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
Nobody's Child
Skeeter Davis Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And stopped there for a moment just to watch the children play.
Alone a boy was standing and when I asked him why
he turned with eyes that could not see and he began to cry.
I'm nobody's child
I'm nobody's child
just like a flower I'm growing wild.
nobody wants me
I'm nobody's child
People come for children and take them for their own.
But they all seem to pass me and I am left here alone.
I know they'd like to take me but when they see I'm blind
they always take some other child and I am left behind.
I'm nobody's child
I'm nobody's child
just like a flower I'm growing wild.
No mommy's kisses and no daddy's smile
nobody wants me
I'm nobody's child
No mommy's arms to hold me or soothe me when I cry.
Sometimes it gets so lonely I wish that I could die.
I'd walk the streets of heaven where all the blind can see.
And just like all the other kids there'd be a home for me.
I'm nobody's child
I'm nobody's child
just like a flower I'm growing wild.
No mommy's kisses and no daddy's smile
nobody wants me
I'm nobody's child
nobody wants me
I'm nobody's child
The song "Nobody's Child" by Skeeter Davis is a heart-wrenching portrayal of a young orphan boy who feels neglected and alone. The first verse sets the scene as the singer passes an orphan's home and stops to observe the children playing. It is here that she encounters the boy who is standing alone, and upon asking why he is crying, he reveals that he is blind and has been passed over by those who come to adopt. He is an outcast and feels like he is nobody's child.
The second verse delves further into this feeling of rejection as the singer explains that people do come to the orphanage to adopt, but they always seem to pass over the boy because of his blindness. It is a heart-breaking sentiment, and one can't help but feel sympathy for the boy who just wants to be loved and belong to someone or some family. The final verse imagines a world where the boy can be accepted and loved for who he is. The imagery of walking the streets of heaven where all the blind can see is a poignant reminder that, for some, they may never experience that sense of belonging on earth.
Overall, "Nobody's Child" is a powerful song that highlights the plight of young orphans who feel forgotten and discarded. It is a reminder that every child deserves love and a home, and it is up to society to ensure that every child is given that chance.
Line by Line Meaning
AS I was slowly passing an orphan's home one day.
While taking a leisurely walk, I passed by an orphanage.
And stopped there for a moment just to watch the children play.
I paused to observe the kids having fun in the orphanage.
Alone a boy was standing and when I asked him why
I noticed a little boy standing by himself, and I asked him what was wrong.
he turned with eyes that could not see and he began to cry.
The boy was blind and started weeping inconsolably.
I'm nobody's child
The boy feels unwanted and that no one wants to claim him.
just like a flower I'm growing wild.
He is like a wildflower that is growing without guidance or care.
No mommy's kisses and no daddy's smile
The boy has no parents to show him affection or care.
nobody wants me
The boy feels unloved and has no one to call him their own.
People come for children and take them for their own.
Families visit the orphanage to adopt children.
But they all seem to pass me and I am left here alone.
However, everyone seems to ignore the blind boy, leaving him feeling abandoned.
I know they'd like to take me but when they see I'm blind
Although he believes that people would like to adopt him, they don't because of his disability.
they always take some other child and I am left behind.
They end up choosing a different child, which makes him feel left out and unwanted.
No mommy's arms to hold me or soothe me when I cry.
The boy misses having a mother's love and comfort when he's upset.
Sometimes it gets so lonely I wish that I could die.
Feeling neglected and alone, he wishes he could end his life.
I'd walk the streets of heaven where all the blind can see.
He imagines walking in the afterlife, where all the blind can see.
And just like all the other kids there'd be a home for me.
In heaven, he hopes to find a place where he belongs.
nobody wants me
The boy feels like nobody loves him or wants to take him in as their own.
I'm nobody's child
He feels like he is nobody's son and has no place to call home.
Contributed by Brayden F. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@adityonasution3555
Thanks God. I'm orphan but i'm not blind. Whatever just like a flower and growing wild.. send loves to all orphans in the world
@irenagorenc7214
God cares for all the abandoned.
@somannacm4713
God is with you in different forms..
@ljfa1013
Grown up in Foster care, my parents passed when I was 3 yo. Today I'm a Captain in an Asian airline.... so my advise for all of you is stop moaning/crying other than in your room when you're alone and and start biting and moving your ass. No one will do the job for you.
@rosemariewilliams7528
God bless you. xx
@rashidzay
God bless you...
@user-fg2ur8sh5k
偶然にこの歌を聴きました。英語の歌詞が解ったとたんに涙が出てなりませんでした。もうこの歌を聞くたびに涙を流しそうです。日本ではこの歌はあまり知られていないと思います。もっと多くの日本人が知るべきです。世界中の人々に知らしめたい。世界中の人が人の苦しみや悲しみを理解出来たらと思います。
@choomenglee2404
A song about a blindl orphan boy
@Rottensausage618
I love your comment
@Rottensausage618
More of a song about all the children left behind, blind children...children no one sees....nobody's child