the song allows the listener to bask in the melancholic feelings arising from this lost love.

Overall, Skeeter Davis's "He Called Me Baby" is a classic country love song that tells a story of a love that has been lost. It showcases the emotional depth of the human experience and the yearning for something that once brought you joy.

Line by Line Meaning

He called me baby baby all night long
He would refer to me as 'baby' for hours on end

Used to hold and kiss me till the dawn
He used to embrace and kiss me romantically until the morning sun

Then one day I awoke and he was gone
I woke up one morning to find that he had left me without explanation

There's no more baby baby all night long.
I don't hear him calling me 'baby' anymore

Kissed my tears away when things went wrong
He would comfort me and kiss away my tears during difficult times

What I'd give if he'd just come back home
I would do anything if he were to return to our home

And call me baby baby all night long.
And refer to me as 'baby' for hours on end once again

Held me up so high and made me strong
He would emotionally support me and empower me

Now each time in dreams just like a song
Now every time I dream, it's just like a song playing in my head

I still hear baby baby all night long...
I still long to hear him call me 'baby' for hours on end

Contributed by Brody R. Suggest a correction in the comments below.