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.
Let
Del Shannon Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
It's good to see this old pace
Seems like a hundred years or more
Since I've seen a different face
Well it wouldn't be so bad
If she'd leave me alone
But she's never satisfied at all
Gonna have myself a ball
Let's dance, let's dance, let's dance the night away
I don't care if I ever get home
Keep playing those good old songs
Let's dance, let's dance, pass the bottle around
Let's bring up the sun when the morning comes
Lets dance all night long
Rock on!
Well it wasn't long ago that I settled down
To a life I thought was fine but all her friends and mine slowly changed my mind, and I'd reather be free single any old day and to sit home and dry her tears
It's great to see everyone here, let's dance the night away
Let's dance, let's dance, let's dance the night away
I don't care if I ever get home
Keep playing those good old songs
Let's dance, let's dance, pass the bottle around
Let's bring up the sun when the morning comes
Lets dance all night long
Rock on!
Del Shannon’s ‘Let’s Dance’ is a song that revolves around the main theme of wanting to break free and making the most of the “now”. The singer of the song has grown tired of being tied down to the mundane things of life, including his relationship with a woman who is not satisfied with anything. He yearns for a different pace and thrives on the prospect of seeing new faces, hence his decision to pack his guitar and hit the road.
The use of repetition in the chorus, “let’s dance,” symbolizes a form of escapism where the singer wants to forget about his problems and immerse himself fully in the moment, even if it means not returning home. The use of specific terms such as “pass the bottle around” and “rock on” further reinforces the idea of living life to the fullest and not putting a pause on the things that bring joy.
Overall, the song serves as a reminder to live in the “now” and not let life pass us by, with the lyrics emphasizing the importance of dancing, forgetting about one's problems, and enjoying the company of others.
Line by Line Meaning
I'm sick and tired of being tied down
I feel fed up and unhappy being in a relationship
It's good to see this old pace
It is delightful to be at this place he loves
Seems like a hundred years or more
It feels like an eternity since he spent time in a different place
Since I've seen a different face
It is a long time since he met someone new
Well it wouldn't be so bad
It could be okay
If she'd leave me alone
If his girlfriend would stop bothering him
But she's never satisfied at all
She is not happy with anything
So I packed my guitar and threw it in my trunk
He took his guitar and kept it in his car trunk
Gonna have myself a ball
He plans to enjoy the time in his own way
Let's dance, let's dance, let's dance the night away
Let's enjoy the moment by dancing
I don't care if I ever get home
He doesn't bother about returning home
Keep playing those good old songs
He wants to listen to some good music
Let's dance, let's dance, pass the bottle around
Let's dance and share some drinks
Let's bring up the sun when the morning comes
Let's enjoy the night and welcome the sunrise together
Lets dance all night long
He wants to keep on dancing throughout the night
Rock on!
An encouraging phrase that calls for continued liveliness
Well it wasn't long ago that I settled down
Not too long ago, he decided to have a stable relationship
To a life I thought was fine but all her friends and mine slowly changed my mind
He believed that he had a happy life previously, but peer pressure affected his thinking
And I'd reather be free single any old day and to sit home and dry her tears
He prefers to be single and free instead of being in a relationship and taking care of his girlfriend's emotions
It's great to see everyone here, let's dance the night away
He is happy to be around everyone and wants to make the most of the moment by dancing
Lyrics © BMG RIGHTS MANAGEMENT US, LLC
Written by: DEL SHANNON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Bob Coltrain Kennedy
Another great Del Shannon song. I love that Cajun arrangement. He was just as prolific as a writer than he was as a singer. A great talent. Thanks, I hadn't heard this one ~ Bob Coltrain Kennedy
Grant Hopkins
Del could cover every oeuvre of music with perfection and originality-sometimes better than the original. Here he is a cajun angel.
Daniel Lucena
Qué hermosa canción de Del al estilo Country!!Desconocía totalmente!!
John Harvey
I just heard this song for the first time in my life. My father brings in a radio station from Ireland here in New york. I am cooking dinner and hear this song and I started dancing myself. Great tune.
tonytunesuk
I can't get my head around Del topping himself when he could produce a vocal as strong as this. It wasn't as if he was passed it!
baratittafilmer
I think this is a real rocker from Del on his last cd ever,so sad his life ended the way it did ! Love you always Del,caro
James McMillan
Del, you are brilliant! RIP.
Carola Sandelius
Love this up-tempo song it makes this old body wanna runaway ha ha Love you "DEL" have for many years now 57 years has gone by since I first heard you and fell like a stone.....so good your last album
HurricaneHomer9
He was such a beautiful, strong singer. It hurts to think he left us so early.
David Wadsworth
freaking WOW, never heard this one before,saw him live in 67,.