Billy first became known to fans in the early 1990s with his appearance on "Star Search." He later earned a recording contract with Liberty Records and rose to national stardom with a string of Top 10 hits on Billboard magazine's country singles chart. His debut song, 1991's "Only Here For a Little While," rose into the Top 5, while the follow up, "Somewhere in My Broken Heart," repeated the feat. "Somewhere in My Broken Heart" won the 1992 Academy of Country Music award for Song of the Year; he also took home the ACM's New Male Vocalist award..
Dean's string of hits continued in the early- and mid-1990s, with songs like "You Don't Count the Cost" (1991); "Only the Wind," "Billy the Kid" and "If There Hadn't Been You" (all 1992); "Tryin' to Hide a Fire in the Dark" (1993); "We Just Disagree" (a remake of the 1970s Dave Mason hit) (1993); "It's What I Do" and "That Girl's Been Spying on Me" (both 1996).
In 1991 Dean wrote and sang the theme song to the ABC animated television series Wild West C.O.W.-Boys of Moo Mesa. It is titled "Up on the Mesa".
During the late 1990s, his career slowed down a bit, although he made several television appearances, including "One Life to Live" and "Wings." He and Alison Krauss sang backup on Kenny Rogers' 2000 single "Buy Me a Rose". At the time, the song made Kenny the oldest artist to score a country #1; it also marked the only time that Dean reached the top of the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart.
In 2004, Dean was signed to Asylum Curb, where he began a comeback with the single "Thank God I'm a Country Boy" (a remake of John Denver's classic). In early 2005, he released the album Let Them Be Little, which featured both "Thank God I'm a Country Boy" and the title track. "Let Them Be Little" was co-written by Richie McDonald, who at the time was the lead singer of Lonestar; Lonestar also recorded the song on their 2005 album Let's Be Us Again. Dean's version of the song became his first Top Ten hit on the country charts in nearly nine years.
Shelfer Street
Billy Dean Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Playin' in that summer heat
I wore blisters on my feet
Then I'd sleep with my windows open wide
And a good feelin' down deep inside
Man I really had it made in the shade of Shelfer Street
It's where I used to dream real big
Mama never worried 'bout me
That's how life used to be
In the shade of Shelfer Street
Playin' in that summer heat
I wore blisters on my feet
Then I'd sleep with my windows open wide
And a good feelin' down deep inside
Man I really had it made in the shade of Shelfer Street
It's where we learned to play together
And we looked out for one another
And I could have stayed forever
Forever
In the shade of Shelfer Street
Just playin' in that summer heat
I wore blisters on my feet
Then I'd sleep with my windows open wide
And a good feelin' down deep inside
Man I really had it made
I said man I really had it made in the shade of Shelfer Street
Shelfer Street
The lyrics to Billy Dean’s song “Shelfer Street” take us back to a nostalgic time in his life where he spent the summers playing under the shade of a street called Shelfer. It was a simpler time where he dreamed big, pretending to be Billy the Kid without a worry in the world, and his mother never worried about him. He reflects on the fond memories of playing with friends, looking out for each other, and feeling a good feeling down deep inside. The imagery of him wearing blisters on his feet and sleeping with the windows open wide captures the innocence and freedom of his childhood, without the burden of adult responsibilities.
Line by Line Meaning
In the shade of Shelfer Street
Reflecting on a time spent in the cool place of Shelfer Street
Playin' in that summer heat
Playing carelessly under the hot sun during summer days
I wore blisters on my feet
Walking around Shelfer Street until the feet got painful and blistered
Then I'd sleep with my windows open wide
Sleeping comfortably with fresh air flowing through the room
And a good feelin' down deep inside
Feeling content and satisfied from the happy moments spent there
Man I really had it made in the shade of Shelfer Street
Feeling fortunate to have lived in a place as pleasant as Shelfer Street
It's where I used to dream real big
Reflecting on how Shelfer Street inspired big and ambitious dreams
Pretend I was Billy the Kid
Fulfilling a childhood fantasy by pretending to be a popular cowboy character
Mama never worried 'bout me
Mother being comfortable with the area and confident that child is safe
That's how life used to be
Reflecting back on a simpler and more carefree era
It's where we learned to play together
Recalling memories of shared fun with friends and building bonds
And we looked out for one another
Having a sense of community and mutual support among playmates
And I could have stayed forever
Feeling so attached to the place and the people that it is hard to leave
Just playin' in that summer heat
Enjoying and passing the time with games during hot weather
I said man I really had it made in the shade of Shelfer Street
Stating again that life was happy and content in Shelfer Street
Lyrics © OBO APRA/AMCOS
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