"Optimistic" is a song written by Aubrey Freeman. In 1961, Skeeter Davis recorded and released the song as a single for RCA Victor. "Optimistic" was recorded on June 29, 1961 at the RCA Victor Studio in Nashville, Tennessee, United States. The song was released as a single in September 1961 also, and it peaked at number ten on the Billboard Magazine Hot C&W Sides chart later that year. The single became Davis' fourth top-ten hit on the country chart at that point. The song was not originally issued onto an official album.