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 Swiss Maid
Del Shannon Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
On a mountain in Switzerland,
Yo lo lo lo,
There lived a fair young maiden,
Lovely but lonely,
Oh oh oh oh.
Day after day,
Yo lo lo lady ya,
But no love came her way.
Some day papa said,
Some day we'll go,
Down to the village in the valley,
Then you'll meet a nice young man,
Ask for your hand,
Then you'll be happy
Every day she grew unhappier,
On a mountain in Switzerland,
Yo lo lo lo,
Every day a little bit lonelier,
Which way to turn and which way to go
Day after day,
She'd pine her heart away,
Yo lo lo lady ya,
But no love came her way.
Some say the maidens dream,
Never came true,
She never got to go to the valley,
If she did or not,
I really don't know, Oh oh oh oh.
Did she die unhappy?
I'd rather think she found her love,
Wouldn't she be better if she did find love?
Somewhere,
Some way.
Yo lo lo lady ya
Yo lo lo lady ya
The Swiss Maid is a touching song that tells the story of a young woman who lived on a mountain in Switzerland. She was beautiful but lonely, and day after day, she longed for love but it never came her way. Her father promised her that they would one day visit the village in the valley, where she would meet a nice young man who would ask for her hand in marriage. However, as time went by, the young woman became increasingly unhappy and unsure of which way to turn or where to go.
The song is a tale of unrequited love and lost opportunities. The Swiss Maid is a symbol of all those who have longed for love but never found it. The lyrics are deeply emotional and convey a sense of sadness and loneliness that is relatable to anyone who has ever experienced heartbreak or unfulfilled desires. The repetition of "yo lo lo lo" adds to the melancholic tone of the song, emphasizing the young woman's sense of isolation and desperation.
Overall, The Swiss Maid is a beautiful and poignant ballad about the universal human longing for love and companionship. It is a testament to the power of music to capture our deepest emotions and express them in a way that resonates with us all.
Line by Line Meaning
One time a long time ago, on a mountain in Switzerland, Yo lo lo lo, There lived a fair young maiden, Lovely but lonely, Oh oh oh oh.
Once upon a time, a beautiful but lonely maiden lived on a mountain in Switzerland. She was yearning for love, but it seemed too far out of reach.
Day after day, She'd pine her heart away, Yo lo lo lady ya, But no love came her way.
Every day she daydreamed about finding love, but alas, no one ever came along.
Some day papa said, Some day we'll go, Down to the village in the valley, Then you'll meet a nice young man, Ask for your hand, Then you'll be happy
Her father assured her that one day they would go to the village in the valley, and she would finally meet the right man who would marry her and make her happy.
Every day she grew unhappier, On a mountain in Switzerland, Yo lo lo lo, Every day a little bit lonelier, Which way to turn and which way to go
Despite her father's promise, she grew increasingly unhappy every day. She felt lost and unsure about which direction to take in life.
Some say the maidens dream, Never came true, She never got to go to the valley, If she did or not, I really don't know, Oh oh oh oh. Did she die unhappy?
Some believe that the maiden never got to fulfill her dream of going to the valley to find true love. It's unclear whether or not she ever did, but it's possible that she died unhappy.
I'd rather think she found her love, Wouldn't she be better if she did find love? Somewhere, Some way.
Personally, I prefer to imagine that the maiden did eventually find love. Wouldn't she have been much happier if she did?
Yo lo lo lady ya Yo lo lo lady ya
These lines are simply repeated several times throughout the song and do not have any additional meaning.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: ROGER MILLER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
sauquoit13456
On this day in 1962 {November 25th} "The Swiss Maid"* by Del Shannon peaked at #2 {for 1 week} on United Kingdom's Official Top 50 Singles chart, for the week it was at #2, the #1 record for that week was "Lovesick Blues" by Frank Ifield...
And the month before "The Swiss Maid" peaked at #1 {for 3 weeks} on October 20th, 2020 on the Australian Kent Music Report chart...
Between 1961 and 1965 the Grand Rapids, Michigan native had fourteen records on the UK Singles chart, eight made the Top 10 with one reaching #1, "Runaway", for three weeks in June of 1961....
Del Shannon, born Charles Weedon Westover, passed away at the young age of 55 on February 8th, 1990...
May he R.I.P.
* "The Swiss maid" was Del Shannon's second of two of his records to reached #2 on the UK singles chart, his other #2 record was "Hey! Little Girl" earlier in 1962...
And from the 'For What It's Worth' department, the remainder of the UK Singles' Top 10 on November 25th, 1962:
At #3. "Bobby's Girl" by Susan Maughan
#4. "Let's Dance" by Chris Montez
#5. "Devil Woman" by Marty Robbins
#6. "(Dance With The) Guitar Man" by Duane Eddy & The Rebelettes
#7. "Venus In Blue Jeans" by Mark Wynter
#8. "Sun Arise" by Rolf Harris
#9. "Telstar" by the Tornados
#10. "The Loco-Motion" by Little Eva
Geoff M
A superb record by the incomparable Del Shannon. He had many big hits. His music will never die! The pop music of today with rap and other dire forms of music will be buried and forgotten.
Piratenhits Yerdian
Nothing beats music from the 60's!
Wayne Fontanz
Del Shannon's unique singing style to my knowledge has not been replicated by anyone. He was a very special very talented musician. I grew up with all his hit songs and love them all. R. I. P. Del. Gone but never forgotten.
JEFFREY OKEEFE
Like all us adults he at that moment in time what we liked to keep our perspective of who we were when he hammered those great early songs, I never heard any songster who could rattle a studio recording to be as was.
Everyone sounds great now the electronics cover the clichés.
There was only one recording artist who sounded as on disc and live and that was Sammy Davis Jr, but that is another page in music.
Del was the top of his profession and stayed there.
Mike Hudson
The sound on this track has always been haunting to me right from a little boy. I loved it. An absolutely wonderful recording, everything about it is perfect. A genius of its time, and the best version.
Karl with a K
I agree...it is a song written for little boys.
purplepelican69 thomas
This is my favourite DS song,although he never recorded any I didn't like. When I first heard Runaway in my early teens it switched me on to rock n'roll and has given me half a century of pleasure. His unique voice always reminds me of fairgrounds. I like the way Del always provided a quality B side on all his singles,not just a mediocre filler to scoop royalties,like most artists of the time. What a pity Elvis Presley never had Del's charisma and talent - he could have been famous. DS was great
David Joy
Del, what a great artist,. Brilliant songs. This proves what a great vocal range he had. Sad not with us any longer. Brought me many hours of pleasure.
Geoff M
Another great record from Del Shannon. He had a fantastic voice. He’ll never be forgotten!
Joseph Kane
One of his better singles of 1963 as it got to No 2 on the UK singles chart in 1963