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.
Never Stop Tryin
Del Shannon Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
After all this time I know it's still you
And the dreams I dreamed they never came true
And here I am standing
I'm crazy and I know I'm a fool
To ever think you could love me the way I love you
But a fool never gives up
Ooo you don't hear me when I call out your name
It's the same old game
Ooo I thought maybe someday you could change
But you're still the same
'Cause I saw you today and it's true
You still know what you can put me through
And sometimes I think you just come around
To watch me fall
I see you and I can't help myself
You talk to me but you're with somebody else
But it's worth it just to hear you lie
Than not to hear you at all
Ooo you don't hear me when I call out your name
It's the same old game
Ooo I thought maybe someday you could change
But you're still the same
I saw you today and it's true
After all this time I know it's still you
And the dreams I dreamed they never came true
And here I am standing
I'm crazy and I know I'm a fool
To ever think you could love me the way I love you
But a fool never gives up
And I'll never stop trying
The song "Never Stop Tryin'" by Del Shannon is a poignant reflection on unrequited love, heartbreak, and the struggle to let go of a relationship that will never work out. The singer of the song is speaking directly to the object of his affections, expressing his continued devotion despite the fact that she has moved on with someone else. He acknowledges his own foolishness and admits that he knows she will never feel the same way about him that he does about her, but he is unable to give up on his love for her.
The song is a bittersweet rumination on the nature of love and human relationships, with its lyrics suggesting that sometimes it's better to hold on to a dream than to let it go. The singer's repeated declaration that he will "never stop trying" emphasizes both his determination and his desperation, making the song both hopeful and sad. Ultimately, the lyrics convey a sense of resigned acceptance that the love he feels for this person will never be reciprocated, despite his best efforts.
In summary, "Never Stop Tryin'" is a beautiful, heart-wrenching ballad that captures the emotion and complexity of unrequited love. The lyrics express both the hope and the hopelessness that come with holding onto a dream that may never be realized.
Line by Line Meaning
I saw you today and it's true
I saw you today and it's true that you haven't changed.
After all this time I know it's still you
Despite the time passed, you are still the same person I used to know.
And the dreams I dreamed they never came true
I had dreams about us, but they never became a reality.
And here I am standing
I'm still here, standing and waiting for something that might never happen.
I'm crazy and I know I'm a fool
I confess that I'm crazy to still love you and know that I might be a fool to think that you could ever love me back.
To ever think you could love me the way I love you
I know that my love for you is greater than anything you could ever feel for me.
But a fool never gives up
Even though I might be considered a fool, I'll never give up on love.
And I'll never stop trying
I'll keep trying to win your heart, no matter how many times I fail.
Ooo you don't hear me when I call out your name
I call out your name, but you never seem to listen.
It's the same old game
Our relationship is still the same old game of you ignoring me and me trying to win your love.
Ooo I thought maybe someday you could change
I thought that maybe someday you could change and love me back, but it seems like you never will.
But you're still the same
Despite my hopes, you remain the same person with the same feelings towards me.
'Cause I saw you today and it's true
Seeing you today reminded me that nothing has changed between us.
You still know what you can put me through
You still have the power to hurt me like you always did.
And sometimes I think you just come around
I suspect that sometimes you come around just to see me suffer.
To watch me fall
You enjoy watching me fail in my attempts to be with you.
I see you and I can't help myself
Your presence still affects me deeply, and I can't resist you.
You talk to me but you're with somebody else
You talk to me, but you're already with someone else, which makes it even harder for me to let go.
But it's worth it just to hear you lie
Although it hurts, it's worth it just to hear you talk to me, even if everything you say is a lie.
Than not to hear you at all
It's better for me to hear your lies than to not hear you at all.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA/AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
archerboy58
But it's worth just to hear you lie than not to hear you at all. That line chills me to the bone. I literally quoted that in a college essay. I didn't get in to that school
joe gongora
This is off the " Drop Down And Get Me " LP & Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers are backing him up . Tom Petty was Del Shannon's friend & what's sad is that both of them aren't around. Del Shannon not only had the voice but he could sing both fast & slow songs. This is a great song sung by the man with a fantastic voice, Mr. Del Shannon.
barbara estes
nice song
dlpine71
Del Shannon. That say's it all.
ARosser14
It really does.
Terry Cullen
The wonderful M.R. Shannon, ROCK ON DEL!!!!