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
My Last Date
Skeeter Davis Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I know you're gonna make me blue
My heart is trembling
Through and through
'Cause I know very well
I can tell
I can tell
This will be my last date with you
Just can't believe that this could end
I know I'll never love again
You'll ask me to be just a friend
This is plain as can be
I can see
I can see
This will be my last date with you
I know we had a quarrel
But all sweethearts do
I gave my love to prove to you
That I will always love you and be true
I know you've met someone new
You'll tell me you and I are through
My plans and dreams cannot come true
And when you say goodbye
I know I will cry cause
I'll know it's my last date with you
The lyrics to Skeeter Davis's song, "My Last Date," describe the emotions of a woman who is about to have what she believes will be her final date with someone she loves. In the first stanza, she expresses her nervousness and foreboding about the meeting. She admits that βI know you're gonna make me blueβ and that her βheart is trembling.β She recognizes that something is definitively changing, and that this will be the βlast dateβ she has with the person.
In the second stanza, the singer begins to accept the reality of the situation. She has come to accept that βthis could endβ and that she will βnever love again.β Even more solemn, she realizes that βYou'll ask me to be just a friendβ and that her relationship is irrevocably changed. The final stanza is an acknowledgment of the love and commitment that she gave to the relationship. She knows that there was a quarrel and that she made a genuine effort to prove her love to the other person. Despite this, she knows that the relationship has run its course and that she'll never be able to live out her plans and dreams for the future. This is why she cries at the end of the poem: itβs a profound sense of grief for the loss of the relationship.
Line by Line Meaning
One hour and I'll be meeting you
Soon I will be meeting you.
I know you're gonna make me blue
I know that meeting you will make me sad.
My heart is trembling
I am feeling nervous and scared.
Through and through
Completely, in entirety.
'Cause I know very well
Because I am aware.
I can tell
I can sense, feel.
I can tell
I can sense, feel.
This will be my last date with you
This will be the final time we go out together.
Just can't believe that this could end
I cannot believe that our relationship is coming to an end.
I know I'll never love again
I feel that I will never be able to love anyone else.
You'll ask me to be just a friend
You will ask me to remain only friends with you.
This is plain as can be
This is very clear and obvious.
I can see
I can understand, comprehend.
I can see
I can understand, comprehend.
This will be my last date with you
This will be the final time we go out together.
I know we had a quarrel
I know we had an argument.
But all sweethearts do
But that is common for all couples in love.
I gave my love to prove to you
I showed you my love to convince you.
That I will always love you and be true
That I will always stay loyal and love you.
I know you've met someone new
I know you have found another person to love.
You'll tell me you and I are through
You will inform me that our relationship has ended.
My plans and dreams cannot come true
My hopes and aspirations will not be able to materialize.
And when you say goodbye
When you bid farewell to me.
I know I will cry cause
I know I will shed tears because.
I'll know it's my last date with you
I am aware that this will be the final time we go out together.
Lyrics Β© Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Boudleaux Bryant, Floyd Cramer, Jr., Skeeter Davis
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@sareesh1256
One hour and I'll be meeting you
I know you're gonna make me blue
My heart is trembling
Through and through
'Cause I know very well
I can tell
I can tell
This will be my last date with you
Just can't believe that this could end
I know I'll never love again
You'll ask me to be just a friend
This is plain as can be
I can see
I can see
This will be my last date with you
I know we had a quarrel
But all sweethearts do
I gave my love to prove to you
That I will always love you and be true
I know you've met someone new
You'll tell me you and I are through
My plans and dreams cannot come true
And when you say goodbye
I know I will cry cause
I'll know it's my last date with you
@zuzannawisniewska4464
Who's still listening in 2023 ? Love this song. She has such an angelic voice .
@user-hu4vp7tw2u
Skeeter Davis is my mum's favourite music since 1984 when.l heard you're music it reminds me of mum lβ€ it to.
@earlytv-seriesmore5046
She's one of the GREATEST! Love her. Glad you enjoyed it. Never gets old.
@boxcarbobby5581
My grandmother was from Kentucky not far from where Skeeter was from. I wish I was born and alive back during her time. I heard her music on Willies Roadhouse. She has one of the most beautiful voices I have ever heard. And she's also one of the most beautiful women I have ever seen. If I had been lucky enough to be alive back then and ever met her in person I would have worshipped her like a god. I hope the music industry never lets her memory fade.
@martiegunko6029
As a little girl I loved this song.... Today, May 18, I am 68 and still listen to it.
@johnathanvizzidy223
Martie, because that little girl is still there, right inside you.
@sharonerdman6598
I am 76 n listening to it
@user-rh7uk9uv2h
Happy Birthday to both of you. I'm 58 so so little younger than you all. But I don't know this Skeeter, Davis lady.
I know Sandy Davis who sings preacher man son of a preacher man question.
@latriciabailey8359
Happy Birthday,,,
Chipper Bailey.
@MrWayneWhite
She was ahead of her time and it is a damn shame that the Country Music Association hasn't induct her into the Hall of fame