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
I Want You
Skeeter Davis Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
But what can I do?
You want me to help you
But I'm falling too
I know that we're wrong dear
But when I'm with you
I can't help you darlin'
You belong to another
Whose arms have grown cold
But, you must keep the vows dear
Although they've grown old
You can never be free dear
Though our love is true
I can't help you darlin'
Cause I'm falling too
We could never be happy
Living in sin
Our love's a temptation
But we just can't win
You ask me to help you
But what can I do?
I can't help you darlin'
Cause I'm falling too
The lyrics of Skeeter Davis's "I'm Falling Too" are a poignant exploration of a love that is doomed right from the start. The singer's lover is asking for help, for a way out of an unhappy marriage and into the singer's arms. But the singer is unable to offer any solution, as they are falling for their lover just as hard. The song captures the emotional struggle of being caught between love and morality, the head and the heart.
The first stanza sets the tone of the song, with the singer acknowledging their lover's plea for help while simultaneously admitting their own inner turmoil. The second stanza brings in the external factor of the lover being bound by vows to another person, which makes their situation even more complicated. In the final stanza, the singer highlights the impossibility of their love, recognizing that they cannot be happy if they were to live in sin and continue their illicit relationship.
Overall, the lyrics of "I'm Falling Too" paint a picture of two people in love but unable to be together, trapped by societal norms and their own moral compasses. The song's melancholic melody and Skeeter Davis's emotive delivery make it a standout in the genre of love ballads from the 1960s.
Line by Line Meaning
You say that you're falling
You claim to have fallen in love with someone else.
But what can I do?
I'm unsure how to react to what you're saying.
You want me to help you
You seek my assistance in dealing with your newfound feelings.
But I'm falling too
But I'm also in love with you and struggling with my own emotions.
I know that we're wrong dear
I understand that our feelings for each other are not right given our existing relationships.
But when I'm with you
But being around you is too tempting to resist.
I can't help you darlin'
I'm unable to assist you with your conflict.
Cause I'm falling too
Because I'm experiencing the same struggle as you are.
You belong to another
You are currently committed to someone else.
Whose arms have grown cold
Your partner has become distant and less affectionate over time.
But, you must keep the vows dear
But you're obligated to maintain the promises you made to your partner.
Although they've grown old
Even if those vows have lost their meaning and significance over time.
You can never be free dear
You'll never be able to leave your current relationship and pursue a romantic connection with me.
Though our love is true
Even though our feelings for each other are genuine.
I can't help you darlin'
I'm not in a position to offer you any real help or support.
Cause I'm falling too
Because I'm in love with you and experiencing the same inner turmoil.
We could never be happy
We would never be content or satisfied.
Living in sin
Pursuing a romantic relationship outside of our existing commitments would be considered morally wrong.
Our love's a temptation
Our mutual attraction is a source of temptation and danger.
But we just can't win
But our love for each other doesn't change the fact that we can't act on it without causing harm to ourselves and others.
You ask me to help you
You're seeking my assistance in resolving your dilemma.
But what can I do?
I'm powerless to offer any real solution to your problem.
I can't help you darlin'
Unfortunately, I lack the necessary resources to support you in the way you desire.
Cause I'm falling too
Because I'm dealing with my own internal struggle when it comes to you.
Lyrics © Kanjian Music, BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group, Royalty Network, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Don Robertson, Hal Blair
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@marfoburing155
I'm 70 years old now and this song it's my very sentimental song.
Thank you very much.
@TimoniumGuy
My favorite female country singer. Miss her
@chingin2245
She makes my day when I am lonely and blue.She is a great singer.
@everlynchenda3352
I love your songs
@johnkinsley742
What a wonderful country classic by Skeeter ,RIP.
@amedeovotta7885
Stupenda canzone e l'interprete
@romeonelwan
My childhood sweet memories with her songs...If only I could turn back the time..
@helenlahai8697
Never get tired of this singer song
@janetdorothyneoretnam4575
Me too
@ApaiSai
Really sentimental and touching. Melts my heart each time I listen to it. Beautiful to past an evening alone. Love it.