Skeeter Davis “Why So Lonely?”

“Why So Lonely?” is a great song (by Paul Tannen) —"why is my world in such a spin?” Why be coy, get right to the title song, first. Cy Coben’s “Burning a Hole in My Mind”—is not subtle—sad, graphic, mentions “the Devil.” “Don’t Keep Me Lonely Too Long” another good one—by Melba Montgomery—a household name, who’s absent from my LP collection—should I rectify that? The next one is jaunty stomper for those RCA execs worrying that things were too slow, too grim—a song I can tolerate because it’s Skeeter singing it. Next up, “The Most Wanted Man” is not about a criminal but rather an object of affection—it’s a play on words. “Somewhere with Me Sometime” (Paul Craft)—a nice melody, is romantic, optimistic, but also resigned and sad, a bit world-weary—kind of a weird song, sounds like the opening credits of a TV show or movie—fortunately, here, it’s only the end of Side1. “I Don’t Wanna Play House”—you know the Tammy Wynette hit—a great song. “You’ve Still Got a Place in My Heart” (Leon Payne) is a beautiful ballad, maybe my favorite on this record (no one’s making me pick, but there!). Then the only Skeeter Davis composition on the album, “Little Things Got Big”—a sad one, and a perfect voicing of something we all know—“One little thing led to another, until it got the best of us.” Another goofball one, then—title is too long to type. Jean Chapel’s classic “Lonely Again” is epic, the longest song on the record at near three minutes. These songs don’t need to be longer—they do what they do without any extraneous nonsense, like great short stories. It ends, then, with a happy number—which, sad to say it, leaves a sour taste in my mouth—and that’s just me—but I’ve got to be critical once in a while, they don’t just pay me for being a cheerleader here!

On back there’s some nice liner notes courtesy country artist and songwriter, Jim Glaser, who wrote her hit “What Does It Take (To Keep a Man Like You Satisfied)?” His notes here are concise and heartfelt, and he maintains (like most people who’ve had the privilege of writing Skeeter Davis liner notes) that her singing and artistry is only matched by the ebullience of her personality and presence. If I ever come away from one of these records thinking anything but Skeeter Davis is someone I wished I had known, I’ll let you know. He also mentions that this album is “alive with the now sound of county music.” (Italics, his.) Oh, I plead to whomever, where is my time machine? The album cover is one of her best. I have a feeling I’ve said that before! Maybe I say that about every one—while all very different, all of her album covers are striking and leave you with no doubt. This one, a near life-size portrait in front of a smoldering orange background, she’s wearing a lacy white shirt, minimal earrings and makeup, and her hair is piled high in a sculptural arrangement that I could spend the rest of my life trying to figure out without success. Her half-smile reveals nothing; was this a photoshoot for a loneliness themed album? I like that they don’t go with tears and clown makeup, ala Sinatra, but rather a deeply happy look. It’s not ironic at all, but rather embraces the complexity that is life. Her eyes, burning almost otherworldly from this one-foot-square piece of printed cardboard from 56 years ago—it’s kind of… I don’t know. It’s almost—like love—not fair.

10.18.24