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 Says the Same Things to Me
Skeeter Davis Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
When he kissed you last night
I could tell it sigh for sigh
And here's the reason why
He says the same things to me
He says the same things to me
As he held you so tight
Let me tell you from the start
I know it now by heart
He says the same things to me
He says the same things to me
But I know how it must hurt you
To find his love isn't real
And if your heart is breaking
Think how I must feel
And did he tell you, there's no other girl
That his only love is you
If he did, there's no surprise
That's just the way he lies
He says the same things to me
He says the same things to me
The lyrics to Skeeter Davis's song He Says the Same Things to Me is a depiction of a girl who is in love with a man who is not exclusive to her. The girl speaking the lyrics of the song is aware of the man's actions and how he manipulates his words to make every girl feel special. She sings about how the man copies and repeats the same phrases or 'sweet nothings' to all the women he is involved with, including herself and the person she is warning about him. The message of the song is that the man is a liar who is not serious about his relationships or feelings. The girl singing the song is heartbroken, and she tries to warn the other girl about the man's true intentions.
The chorus of the song underscores the duplicity of the man who says the same things to all his women. The girl singing the song is angry and hurt, but she is also compassionate towards the other girl whom she is trying to warn. The stanza "But I know how it must hurt you/ To find his love isn't real/ And if your heart is breaking/ Think how I must feel" is poignant, and it conveys the pain the girl feels about the situation.
Line by Line Meaning
Shall I tell you what he said to you
Do you want me to reveal what he said to you
When he kissed you last night
At the moment when he kissed you yesterday night
I could tell it sigh for sigh
I could perceive it breath by breath
And here's the reason why
And the rationale for that perception is
He says the same things to me
He says the word to me as well
And shall I tell you what he said to you
Would it be good if I expose what he said to you
As he held you so tight
While he hugged you with so much force
Let me tell you from the start
I will narrate it to you from the beginning
I know it now by heart
I know it by memory
But I know how it must hurt you
But I understand how it must cause you pain
To find his love isn't real
To acknowledge that his affection isn't genuine
And if your heart is breaking
And in case your heart is shattering
Think how I must feel
Ponder how I would experience
And did he tell you, there's no other girl
And did he affirm that there isn't any other woman
That his only love is you
That you are the only one he loves
If he did, there's no surprise
If he stated it, there's no astonishment
That's just the way he lies
That's just his way of deceiving
He says the same things to me
He utters identical words to me
He says the same things to me
He says equivalent things to me
Lyrics ยฉ Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: GARY GELD, PETER UDELL
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@josephvengen9989
My dad had some Decca records which were compilations of 60โs era country tunesโฆ heโd stack โem on his RCA hifi and weโd siesta on the living room floor after Sunday dinnerโฆ. Skeeter and this song were one of the tunesโฆ have loved this music foreverโฆ
@sheriedmonson6073
I used to listen to this song at my grandmother's house 40 years ago probably make that 50 over and over and over and over I wish I could have found the 45 after she died but but I'm so glad I found it tonight brought back lots and lots of memory good memories
@musicrocksoffical
I love her voice. She is one of the best female singers we will ever see. โคโคโคSkeeterโคโคโค One of the most beautiful songs I have ever heard. A beautiful singer inside and out.
@DeZug
Her voice is never fade...
@bambangmarsudi9658
RIP Skeeter Davis.I.always remember your lovely songs
@bambangmarsudi9658
I always cry to hear this song.Remember many things in the past time
@jeremiahpaul02
Amazing voice๐ข๐ข๐ข
@jamhombre
Such a beautiful song omg
@claudettelewis-smith1133
Omg......Isn't this one of the most beautiful songs ever.๐๐๐.....( I cryin' for no reason)
@sylvicemostert7830
Memories ....Memories..
Memories