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
Oh! Boy
Skeeter Davis Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You don't know what you've been a missin'
Oh boy, when you're with me
Oh boy, whole world can see that you were meant for me
All my life, I've been a waitin'
Tonight there'll be no no hesitatin'
Oh boy, when you're with me
The stars appear and the shadows are fallin'
You can hear my heart a callin'
A little bit of loving, it makes everything right
And I'm gonna see my baby tonight
Oh my love, oh my kissin'
You don't know what you've been a missin'
Oh boy, when you're with me
Oh boy, whole world can see that you were meant for me
Oh my love, oh my kissin'
You don't know what you've been a missin'
Oh boy, when you're with me
Oh boy, whole world can see that you were meant for me
The lyrics to Skeeter Davis's song "Oh Boy!" express a deep love and longing for someone. The singer tells their lover that they have been missing out on something amazing, and that when they are together, the whole world can see that they were meant for each other. The urgency of the singer's desires is heightened by the repetition of the opening lines, "Oh my love, oh my kissin' / You don't know what you've been a missin'." These lines suggest that the singer has been waiting for this moment for a long time and is eager to make up for lost time.
The lyrics paint a romantic scene, with the stars appearing and the shadows falling as the singer's heart calls out to their lover. The singer is certain that a little bit of love can make everything right, and they are excited to finally see their baby tonight. The use of the word "baby" suggests a level of intimacy and affection between the two lovers, further emphasizing the singer's deep emotional connection to their partner.
Overall, the lyrics to "Oh Boy!" are a celebration of love and of the joy that comes from being with the right person. The urgency of the singer's desires and the romantic imagery used in the lyrics combine to create a powerful expression of love and longing.
Line by Line Meaning
Oh my love, oh my kissin'
Addressing the beloved with the expression of love and affection
You don't know what you've been a missin'
Conveying that the beloved was unaware of how much love and affection they have missed
Oh boy, when you're with me
Expressing joy and contentment when the beloved is present
Oh boy, whole world can see that you were meant for me
Conveying that the connection between the two people is so strong that the world can see that they are destined to be together
All my life, I've been a waitin'
Expressing the long wait for the beloved to arrive in their life
Tonight there'll be no no hesitatin'
Expressing that there will be no hesitation and the moment will be seized tonight
The stars appear and the shadows are fallin'
Describing the atmosphere and setting for the meeting with the beloved
You can hear my heart a callin'
Expressing the intense feeling of love and attraction towards the beloved
A little bit of loving, it makes everything right
Conveying that love has the power to make everything right and overcome all challenges
And I'm gonna see my baby tonight
Expressing anticipation and excitement of meeting the beloved
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Peermusic Publishing
Written by: NORMAN PETTY, BILL TILGHMAN, SUNNY WEST
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind