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.
The Answer to Everything
Del Shannon Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
When there is only one answer to it all
Do you love me, really love me as I love you
It's the answer to everything if you do
Don't give me a million excuses
When I am waiting with my arms open wide
Do you love me, really love me as I love you
If there is someone else, some other place who holds your heart
Tell me now, truthfully, before we start
Don't act like you misunderstand me
When there is simply no mystery to it all
Do you love me, really love me as I love you
It's the answer to everything if you do
The lyrics to Del Shannon's song "The Answer to Everything" seem to be focused on one central theme - the importance of love in a relationship. The song speaks about the need for honesty and open communication, particularly when it comes to expressing one's feelings towards each other. The opening line of the song, "Don't ask me a mountain of questions when there is only one answer to it all," suggests that the singer is tired of being quizzed about their love for their partner. They believe that if their partner truly loved them, then they would not doubt them and would simply trust that their feelings were genuine.
Throughout the song, the singer reiterates the importance of expressing one's love openly and honestly. They suggest that giving "a million excuses" is not enough when all their partner really wants is to feel loved and wanted. The lines "If there is someone else, some other place who holds your heart, tell me now, truthfully, before we start," show the importance of being honest about one's feelings, even if they are difficult to express. The singer emphasizes that there is "simply no mystery" to their love - and all that really matters is whether their partner loves them back with the same passion and devotion.
Overall, "The Answer to Everything" is a song about the power of love and the importance of honesty and communication in a relationship. While the song is simple in its message, it is delivered with a powerful sense of emotion and sincerity, making it a classic love song that still resonates with audiences today.
Line by Line Meaning
Don't ask me a mountain of questions
Don't give me a lot of irrelevant questions
When there is only one answer to it all
Because the answer to all my questions is very simple
Do you love me, really love me as I love you
Are your feelings as strong and true as mine?
It's the answer to everything if you do
Love is the only thing that matters and it's the solution to all our problems
Don't give me a million excuses
Don't give me a lot of excuses for your behavior
When I am waiting with my arms open wide
When I am waiting for you with open arms
If there is someone else, some other place who holds your heart
If there is someone else who you love or are interested in
Tell me now, truthfully, before we start
Please be honest with me and tell me now before we get involved
Don't act like you misunderstand me
Don't pretend or feign ignorance about what I am saying or asking
When there is simply no mystery to it all
Because there is no hidden meaning or puzzle, it's very straightforward
Do you love me, really love me as I love you
Are your feelings as strong and true as mine?
It's the answer to everything if you do
Love is the only thing that matters and it's the solution to all our problems
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: BOB HILLIARD, BURT BACHARACH
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Kenneth Hume
A really sad but beautiful song , Del had such a fantastic voice .
John Costigan
Happys days of my life listening to Delhi Shannon.
Kenneth Hume
@John Costigan , I have the majority of his popular 45’s in my collection , like you they gave me much enjoyment and still do .
brickclimber
The late Del Shannon, David Alexander and Joe Dolan did all beautiful performances of this song. May they all live with God forever eternally.
kevin horgan
brickclimber
Great song sung by true great
Sungers
caughtinatrapelvis
mY PRAYERS TO THE bLACK Madonna SHALL INCLUDE YOU My friend...please forgive all mortal sins of the aforementioned people..adultery..fornication..greed.. aND WORSHIPPING false GODS..MAY THE Madonna FORGIVE YOU..XX
Devil City
brickclimber So very true
Eva-jane Middleton
I found David Alexander. Thanks to you TUBE.
Claudette Thompson
Yes they did l love theirs too but Del Shannon song is very romantic
Versiongurl
What a sweet and sad song… I’m an American but I’m so grateful for my Guyanese 🇬🇾 roots to be able to know all these beautiful music. Because us Americans don’t even appreciate our own gems. We have a very strong musical history.