Del Shannon (30 December 1934–8 February 1990) (born Charles Weedon Westove… Read Full Bio ↴Del Shannon (30 December 1934–8 February 1990) (born Charles Weedon Westover in Coopersville, Michigan) was an American rock and roller who launched into fame with the No. 1 hit "Runaway" (1961) which introduced the musitron, an early form of the synthesizer played by "Runaway" co-writer and keyboard player Max Crook.

Shannon followed up with "Hats Off to Larry", another big hit, and the less popular "So Long, Baby", another song of breakup bitterness. "Little Town Flirt", released in 1962 reached #12 in 1963 as did the album of the same name. After these hits, Shannon was unable to keep his momentum in the US, but became a sensation in England. In 1963, he became the first American artist to record a cover version of a Beatles song with "From Me to You".

Shannon returned to the charts in 1964 with "Handy Man", "Do You Wanna Dance", "Keep Searchin'", and "Stranger in Town" (1965), with the latter two songs themed about flight from pursuit in a dangerous world. A 1966 chart offering was Shannon's cover of the Rolling Stones' "Under My Thumb". In the late 1960s after a dry spell of hits, he turned to production. In 1969 he discovered a group called Smith and arranged their hit "Baby It's You". He then produced his friend Brian Hyland's million seller "Gypsy Woman" in 1970.

In the 1970s, Shannon's career slowed down greatly; the hates and fears he had turned into art in his earlier songs were turning into full-blown mental illness, and he was self-medicating with alcohol. He finally put the bottle down in 1978, and he was able to return to mainstream audiences with "Sea of Love" in the early 1980s from the album "Drop Down And Get Me" produced by Tom Petty.

In December, 1983, Shannon served as Grand Marshal of the Coopersville, Michigan Christmas parade and also performed a benefit concert at Coopersville High School.

Shannon enjoyed a resurgence in audience interest after re-recording a portion of his song "Runaway" (with new lyrics) as the theme for the television program Crime Story. Producer Michael Mann felt that this was one of the definitive songs of the era in which the program was set. Some fans of the show prefer the sharper lyrics ("Some live, and others die") as an alternate to the original words.

On 8 February 1990, while working on a comeback album with Jeff Lynne of Electric Light Orchestra, Shannon fatally shot himself in the head with a .22 calibre rifle. His wife thought his death might have been related to his recent use of the prescription drug Prozac. The album was released after his death and titled "Rock On!".

Shannon is a member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and his pioneering contribution to the genre has been recognized by the Rockabilly Hall of Fame.

I'm Gonne Be Strong
Del Shannon Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

I can see
You're slipping away from me
And you're so afraid
That I'll plead with you to stay
But I'm gonna be strong
And let you go your way

Love is gone

There's no sense in holding on
And your pity now
Would be more than I could bare
But I'm gonna be strong
And pretend I don't care

I'm gonna be strong
And stand as tall as I can
I'm gonna be strong
And let you go along
And take it like a man

When you say it's the end
I'll hand you a line
I'll smile and say
Don't you worry I'm fine
But you'll never know darling

After you kiss me goodbye
How I'll break down and cry

Overall Meaning

In Del Shannon's "I'm Gonna Be Strong," he addresses the feelings of heartbreak and letting go of a relationship that is slipping away. The first verse sets the tone for the rest of the song, where Shannon acknowledges that his partner is afraid that he will ask them to stay. However, in the chorus, Shannon declares that he "is gonna be strong and let you go your way." He knows that love is gone, and recognizes that there is no sense in holding onto something that is no longer there.

In the second verse, Shannon explains that pity would be more than he could bear, and decides to pretend that he doesn't care. He will stand as tall as he can and take it like a man. However, he admits in the final lines that he will never reveal his true feelings to his partner after they kiss him goodbye. Instead, he will hand them a line, smile, and say that he is fine. In reality, he will break down and cry after they leave.

Overall, "I'm Gonna Be Strong" is a powerful song about coming to terms with the end of a relationship and recognizing that sometimes, the strongest thing you can do is let go.

Line by Line Meaning

I can see
I am aware of the changes happening in our relationship

You're slipping away from me
You are drifting apart from me

And you're so afraid
You fear what I might do if you ask to leave

That I'll plead with you to stay
That I'll beg you with all my heart to stay

But I'm gonna be strong
But I will have the courage to let you go

And let you go your way
And allow you to follow your own path

Love is gone
Our love has vanished

There's no sense in holding on
It's pointless to hold onto what we had

And your pity now
And your sympathy for me now

Would be more than I could bare
Would be too much for me to handle emotionally

But I'm gonna be strong
But I will find my inner strength