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
Take It Easy
Skeeter Davis Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
So here I go breaking all of the rules
It seems so easy, oh oh
So doggone easy, uh huh
It seems so easy where you're concerned
My heart can learn
It's so easy to fall in love
It's so easy to fall in love
It's so easy to fall in love
Look into your heart and see
What your love has set for me
It seems so easy where you're concerned
My heart can learn
It's so easy to fall in love
It's so easy to fall in love
Well, it seems so easy where you're concerned
My heart can learn
It's so easy to fall in love
It's so easy to fall in love
The lyrics of Skeeter Davis's song "It's So Easy" revolve around the idea that the singer is breaking all the rules by falling in love despite the warnings from others that love is for fools. The singer continues to sing about how easy it is for her to fall in love, specifically with one person who makes her heart feel light and overwhelmed simultaneously. The singer invites the listener to look into their heart and see what their love has set for her. The repeating chorus encourages the listener that it's so easy to fall in love with the right person.
The lyrics convey a message of the universal nature of love, its ability to captivate and consume us regardless of any societal norms, expectations or cautionary tales. The lyrical simplicity of "It's So Easy" is melodic and enduring, largely due to its clear sentiment and tonal delivery. This song is for anyone who is quick to love and anyone who is experiencing the rush of a new and exciting relationship.
Line by Line Meaning
People tell me love's for fools
Others say that falling in love is foolish.
So here I go breaking all of the rules
Regardless, I am going to pursue love, even if it means going against conventional wisdom.
It seems so easy, oh oh
Falling in love with you feels effortless and natural.
So doggone easy, uh huh
It's incredibly simple for me to be drawn to you.
My heart can learn
Despite any doubts or fears, my heart is open and willing to take a chance on love with you.
It's so easy to fall in love
The feelings I have for you are so strong, and falling for you comes naturally to me.
Look into your heart and see
I hope that you understand the depth and sincerity of my feelings for you by looking into your own heart.
What your love has set for me
The love you've shown me has set me free to pursue happiness and a future with you.
Well, it seems so easy where you're concerned
My feelings for you make falling in love seem like the easiest thing in the world.
Lyrics © Peermusic Publishing
Written by: Buddy Holly, Norman Petty
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind