Shapiro was born at Bethnal Green Hospital in the East End district of Bethnal Green, London. Her early childhood was spent in a Clapton council house in the London borough of Hackney, where she attended Northwold Primary School and Clapton Park Comprehensive School until Christmas 1961. She is the granddaughter of Russian Jewish immigrants; her parents, who were piece-workers in the garment industry, attended Lea Bridge Road Synagogue. The family moved from Clapton to the Victoria Park area of Hackney, on the Parkside Estate, when she was nine. "It was, and remains, a beautiful place," she said in a 2006 interview.
Although too poor to own a record player, Shapiro's parents encouraged music in their home (she had to borrow a neighbour's player to hear her first single). Shapiro played banjolele as a child and sang with her brother Ron occasionally in his youth club skiffle group. She had a deep timbre to her voice, unusual in a girl not yet in her teens: school friends gave her the nickname "Foghorn".
Aged ten, Shapiro was a singer with "Susie and the Hula Hoops," (with her cousin, 60s singer, Susan Singer) a school band which included Marc Bolan (then using his real name of Mark Feld) as guitarist. At 13 she started singing lessons at The Maurice Burman School of Modern Pop Singing, based in London's Baker Street, after the school produced singing star Alma Cogan. "I had always wanted to be a singer. I had no desire to slavishly follow Alma's style, but chose the school merely because of Alma's success", she said in a 1962 interview. Burman's connections eventually led her to a young Columbia Records A&R man named John Schroeder, who recorded a demo of Shapiro singing "Birth of the Blues".
In 1961, aged fourteen, she had a UK No. 3 hit with her first single, "Don't Treat Me Like a Child" and two number one hits in the UK, "You Don't Know" and "Walkin' Back to Happiness". The latter did not top the UK chart until 19 October 1961, by which time Shapiro had reached 15, on 26 September. She had a No. 2 in 1962 with "Tell Me What He Said", achieving her first four single releases in the top three of the UK Singles Chart. Most of her recording sessions were at EMI's studios at Abbey Road in north west London. Her mature voice made her an overnight sensation, as well as the youngest female chart topper in the UK.
Shapiro's final UK Top Ten hit single was with the ballad "Little Miss Lonely", which peaked at No. 8 for two weeks in 1962. Shapiro's recording manager at the time was Norrie Paramor.
Before she was sixteen years old, Shapiro had been voted Britain's "Top Female Singer". The Beatles first national tour of Britain, in the late winter/early spring of 1963, was as one of her supporting acts. During the course of the tour, the Beatles had their first hit single and John Lennon and Paul McCartney wrote the song "Misery" for her, but Shapiro did not record the composition. In 1995, during a This is Your Life highlighting her life and career, Shapiro revealed, "It was actually turned down on my behalf before I ever heard it, actually. I never got to hear it or give an opinion. It's a shame, really." Shapiro lip-synched her then-current single, "Look Who It Is", on the British television programme Ready Steady Go! with three of the Beatles (John Lennon, Ringo Starr and George Harrison).
In 1962, Shapiro appeared as herself in the Billy Fury film Play It Cool, and played the lead female role in Richard Lester's movie, It's Trad, Dad!, which co-starred another early 60s hitmaker, Craig Douglas. On 31 December 1969, Shapiro appeared on the BBC/ZDF co-production Pop Go The Sixties, singing "Walkin' Back to Happiness".
By the time she was in her late teens, her career as a pop singer was on the wane. With the new wave of beat music and newer female singers such as Dusty Springfield, Cilla Black, Sandie Shaw and Lulu, Shapiro appeared old-fashioned and emblematic of the pre-Beatles, 50s era. As her pop career declined, Shapiro turned to cabaret appearances, touring the workingmen's clubs of the North East of England. Her final cabaret show took place at Peterlee's Senate Club on 6 May 1972, where she announced she was giving up touring as she was "travel-weary" and had had enough of "living out of a suitcase". Later, after a change of mind, she branched out as a performer in stage musicals, and jazz (being her first love musically).
She played the role of Nancy in Lionel Bart's musical, Oliver! in London's West End and appeared in a British television soap opera, Albion Market, where she played one of the main characters until it was taken off air in August 1986.
Between 1984 and 2001, she toured extensively with legendary British jazz trumpeter Humphrey Lyttelton and his band, whilst still performing her own jazz and pop concerts. Her one-woman show "Simply Shapiro" ran from 1999 to the end of 2002, when she finally bade farewell to show business.
Her autobiography, published in 1993, was entitled Walking Back to Happiness. She appeared as a guest on BBC Radio 4's 'The Reunion' in August 2012. In March 2013 she appeared on BBC Radio 3's 'Good Morning Sunday'
Helen Shapiro has been married since 31 August 1988 to John Judd (real name, John Williams), an actor with numerous roles in British television and cinema.
Don't Treat Me Like a Child
Helen Shapiro Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And I still go to school
Don't think that I dream childish dreams
I'm nobody's fool
Don't mother me that makes me wild
And please don't treat me like a child
It's often said that youngsters
But I want you to realize
That is quite absurd
Don't wanna be so meek and mild
So please don't treat me like a child
Gonna be my own adviser
'Cause my minds my own
Then I will be much the wiser
My own point of view has got to be known
The best years of my life
I know are those when I am young
And since I'm sure that this is so
Gonna have my fun
So if I feel like running wild
Well please dont treat me like a child
Gonna be my own adviser
'Cause my minds my own
Then I will be much the wiser
My own point of view has got to be known
The best years of my life I know are those when I am young
And since I'm sure that this is so
Gonna have my fun
So if I feel like running wild
Well please don't treat me like a child
Don't ever treat me like a child
The lyrics to Helen Shapiro's song Don't Treat Me Like A Child, are a plea from a teenager to be treated like an adult, rather than a child. She resents being patronized by adults who assume that because she is still in school and in her teens, she is not capable of making her own decisions. She asserts her independence and wants to be taken seriously, to be given the freedom to live her own life and make her own choices. The verse "It's often said that youngsters should be seen and not be heard, But I want you to realize that is quite absurd" encapsulates her message. She wants to be heard, to have her opinions and ideas respected and taken into account.
The song captures the spirit of rebellion that was a hallmark of the 1960s, a time when youth culture was coming into its own, and young people were asserting their independence and individuality. Shapiro's strong but plaintive voice and the catchy melody of the song made it an instant classic. The lyrics resonated with a generation of teenagers who were tired of being treated like children and hungry for the freedom and self-expression that comes with adulthood.
In short, the song is a plea for respect, acceptance, and independence from adults who think of teenagers as children. It's a call to be taken seriously and given the freedom to make one's own decisions in life.
Line by Line Meaning
Well just because I'm in my teens
Don't underestimate my maturity level based on my age.
And I still go to school
My education does not define my capabilities or intelligence.
Don't think that I dream childish dreams
My aspirations and ambitions are just as valid as anyone else's, regardless of my age.
I'm nobody's fool
I am aware of what is going on around me and I'm not naive.
Don't mother me that makes me wild
Being overprotected or treated like a child frustrates me and makes me rebel.
And please don't treat me like a child
I want to be respected and taken seriously as an individual, not dismissed because of my age.
It's often said that youngsters
There is an assumption in society that young people are inferior or not worth paying attention to.
Should be seen and not be heard
This idea implies that young people are not capable of contributing to society or adding value to conversations.
But I want you to realize
I am challenging this stereotype and demanding to be heard.
That is quite absurd
It doesn't make sense to ignore or dismiss young people, who are the future of society.
Don't wanna be so meek and mild
I refuse to conform to the notion that young people should be passive or submissive.
So please don't treat me like a child
I am asking for respect and recognition, not to be treated as if I am incapable because of my age.
Gonna be my own adviser
I am taking control of my own life and making my own decisions.
'Cause my minds my own
I am capable of independent thought and am not simply parroting what others say.
Then I will be much the wiser
By listening to and trusting myself, I will learn and grow more than if I simply follow others.
My own point of view has got to be known
I am confident in my own ideas and opinions and want them to be taken seriously.
The best years of my life
I recognize that youth is a time of exploration and growth, and I want to take advantage of it.
I know are those when I am young
As a young person, I am excited about the possibilities and opportunities that lie ahead.
And since I'm sure that this is so
I am confident in my beliefs and don't need them to be validated by others.
Gonna have my fun
I am going to enjoy my life to the fullest extent possible.
So if I feel like running wild
I am going to follow my instincts and explore my independence and freedom.
Well please dont treat me like a child
I am asking to be treated with respect and taken seriously, not to be infantilized or dismissed.
Don't ever treat me like a child
This is a final plea for respect and recognition as a capable, autonomous individual, not a child.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: John Schroeder, Mike Hawker
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@kirasofiealise398
Well just because I'm in my teens
And I still go to school
Don't think that I dream childish dreams
I'm nobody's fool
Don't mother me that makes me wild
And please don't treat me like a child
It's often said that youngsters
Should be seen and not be heard
But I want you to realize
That is quite absurd
Don't wanna be so meek and mild
So please don't treat me like a child
Gonna be my own adviser
'Cause my minds my own
Then I will be much the wiser
My own point of view has got to be known
The best years of my life
I know are those when I am young
And since I'm sure that this is so
Gonna have my fun
So if I feel like running wild
Well please dont treat me like a child
Gonna be my own adviser
'Cause my minds my own
Then I will be much the wiser
My own point of view has got to be known
The best years of my life I know are those when I am young
And since I'm sure that this is so
Gonna have my fun
So if I feel like running wild
Well please don't treat me like a child
Don't ever treat me like a child
Naar het Nederlands vertalen
@juliobarrios6457
Here, un Coronel, Chile, in 1962my Classmate Pepe and I, fell I'm love with this song, this voice and this singer forever. Pepe died two years ago, but I still love her. Thanks you dear Helen.
@edwardking9989
My favourite song,Helen has a wonderful voice,always lifts me up.
@jstalk2me
One of the very best singers from the 60,s loved you Helen an still do
@ruthbashford3176
Listening to this has suddenly made me feel quite sad, how I wish it was 1961when I first heard the incredible voice of Helen Shapiro!
@johnnymac8680
I remember when Helen burst on the music scene in 1961. It's hard to imagine that a 14 year-old girl could produce such wonderful sounds.
@user-xc7he6wj9l
I'm only 45 and brought up on the 60s love this record
@jussix48
She's singing so beautifully and melodically with young woman's fresh emotions...! 🕵🏻🎶❤🎶👍🏿👍🏿👍🏿
@johnswimcat
Great to hear this again. It's a real classic. Thanks for posting it
@geralddavey7543
14 years old . unbelievably good voice . fine song.
@DarkNemesis2311
Even though I’m an 80’s child, I remember listening to her songs, and immediately falling in love with her voice. Years later I got the privilege to meet her, an inspirational lady.