It was the latter brief diversion that got the boy labeled the Singing Milkman at the outset of his career. At 16, his mother entered him in a local talent contest and he won by singing "Love Letters in the Sand." He got to a final round, where he specifically avoided doing the standard Elvis Presley imitations that his competitors presented. This led to an appearance at a variety show on the island, where he was seen by London agent Bunny Lewis, whose wife was performing on the same bill. She, in turn, was impressed with the boy's poise and professionalism. Lewis arranged for singing lessons for the 16-year-old and began grooming him for a career on the stage in London. Lewis gave him the name Craig Douglas after seeing it outside a house in Scotland.
His breakthrough came on The Six-Five Special, then the only real showcase for rock & roll on British television. Douglas was booked on the show the same week that Cliff Richard and Joe Brown appeared, but he made an impression even in their company: A few days later, he was presented with two huge sacks of fan mail from the performance. The Six-Five Special led Douglas to a recording contract and a string of successes. Much of Douglas' career was spent at EMI, for which he had a number one hit with his version of "Only Sixteen," but also charted very high with "A Teenager in Love," "The Heart of a Teenage Girl," "Pretty Blue Eyes," and "When My Little Girl Is Smiling." Douglas wasn't really a rock & roll singer, his diction being too good and his delivery too straight-ahead for that designation.
His early records call up images of Ricky Nelson but, like a lot of young British singers of his era, he quickly aimed for a more mature audience. His singing was very emotive but also very clean. He was obviously more comfortable with dignified pop music, such as "Time," than with the more rocking numbers like "Ring-A-Ding" that he was occasionally called upon to record, with its slurred lyrics, honking saxes, and loud electric guitars (although Douglas acquitted himself well in that setting). He made the usual moves, appearing on film soundtracks (Two and Two Make Six) and in movies (It's Trad, Dad; A Painted Smile), as well as numerous television shows. Douglas' appearance alongside his EMI stablemate Helen Shapiro in It's Trad, Dad (which was Richard Lester's first feature and a dry run for A Hard Day's Night) showed off his strengths and weaknesses. He was charismatic simply based on his good looks, but was rather a stiff on camera as an actor, especially next to the vivacious Shapiro (who was also about five years younger than the then 21-year-old Douglas).
Rock & roll was just another musical genre to Douglas, which is not to say he was wrong, it's just that antique numbers like "It All Depends on You" or "Five Foot Two, Eyes of Blue" done straight will never resonate the same way "Dream Lover" or "Rainbows" will to listeners born after 1945. Douglas' time on the English charts ended in 1962 and his major recording career came to a halt a year later with the advent of the Liverpool sound, but he continues to perform regularly in clubs, on cruises, and in cabarets, as well as international tours. Indeed, well into the 1990s, he had an annual month-long booking in Hong Kong. He's a fondly remembered and talented exponent of England's early flirtation with rock & roll. ~ Bruce Eder, All Music Guide
Only Sixteen
Craig Douglas Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Only sixteen, only sixteen
She was only sixteen, only sixteen
I loved her so
She was too young to fall in love
And I was too young to know
We'd laugh and we'd sing, and do little things
That made my heart glow
She was too young to fall in love
And I was too young to know
Why did I give my heart so fast?
It never will happen again
'Cause I was a mere lad of sixteen
I've aged a year since then
She was only sixteen, only sixteen
With eyes that would glow
She was too young to fall in love
And I was too young to know
Why did I give my heart so fast?
It never will happen again
'Cause I was a mere lad of sixteen
I've aged a year since then
She was only sixteen, only sixteen
With eyes that would glow
She was too young to fall in love
And I was too young to know
That she was too young to fall in love
And I was too young to know
That she was too young to fall in love
And I was too young to know
That she was too young
The song "Only Sixteen" by Craig Douglas tells the story of a young love affair that was doomed from the start. The singer reminisces about a girl he had fallen in love with when he was only 16 years old. At the time, he didn't realize that both he and the girl were too young to truly understand the depth of their emotions. They would laugh and sing together, and do little things that made his heart glow, but in reality, they were just kids who didn't know any better.
The singer regrets giving his heart away so easily and quickly, since he now knows better. He was just a mere lad of sixteen, who has since aged a year and learned his lesson. However, the memories of the girl still linger in his mind, and her eyes that would glow whenever they were together still shine brightly in his memory. Despite the fond memories, the singer realizes that the relationship was doomed from the start; the girl was too young to truly fall in love, and he was too young to know any better.
Overall, "Only Sixteen" is a bittersweet song that reminds listeners of the feelings of first love, and the naivete that often comes with it. It is reflective in nature, and looks back on a time when everything was simpler and more innocent. The regrets of the singer are palpable, and the listeners can feel the wistful yearning for a time long gone.
Line by Line Meaning
Only sixteen, only sixteen
The girl in question is young and just sixteen years old.
She was only sixteen, only sixteen
I loved her so
She was too young to fall in love
And I was too young to know
The singer was deeply in love with the girl despite her being too young to experience love, and he was too young to understand the concept of love.
We'd laugh and we'd sing, and do little things
That made my heart glow
She was too young to fall in love
And I was too young to know
Despite their youth, the two would share special moments that made the singer feel deeply for the girl, even though it was too soon for either of them to fully grasp what those feelings meant.
Why did I give my heart so fast?
It never will happen again
'Cause I was a mere lad of sixteen
I've aged a year since then
The singer realizes that he acted too quickly in giving his heart away, and vows to not make the same mistake again. He acknowledges that he has grown and matured since then, even though it has only been a year.
She was only sixteen, only sixteen
With eyes that would glow
She was too young to fall in love
And I was too young to know
The girl had a youthful beauty and energy that captivated the singer, but he recognizes that they were both too young to truly understand the emotions they were feeling at the time.
That she was too young to fall in love
And I was too young to know
The repeated refrain emphasizes the fact that both the girl and the singer were too young to fully comprehend the complexities of love and relationships.
Lyrics © Kanjian Music, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Sam Cooke
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