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.
Mind Over Matter
Del Shannon Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
My tears are all dried up,
I have got to face this problem on my own,
You said you would love me,
Till the end of time had come,
All I've got's memory of you,
Mind over matter,
Baby if,
Mind over matter,
Give me the strength,
That I need,
To carry on,
Sitting here,
A-waiting here,
Not knowing if,
You're gonna be true,
You're all I had in life,
Now we're through,
When you left I thought of dying,
Then I knew that you were lying,
Got to face the fact now we're through,
Well it's,
Mind over matter,
Baby it's,
Mind over matter,
Give me the strength,
That I need,
To carry on,
Well it's,
Mind over matter,
Baby if,
Mind over matter,
Give me the strength,
That I need,
To carry on,
Sitting here away from you,
Not knowing if,
You're gonna be true,
You're all I had in life,
Now we're through,
When you left I thought of dying,
Then I knew that you were lying,
Got to face the fact now you're gone,
Well it's,
Mind over matter,
Baby it's,
Mind over matter,
Give me the strength,
That I need,
To carry on,
Give me the strength that I need,
Give me the strength that I need,
Give me the strength that I need,
That I need,
That I need,
That I need,
That I need,
In Del Shannon's song "Mind Over Matter," the singer has come to a decision that they must face their problem on their own. They are speaking to a lover who had promised to love them until the end of time, but that promise has been broken. All the singer has left now is the memory of their lover. The song expresses the feeling of heartache and the need for strength to carry on. The singer is sitting and waiting, unsure if their lover will return and if they will be truthful. In this moment of uncertainty, the singer reflects on how much their lover meant to them and how lost they feel without them. When their lover left, at first the singer thought of dying, but now they must face the harsh reality that the relationship is over. Through it all, the singer asks for the strength they need to move on and carry on.
The lyrics of this song perfectly capture the pain and confusion that come with the end of a relationship. The singer's struggle to move on, especially in the face of uncertainty, is relatable to many. The use of the phrase "mind over matter" implies that the singer must rely on their own strength of will to get through this challenging time. The repeated plea for strength shows that the singer is still struggling and needs support to move forward.
Line by Line Meaning
Now my mind is made up,
I have made a decision and am determined to see it through.
My tears are all dried up,
I have finished grieving and am ready to move on.
I have got to face this problem on my own,
I have to confront this issue alone and deal with it myself.
You said you would love me,
In the past, you promised to love me.
Till the end of time had come,
Until the end of our lives.
All I've got's memory of you,
All that remains now is my memory of you.
Well it's,
The reality is that,
Mind over matter,
My willpower must conquer my emotions to deal with this.
Baby if,
If I am strong enough.
Give me the strength,
I need the power,
That I need,
I must have,
To carry on,
In order to keep going.
Sitting here,
I am waiting,
A-waiting here,
Just waiting,
Not knowing if,
Uncertain if,
You're gonna be true,
You will remain loyal,
You're all I had in life,
You were everything to me,
Now we're through,
Our relationship has ended.
When you left I thought of dying,
I felt so much pain and sadness that I considered death.
Then I knew that you were lying,
Eventually I realized that you were not truthful.
Got to face the fact now we're through,
I must accept the reality that our relationship is over.
Sitting here away from you,
I am still waiting, but now apart from you,
Now we're through,
The relationship is over.
Well it's,
The reality is,
Give me the strength that I need,
I require the inner power,
That I need,
That is necessary,
That I need,
That is required,
That I need,
That is essential and indispensable,
That I need,
That I must have,
That I need,
That is vital,
That I need,
Without which I cannot continue.
Writer(s): Jeremy Solomons
Contributed by Kylie S. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Andre
I was in the BBC studio audience in Manchester when he mimed / performed the track for the first on time in the U K on the Simon Dee Show Great record
JEFFREY OKEEFE
Psychedelic good stuff another time.
Terry Cullen
Remember seeing Del On the Simon Dee show on TV, singing this, then bought it of course.
mycatsdead
ive got same haircut. whats that all about.. groovy shit never the less. awesome track.
Jeffrey OKeefe
I know he was a pal of Bob Seger ,yes there were great tracks on home and away liberty chose not to release it maybe there was no bung.
mycatsdead
sounds like me. thats for sure. still a groovy little number. and haircut.