This beautiful song was written by the singer: Skeeter Davis (1931-2004; her real name was Mary Frances Penick). “The end of the world” was one of the first country songs to cross over to the pop charts (finally climbing to #2 in 1963), and when it came out —yes, I remember—it was everywhere. This live performance is from the early 1970s.
There’s a 1965 version of her singing the same song in a much more countrified style, and with amazing Sixties hair.
The songs are not similar at all so it must just be the title, “The End of the World,” but this brought to mind the song “Merry Minuet” by the Kingston Trio.
Grew up with the Kingston Trio and am still fond of them.
Thanks, Jerry. These carried me back a ways.
+1
Thanks for that one, Jerry.
I watched the 1965 version. That led to a YouTube of the “We Five” doing “You Were On My Mind” (lip sync) and that led to the Hollies on BBC4 doing a live “Carrie Anne”, and quite well. I could understand the lyrics!
Both versions were great! I, too, remember it from KRLA Radio out of Los Angeles, 50 years ago. [Casey Kassem was the daytime DJ]. The comments were a little bizarre on the You Tube site. Some of the other covers were good, too.
I didn’t even know it was a country song, I never heard anyone sing it but Karen Carpenter, who did a much better job IMHO.
I enjoyed this song in the ’60s and still do today. I agree that Karen Carpenter’s version is superior as she was a much better singer than Davis. However, despite the use of the steel guitar in the Carpenters version, as well as Richard’s country piano licks, it really doesn’t have the country feel of the Davis versions. We are fortunate to have both.
Poor Karen–her early death was a great loss.
I seem to recall a cover by Herman’s Hermits.
Indeed. I just found that on iTunes. It’s a much-covered song, by male and female artists: Brenda Lee, Nancy Sinatra (Sings Country), Sonia (!), Mud (!!), and likely the ubiquitous Many, Many More.
😉
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PS. I found a 1963 album version from Skeeter Davis that sounds far better than either video.
Here’s a recent hybrid version by Bill Frisell.
1997, “recent”?!
From his Nashville album, ŵ vocals by Robin Holcomb.
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heh. Well, compared to the versions posted above (and to most of the music I listen to), yeah. “Relatively recent,” how’s that?
On a geological timescale, “just now”! 😉
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Written by Arthur Kent & Sylvia Dee, not Skeeter Davis
Music by Kent, poem by Dee.
“This beautiful song was written by the singer: Skeeter Davis”
What’s with the colon?
Beautiful song. To think we were born the same year, and she’s been gone for quite a while. Guess it’s true, the good really do die young.
By the way, Mary Frances Penick is of Cornish origin. There is a saying: Tre, Pol, and Pen, ye shall know are Cornishmen.