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
In The Summertime
Skeeter Davis Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And the red bird sings I'll be blue cause you don't want my love
Some other time that's what you say when I want you
Then you laugh at me and make me cry 'cause you don't want my love.
You don't seem to care a thing about me, you'd rather live without me
Than to have my arms around you when the nights are cold and you're so all alone
In the summertime when all the trees and leaves are green
--- Instrumental ---
Once upon a time you used to smile and wave to me
And walked with me but now you don't cause you don't want my love
Some other girl is taking up all your time
You don't have time for me 'cause you don't want my love.
You don't seem to care a thing about me, you'd rather live without me
Than to have my arms around you when the nights are cold and you're so all alone
In the summertime when all the trees and leaves are green
And the red bird sings I'll be blue 'cause you don't want my love...
The lyrics to Skeeter Davis's "In the summertime" convey heartbreaking themes of unrequited love and rejection. The opening lines of the song evoke a sense of beauty and abundance typically associated with summer, but they also highlight the singer's sadness and melancholy. The line "And the red bird sings I'll be blue 'cause you don't want my love" is an especially poignant expression of the singer's inner turmoil. The fact that the bird is red, a color that signifies passion and love, adds to the tragic feeling of the song.
Throughout the song, Skeeter Davis portrays herself as a helpless victim of unrequited love, pining after someone who doesn't care for her in the same way. She pleads for attention and affection, but her cries fall on deaf ears. The line "Than to have my arms around you when the nights are cold and you're so all alone" is a particularly emotional image, as it suggests that the singer is the only one who can provide comfort and warmth to her lover. However, he remains cold and distant, leaving her to suffer in loneliness.
Line by Line Meaning
In the summertime when all the trees and leaves are green
During the warm season, when nature is flourishing
And the red bird sings I'll be blue cause you don't want my love
I feel sad and rejected because you don't reciprocate my affection
Some other time that's what you say when I want you
You give false hope by promising me attention later
Then you laugh at me and make me cry 'cause you don't want my love
You mock me and hurt me emotionally because you don't share my feelings
You don't seem to care a thing about me, you'd rather live without me
You show no interest in me and prefer to be alone
Than to have my arms around you when the nights are cold and you're so all alone
You don't value my comfort and support in times of need
Once upon a time you used to smile and wave to me
In the past, you showed me kindness and acknowledgement
And walked with me but now you don't cause you don't want my love
You no longer want to be associated with me due to my romantic interest
Some other girl is taking up all your time
You are preoccupied with another woman and neglecting me
You don't have time for me 'cause you don't want my love
Your lack of affection is reflected in your lack of attention to me
In the summertime when all the trees and leaves are green
Even amidst natural beauty, my heart still aches for your love
And the red bird sings I'll be blue 'cause you don't want my love
My sadness persists because you continue to reject me
Contributed by Gavin W. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
53rockband
what a great song. i think skeeter is one of our best singers. thanks for posting.
autumn in my heart
Love Skeeter's songs. ❤❤❤
Terry Kelt
How clever they were when producing the tunes for Skeeter to harmonise to
It then sounded as if Betty Jack was singing along with her as well