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
Together Again
Skeeter Davis Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The long lonely nights are now at an end
The key to my heart you hold in your hand
And nothing else matters now we're together again
Together again the grey skies are gone
You're back in my arms now that's where I belong
The love that we knew is living again
And nothing else matters now we're together again
"Skeeter Davis's song Together Again" is a love song that is beautifully orchestrated to express the joy of reconciliation. The song is about a lover who left without explaining why, making the other person feel lonely and in despair. However, after a period of separation, the lover returns, and both parties are overjoyed to be reunited. The lyrics express how the long lonely nights and tears have stopped falling now that they are together again. The singer also explains how the key to their heart is being held by their lover, and nothing else matters because they are together once more.
The impact of the reconciliation is exemplified in the next verses as the grey skies have gone, and they are back in each other's arms where they belong. The love that they knew lives again, and nothing else matters because they are together again. The song's message is that even though things may fall apart, love can always find a way to bring people back together. Overall, the song expresses love with a beautiful harmony and heartfelt lyrics, telling the tale of love that is lost and then regained.
Line by Line Meaning
Together again our tears have stopped falling
We are reunited and no longer crying tears of sadness or loneliness as we were before.
The long lonely nights are now at an end
The long, lonely nights we spent apart are over now that we are reunited.
The key to my heart you hold in your hand
You have the power to unlock the love in my heart, which I have given to you.
And nothing else matters now we're together again
Our love and being together is the most important thing to me, and nothing else matters in comparison.
Together again the grey skies are gone
The sadness and gloom that clouded my life when we were apart has lifted now that we are together again.
You're back in my arms now that's where I belong
I feel complete and fulfilled with you in my arms, and it is where I am meant to be.
The love that we knew is living again
Our love, which was dormant when we were apart, has been rekindled and is thriving once again.
And nothing else matters now we're together again
Our love and being together is the most important thing to me, and nothing else matters in comparison.
We're together again
We have been reunited and are once again together, happy and in love.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Buck Owens
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@gcbakop
Skeeter and Bobby: The perfect duet - no matter which song they do...always great!!!
@anitaeriegha508
I love Bobby and Skeeter's song, They bring back good mermories
@susanramp1478
Great two-some!! I always like each of them and I am very fond of both of them singing together! :)
@saniawhippy5681
I used to love listening to bobby and skeeter singing together when a teenager,just awesome...love love love.
@afroseedwards2598
Sundar Popo best songs onu tube
@wendellhendricks
Super classic
@matthewhayes9520
She had such a clear voice.Thanks to U Tube I have found her again after all these years.Love her.
@aaronfanis7915
matthew hayes I
@jacintaikedialankwonia4196
It brings a good memories to me concerning old-school days and songs 🎵Infact being a daughter of a musician, I do love 💘 everything about music.
@TheKaylariq
two of my favourite singers and their voices blend in beautifully/ cant get enough of these old timers/present country music will not come within a mile of these singers/just love them