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
Under The Boardwalk
Skeeter Davis Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And your shoes get so hot you wish your tired feet were fire proof
(Under the board walk down by the sea)
On a blanket with my baby's just where I'll be
(Under the boardwalk) out of the sun
(Under the boardwalk) we'll be having some fun
(Under the boardwalk) people walking above
(Under the boardwalk) we'll be falling in love
From the park you hear the happy sound of a carousel
You can almost taste the hot dogs and french fries they sell
(Under the boardwalk down by the sea) on a blanket with my baby's where I'll be
(Under the boardwalk) out of the sun
(Under the board walk) down by the sea
On a blanket with my baby's just where I'll be
(Under the boardwalk) out of the sun
Skeeter Davis's song "Under The Boardwalk" is a classic tune about finding refuge from the heat of the day by escaping to the ocean and hanging out under the boardwalk. The lyrics talk about the struggles of enduring the intense heat that comes with a hot summer day, including the unbearable feeling of walking on hot tar and having feet that feel like they are burning up. The singer describes how they are seeking respite from the sun and hoping to find some relief from their troubles by spending time with their loved one under the boardwalk.
The song mentions the joyful sounds from a nearby park, where people are enjoying grilled foods such as hot dogs and French fries. The singer paints a picture of a couple lying down on a blanket, shielding themselves from the sun, and enjoying the relaxing rhythm of the waves as they crash into the shore. Under the boardwalk, they can forget about the worries that come with daily life and focus on the beauty of the moment, all while waiting for the sun to go down, which is when the true fun begins.
Line by Line Meaning
Oh when the sun beats down and burns the tar up to the roof
Experiencing a scorching hot day where heatwaves are bouncing off the pavement
And your shoes get so hot you wish your tired feet were fire proof
Feeling the uncomfortable burning sensation in your feet from the blazing surface
(Under the board walk down by the sea)
Making way to the cool, shaded area beneath the boardwalk near the ocean
On a blanket with my baby's just where I'll be
Enjoying the company of my significant other on a picnic blanket
(Under the boardwalk) out of the sun
Escaping the oppressive sunlight to a more comfortable spot
(Under the boardwalk) we'll be having some fun
Taking pleasure in the refreshing ocean air and each other's company
(Under the boardwalk) people walking above
Observing the passersby on the boardwalk above
(Under the boardwalk) we'll be falling in love
Finding romance in the peaceful, private atmosphere beneath the boardwalk
(Under the boardwalk boardwalk)
Being completely hidden away from the rest of the beach-goers on the boardwalk
From the park you hear the happy sound of a carousel
Noticing the sound of a merry-go-round nearby in the park
You can almost taste the hot dogs and french fries they sell
Savoring the smells of classic boardwalk cuisine being cooked nearby
(Under the boardwalk down by the sea) on a blanket with my baby's where I'll be
Enjoying the comfortable and private retreat beneath the boardwalk by the ocean with my loved one
(Under the board walk) down by the sea
Being situated in a calming, ocean-side environment underneath the boardwalk
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, CARLIN AMERICA INC, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Arthur Resnick, Kenny Young
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind