Skeeter Davis “The End of the World” / “Somebody Loves You”
/“The End of the World” was Skeeter Davis’ biggest hit song and it’s one of the most beautiful and saddest, and it’s also one of my favorites. Taking nothing away from everything else she ever recorded. This single is from 1962—but I honestly can’t remember when I first heard it. It’s written by Sylvia Dee and Arthur Kent. Produced by Chet Atkins. Over the years, it was covered by a ton o’ artists—let me look up to see if there’s any particularly weird ones—whoa, way too many to delve into—maybe on a rainy Saturday. I am going to predict that the Skeeter Davis version remains my favorite—and that’s simply because she’s my favorite singer. Also, it’s a simple, elegant arrangement—piano, strings, and a little steel guitar—it accentuates the charm of her singing. I never get tired of it. Toward the end there’s a subtle key change, and then she does that thing where she speaks a couple of lines (no one does that better)—but only two lines, and then she sings the rest, and then it’s over. It leaves you wanting more. Put the needle back to the beginning. There’s something else about the song—lyrically—which is hard for me to articulate. It’s a basic love song (but very effective in its sadness)—your broken heart makes you feel like the world’s ending, sure. The funny thing is, you can actually use it as an expression for… the end of the world—be it an individual death, or death of all life on Earth—comparing those tragedies to a broken heart—in kind of a reverse metaphor! The B-Side, “Somebody Loves You,” is another Skeeter Davis classic—a lovely romantic number by Charles Tobias and Peter De Rose—it could be anyone’s A-Side.
3.13.26