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
Right or wrong
Skeeter Davis Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Right or wrong I'll be with you
I'll do what you ask me to
For I believe that I belong by your side
Right or wrong.
Right or wrong it's gotta be
Won't you take me along to be with you
Right or wrong.
If it's right for me to love you
It can't be wrong for you to care
If you will say you love me
My life with you I'll share.
Right or wrong, day by day
Oh, my love all the way
I believe that I belong by your side
Right or wrong...
The song "Right or Wrong" by Skeeter Davis is a classic country love song that is all about the dedication and commitment of the singer to her love. The lyrics speak to the idea that no matter what happens, the singer will always be there for her lover, right or wrong. The song begins with the singer stating her loyalty to her lover and her willingness to do whatever he asks of her. She believes that she belongs by his side, no matter what happens.
As the song continues, the singer emphasizes that their relationship must be based on trust and commitment. She believes that they must both be dedicated to each other, no matter what. The singer states that if it's right for her to love him, then it can't be wrong for him to care for her too. She ends the song by repeating the idea that she belongs by his side, right or wrong, day by day, and that she loves him completely.
Overall, the lyrics of "Right or Wrong" are a beautiful expression of dedication and commitment in a relationship. They emphasize the idea that true love is built on trust and loyalty, and that these qualities are what hold a couple together, even in difficult times.
Line by Line Meaning
Right or wrong I'll be with you
No matter what, I will stand by your side.
I'll do what you ask me to
I will follow your lead and do whatever you wish.
For I believe that I belong by your side
I belong with you and will stay with you through thick and thin.
Right or wrong
No matter if it's right or wrong, I will stay with you.
Right or wrong it's gotta be
Our love is so strong that it has to be us, no one else.
Always you, always me
We are in this together, always and forever.
Won't you take me along to be with you
I want to be with you wherever you go, and share your life with me.
If it's right for me to love you
If my love for you is true and pure, then it can't be wrong.
It can't be wrong for you to care
If you care for me too, then it can't be wrong for us to be together.
If you will say you love me
If you confess your love to me, I will be yours forever.
My life with you I'll share.
I am willing to share and spend the rest of my life with you.
Right or wrong, day by day
Each day, I vow to stay with you no matter what.
Oh, my love all the way
I will love you completely and endlessly.
I believe that I belong by your side
I trust and have faith in us, and believe that we belong together.
Right or wrong...
No matter what happens, I will stay committed to you.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
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