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.
Life Without You
Del Shannon Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Drives me crazy
Cuts me deep when you turn away
I got a dream
It's just a picture
A picture of you without me-e-e
Woah
I can't live my life without you
I can't make it on my own
We said love would last forever
Said we'd always be together
Don't ya know how much it hurts me
To see you walkin' at his side?
There's so much I want to tell you
But you'd only laugh and walk away-y-y
Woah
I can't live my life without you
I can't make it on my own
We said love would last forever
Said we'd always be together
Da, da-da-da-da-da-da
Da-da-da-da-da-da
Da-da-da-da-da-da
I can't live my life without you
I can't make it on my own
We said love would last forever
Said we'd always be together
Da, da-da-da-da-da-da
Da-da-da-da-da-da
Da-da-da-da-da-da
Del Shannon's song Life Without You embodies the theme of unrequited love and heartbreak. The lyrics express the singer's overwhelming desire for his love interest and the pain he feels when she rejects him. He has a dream of a life together with the woman, but she does not share his sentiments. The line "cuts me deep when you turn away" conveys the intensity of his emotions and the impact her rejection has on him.
The chorus of the song highlights the singer's dependency on the woman he loves. He believes he cannot make it without her, and their love was supposed to last forever. However, his love interest has moved on to another person, and he feels left behind. The lyrics "don't ya know how much it hurts me to see you walking at his side?" depict the pain and jealousy he experiences as he watches the woman he loves walk away with someone else.
In summary, Life Without You is a poignant representation of the emptiness and pain one experiences with unrequited love. The singer's desperate attempts to hold onto a love that is not reciprocated highlight the intensity and desperation of unrequited love.
Line by Line Meaning
Want you so much
I desire you deeply
Drives me crazy
You make me lose control
Cuts me deep when you turn away
Your rejection hurts me deeply
I got a dream
I have a hope or longing
It's just a picture
It's only a vision
A picture of you without me-e-e
A future where you are not with me
I can't live my life without you
I am unable to exist without you
I can't make it on my own
I cannot survive independently
We said love would last forever
We promised our affection for each other would never end
Said we'd always be together
We promised we would never part
Don't ya know how much it hurts me
Do you not realize how much pain I'm in?
To see you walkin' at his side?
To see you with someone else?
There's so much I want to tell you
I have a lot to say to you
But you'd only laugh and walk away-y-y
But you would only mock me and leave me behind
Da, da-da-da-da-da-da
Instrumental
Da-da-da-da-da-da
Instrumental
Da-da-da-da-da-da
Instrumental
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: DEL SHANNON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Sylvia K.
Still love his songs, all these years later!
Football Crazy *
I came to be a fan of Del Shannon about 10+ years ago when an older guy I worked with would put his CDs on. Thanks Tommy Jack. Although I learned a lot more about Del when my "obsession" with Tom Petty kicked in. Tom was a massive fan & I reckon Del would have been a fitting replacement for the late great Big O' in The Travelling Wilburys. I don't think I could pay a bigger compliment to Del when I say that. You may be gone but your music will forever live on.
3LittleBiggs
This man had a lot of music in him!! What a wonderful song! Thank you for sharing yet another Del song that I've never heard!! Much appreciated! :-)
joe gongora
This is a great song because it's on my "Drop Down And Get Me CD. Because Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers are backing him up on this one. They were helping Del Shannon because they wanted to see if once again he'd make a comeback . It would've been something if he did .He did have a hit off that LP with a remake, The Sea Of Love. It was done before the Al Pacino movie. It would've given Del Shannon the recognition he needed . By the way this is a great song.
Robert Walton
Love many of Del Shannon's songs, even when they are a little dark like this one.
Richard Broomhead
Stunning song, a lesson in tone and melody and putting feeling into words. Just try not playing air drums!
ARosser14
Easy for me, I'm too busy playing air guitar. Haha.
ramblin man
AWESOME song, also written by Del.... Ive thought so since the 1st time I heard it in the "Drop Down" album in 1983..
John LaStrada
I'll never figure this -- I know Del was an alcoholic -- but, he was getting good, late career reviews -- he was on the cusp of replacing the late Roy Orbison in The Traveling Wilburys. Tom Petty produced this album, song & it sounds Wilbury-ish. So he was practically a shoe-in. Good guitar player, extraordinary vocalist -- and he would have added a new dimension to The Wilburys. But, I guess his depression was far more serious than many thought. RIP Del -- you were one of the best.
Walter
John LaStrada It just goes to show that no matter what you have or where you are, it won't always solve the problem of depression