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 got to pieces
Del Shannon Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I get so shaky and I feel so weak,
I tell my eyes to look the other way,
But they don't seem to hear a word I say, And I
Go to pieces and I want to cry,
Go to pieces and I almost die,
Every time my baby passes by.
I tell my arms they'll hold someone new,
Another love that will be so true,
But they won't listen they don't seem to care,
They reach for her, but she's not there, And I
Go to pieces and I want to cry,
Go to pieces and I almost die,
Every time my baby passes by.
I remember what she said when she said,
"Good-bye Baby, we'll meet again soon maybe,
But until we do, all my best to you."
I'm so lonely, think about her only.
I go to places that we used to go,
But I know she'll never show,
She's hurt me so much inside,
Now I hope that she is satisfied, 'Cause I
Go to pieces and I want to cry,
Go to pieces and I almost die,
Every time my baby passes by
Del Shannon's "I Go To Pieces" paints a vivid picture of a man falling apart at the sight of his ex-lover. The lyrics describe his physical and emotional reactions to seeing her, as well as his attempts to move on. He tells himself to look the other way, but he can't help feeling weak and shaky. He tries to convince himself that he'll find someone new, but his arms still ache for her. The pain of her absence is so intense that simply seeing places they used to go brings him to tears. He remembers her goodbye message and admits to being consumed by thoughts of her.
The song's melancholic tone is enhanced by Shannon's soaring vocals, which convey the heartache of the lyrics. The repetition of the chorus ("Go to pieces and I want to cry, Go to pieces and I almost die, Every time my baby passes by") and the use of metaphor ("I'm so lonely, think about her only") emphasize the singer's emotional turmoil.
Overall, "I Go To Pieces" is a poignant tale of lost love and the struggles of moving on. The lyrics capture the feelings of heartbreak that are universal and timeless, and the song's enduring popularity is a testament to its enduring emotional resonance.
Line by Line Meaning
When I see her comin' down the street,
The sight of her causes overwhelming anxiety and physical weakness.
I get so shaky and I feel so weak,
The effect of her presence is so strong that it feels like the body is trembling and powerless.
I tell my eyes to look the other way,
He tries to avoid looking at her to lessen the impact of her presence.
But they don't seem to hear a word I say, And I
However, he is unable to control his own eyes and they still look towards her.
Go to pieces and I want to cry,
Her presence causes emotional distress and he feels like he is falling apart.
Go to pieces and I almost die,
His emotions are so strong that it feels like he is dying inside.
Every time my baby passes by.
This reaction happens every time he sees her.
I tell my arms they'll hold someone new,
He tries to convince himself that he will find someone else to love.
Another love that will be so true,
A new love that will be faithful and honest.
But they won't listen they don't seem to care,
His arms still ache for her and they do not respond to his wishes.
They reach for her, but she's not there, And I
His arms reach out involuntarily for her but she is not physically present.
Go to pieces and I want to cry,
His emotional distress continues even though he tries to convince himself that he will find love elsewhere.
Go to pieces and I almost die,
His grief is so all-consuming that it feels like it could kill him.
Every time my baby passes by.
He cannot escape this emotional response to her presence.
I remember what she said when she said,
He cannot forget what she said when they parted.
"Good-bye Baby, we'll meet again soon maybe,
Her words were hopeful, suggesting that they may reunite in the future.
But until we do, all my best to you."
She wishes him well while they are apart.
I'm so lonely, think about her only.
He is consumed by loneliness and cannot stop thinking about her.
I go to places that we used to go,
He tries to relive their memories by visiting the same places they used to go together.
But I know she'll never show,
He knows that she will not be there and that he is only torturing himself.
She's hurt me so much inside,
Her absence and rejection have caused him emotional pain.
Now I hope that she is satisfied, 'Cause I
He hopes that she is happy with her decision to leave him, even though it hurts him deeply.
Go to pieces and I want to cry,
His heart is still broken even though he wishes her well.
Go to pieces and I almost die,
His emotional pain is still very intense and he cannot escape it.
Every time my baby passes by.
He cannot avoid his emotional response to seeing her.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Del Shannon
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
dac10012
Del wrote and sang straight from his heart. R.I P.
Faye Enke
I do agree that he rather and sang that song from his Heart it..was ..verry Grate and I do love it verry much Rip Del Shannon forever
Len Drury
This man was one of the most underrated artists in music history
He was great and multitalented
Gun Of A Preacher Man
So sad that Del passed away so young. Del had an incredible voice and as this song shows, he could write a great tune. Hugely underrated talent.
Colin Purssey
Here in Australia in the early 60's Del was probably the most popular recording artist of all. We teenagers were enraptured by the driving vibrancy of his songs ; "Hey Little Girl" , "The Swiss Maid" and the others. He was actually more commercially successful over here at that particular time than Elvis was. I'm virtually certain he had much more publicity in Australia than in his native U.S. Fabulous artist, sadly missed.
MrAlsfan5
One of Del's best and he had quite a few.
Bill Lewis
Wow, great version by the original composer!
Love Del's voice
Brock White
This is such a terrific song - I bought the Peter and Gordon version as a 45 when it came out in the winter of 1964 and it still is one of my top 10 very favorite songs.
Rick Nelson
very beautiful yet sad song by a very talented singer R.I.P Del Shannon only 55 when he passed away (Dec30th 1934-Feb 8th 1990) I am only 22 and I love this man's music.
Robin Svensson
I was born 3 years after he passed away, and I grew up hearing and loving his music. The world truly lost a huge star that day. He was fantastic.