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 Big Hurt
Del Shannon Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Now that you're gone
Needles and pins
Twilight til dawn
Watching that clock
Til you return
Hiding that torch
And watching it burn.
Now it begins
Day after day
This is my life
Ticking away
Waiting to hear
Footsteps that say
Love will appear
And this time to stay.
Oh each time you go
I try to pretend
It's over at last
This time the big hurt will end.
Now it begins
Now that you're gone
Needles and pins
Twilight til dawn
But if you don't
Come back again
I wonder when
Oh when will it end
The big hurt.
The lyrics to Del Shannon's song The Big Hurt describe the emotional pain of heartbreak and the internal struggle to let go of lost love. The song begins with a sense of desperation as the singer tries to hold onto the memory of their lost love. They are watching the clock, counting the minutes until their lover returns, while hiding their burning torch of love. However, they are unable to move on, and each day seems like a never-ending cycle of waiting and hoping for their lover to return.
In the chorus, the singer acknowledges their pain and admits that they try to pretend that it's over and that the "big hurt" is finally ending. However, the cycle of waiting and hoping continues, and the hurt keeps returning. The final line of the song reflects a sense of despair and resignation, "I wonder when, oh when will it end, the big hurt."
The lyrics are simple yet effective, painting a vivid picture of heartbreak and the struggles of moving on. The repetition of "now it begins" reinforces the sense of cyclical pain and the inevitability of the singer's feelings. The song's melody and Shannon's melancholy vocal delivery perfectly match the song's lyrics, creating a haunting, emotional ballad.
Line by Line Meaning
Now it begins
With your departure, the pain commences.
Now that you're gone
In your absence, I am left alone to suffer.
Needles and pins
The constant emotional discomfort resembles a sharp, piercing feeling.
Twilight til dawn
The enduring agony lingers from night to morning.
Watching that clock
Every second is painfully tracked while waiting for your return.
Til you return
The only remedy to alleviate this pain is your return.
Hiding that torch
I conceal my love for you, silently burning within me.
And watching it burn.
My love for you continues to smolder despite attempts to suppress it.
Day after day
Time continues, but my suffering persists endlessly.
This is my life
My existence is defined by this persistent, overwhelming pain.
Ticking away
Every moment is a countdown to a reunion that may never come.
Waiting to hear
Hope is sustained through anticipation of the moment you will return.
Footsteps that say
Your approach signals the end of my suffering and the return of love.
Love will appear
The hope for love remains despite the heartache.
And this time to stay.
This love will endure and remain, unlike times past.
Oh each time you go
With your departure, the pain is renewed.
I try to pretend
An attempt to avoid the pain is made through denial.
It's over at last
Hope for the end of the hurt is held, but not guaranteed.
This time the big hurt will end.
Despite the pain, hope remains for love and the end of suffering.
But if you don't
In the possibility of your non-return...
Come back again
The hope for your return is still held despite doubts.
I wonder when
The anticipation of your return is replaced with questioning.
Oh when will it end
The pain feels insurmountable, but hope remains for the end of suffering.
The big hurt.
The immense, persistent suffering caused by your absence.
Contributed by Victoria S. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Liam Sparling
Thank you stones throw and James pants for making me search through too many Toni Fischer songs to find this gem. Love this version.
Dan Nájera
Great version. Probably one of the best of all the ones out there
Matt Alexander
Haunted, over-the-top, building up to a climax. Fantastic!
Fred C
Yeah it is a little in a good way. I love the Max Crook Musitron all through this. I think Del was a fantastic singer. Another one of those that should have had more material come his way so he could have had more hits. Although we Del fans have all of these as hits to us.
Tibiriçá da Costa
Comentar o que? Um super som e uma saudade de um talento que perdemos.
Hank Diaz-leal
I am from Dels hometown area of Western Michigan.. the two biggest musicians from here are Maynard James Keenan and Del Shannon.. Talk about two different sounds.. But they are alike in one way, they both had drive and determination...
Timothy Grace
Hudsonville!
Kissmy Asta
I love that everyone, who remakes this song, has to do the "faux" phasing sound, that was accidently done, by the original version, by Miss Toni Fisher.
philippe holland
Yeah it's hard to beat the scott walker. Flange novelty is nice but it's a killer song with or without it
RebMilitia
Wait what sound?