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.
Your Cheatin' Heart
Del Shannon Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You'll cry and cry and try to sleep
But sleep won't come the whole night through
Your cheatin' heart will tell on you When tears come down like falling rain
You'll toss around and call my name
You're gonna walk that floor the way that I do
Your cheatin' heart will tell on you When tears come down like falling rain
You'll toss around and call my name
Your cheatin' heart will tell on you Your cheatin' heart will tell on you
Your cheatin' heart will tell on you
The lyrics to Del Shannon's song "Your Cheatin' Heart" are a warning to someone who has been unfaithful in a relationship. The singer in the song is predicting that the cheater will feel guilty and remorseful, and that their actions will eventually catch up with them. The chorus emphasizes this message, stating that "Your cheatin' heart will make-you weep" and "Your cheatin' heart will tell-on you". These lines suggest that the cheater will not only suffer emotional distress but will also face the consequences of their infidelity.
The verses describe the physical and emotional effects of this guilt, such as difficulty sleeping and calling out the name of the person they betrayed. The line "You're gonna walk that floor the way that I do" suggests that the singer has experienced this pain themselves, perhaps as the victim of infidelity. Overall, the song conveys a powerful message about the consequences of cheating and the importance of honesty and loyalty in relationships.
Line by Line Meaning
Your cheatin' heart will make you weep
When your heart betrays you, you will cry uncontrollably.
You'll cry and cry and try to sleep
Despite your attempts to escape, sadness will consume you.
But sleep won't come the whole night through
You will be unable to find peace or rest despite your exhaustion.
Your cheatin' heart will tell on you
Your actions will reveal your unfaithfulness, despite your efforts to conceal them.
When tears come down like falling rain
The pain of your guilt will be overwhelming, and tears will flow constantly.
You'll toss around and call my name
You will be tormented by thoughts of the person you betrayed, unable to escape them.
You're gonna walk that floor the way that I do
You will experience the same agony and restlessness that I have suffered from your betrayal.
Your cheatin' heart will tell on you
No matter how hard you try to keep it hidden, the truth of your infidelity will be revealed.
Your cheatin' heart will tell on you
Your deceit will ultimately lead to your own downfall and punishment.
Writer(s): Hank Williams Sr.
Contributed by Hannah G. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Francesca Belanger
This is fabulous. I love Hank Williams, and I love Del Shannon.
Shannon Kempson
Great song!!
Norman Grimm
Is there any doubt that was thee song of Hank's life?
Antonio Carlos
Fabulous. Show
russell hill
Not to bad, But Hank Williams is the best on this song, But he wrote it and was the oringinal. 2nd best is Michael Bishop, But, that's my opinion, for what it's worth.
Milton Moore
Del should have
switched to country after the
pop/rock thing dried up for him;
he was a natural!
(I can do without
those terrible wooden blocks being pounded, or
whatever, coming
in on the left channel!😣😣😣)
RebMilitia
That's a twangy bass. The audio quality is just...you know, 60s
Epileptic Bumblebee
He did actually with some success