Sharon Myers adopted the name Jackie DeShannon, believed to be an Irish ancestor. Record company executives at Liberty Records thought the name Sharon Myers wouldn't sell records. (She once reported that record executives added "Shannon" to "Jackie Dee," one of the names under which she recorded, to create her name.)
Life and early career:
DeShannon was born the daughter of musically inclined farming parents, Sandra Jean and James Erwin Myers, DeShannon was introduced to singing country tunes on a local radio show at the age of six. By the age of eleven, DeShannon was already hosting her own radio program. When life on the farm became too difficult, the family moved to Aurora, Illinois, her mother's home town, and her father resumed his other career as a barber. After a year, they moved up the Fox River to Batavia, Illinois, where Sharon attended high school.
Recording under various names such as Sherry Lee, Jackie Dee, and Jackie Shannon, she had little success. However, her interpretations of country songs "Buddy" and "Trouble" gained the attention of Eddie Cochran who arranged for her to travel to California and meet singer-songwriter Sharon Sheeley, who formed a writing partnership with DeShannon in 1960. The partnership produced hits such as "Dum Dum" for Brenda Lee and "I Love Anastasia" for The Fleetwoods. The latter was named after one of her good friends in high school.
In 1960, DeShannon signed with Liberty Records. She made the WLS Chicago survey with "Lonely Girl" in late 1960. A string of mostly flop singles followed, although "The Prince" bubbled under at #108 in the United States in early 1962, and "Faded Love" (#97 in February 1963) became her first U.S. Hot 100 hit, albeit just barely .
She broke through a little more solidly singing "Needles and Pins" and "When You Walk in the Room" later in 1963. Both reached the lower rungs of the U.S. pop charts, but were substantial top 40 hits in Canada, where "Needles and Pins" made it all the way to #1. "Needles and Pins" and "When You Walk in the Room" later became U.S. and UK hits for The Searchers.
DeShannon recorded many other singles that encompassed teen pop, country ballads, rockabilly, gospel, and Ray Charles-style soul that didn't fare as well on the charts. During these years it was her songwriting and public profile rather than her recording career that kept her contracted to Liberty Records. DeShannon dated Elvis Presley and formed friendships with The Everly Brothers and Ricky Nelson. She also co-starred and sang with Bobby Vinton in the teen surf movie Surf Party.
DeShannon's biggest break came in February 1964, when she supported The Beatles on their first U.S. tour, and formed a touring band with guitarist Ry Cooder. DeShannon also wrote "Don't Doubt Yourself Babe" for debut album by The Byrds. Her music at this stage was heavily influenced by the American West Coast sounds and folk music. Staying briefly in England in 1965, DeShannon formed a songwriting partnership with Jimmy Page, which resulted in the hit singles "Dream Boy" and "Don't Turn Your Back On Me". Page and DeShannon also wrote material for singer Marianne Faithfull, including her Top Ten UK and U.S. hit "Come and Stay With Me". DeShannon also appeared on the television show Ready Steady Go!
Hit love songs:
Moving to New York, DeShannon co-wrote with Randy Newman, producing such songs as "She Don't Understand Him" and "Did He Call Today Mama?", as well as writing "You Have No Choice" for Delaney Bramlett. In March 1965, DeShannon recorded Burt Bacharach and Hal David's "What the World Needs Now Is Love," which provided her first Number 1 hit and regular appearances on television shows and club tours. (DeShannon's recording of the song was subsequently used in the 1969 film Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice.) She appeared in the 1967 film C'mon Let's Live a Little, with Bobby Vee, as a folk singer. DeShannon continued writing and recording but it was not until 1969 that she scored her next biggest smash single and album, both entitled "Put a Little Love in Your Heart". The single "Love Will Find A Way" from the same album was also a moderate hit. Switching to Atlantic Records in 1970 and moving to Los Angeles, DeShannon recorded the critically acclaimed albums Jackie and Your Baby Is A Lady, but they failed to produce the same commercial success as previous releases. In 1973, she was invited by Van Morrison to sing on his Hard Nose the Highway album.
"Put A Little Love In Your Heart" was performed as the closing number at the Music for UNICEF Concert, broadcast worldwide from the United Nations General Assembly in 1979.
Later career:
While DeShannon has not produced any further Top Ten singles of her own, her songs have been covered by other artists who have in turn converted them into hits. In 1974, with Donna Weiss, she composed "Queen Of The Rodeo" and "Bette Davis Eyes" for her album New Arrangement. The song "Bette Davis Eyes" later became a world-wide Number 1 single for singer Kim Carnes in 1981. It earned DeShannon the 1982 Grammy Award for Song of the Year.
The songs "Breakaway", recorded by Tracey Ullman in 1983, and "Put A Little Love In Your Heart", recorded by Annie Lennox and Al Green in 1988, also became huge hits, the latter of which Dolly Parton also covered in 1993. Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers and Stevie Nicks had a Top 40 U.S. hit in 1986 with a cover of "Needles And Pins", which was a song DeShannon originally recorded, although not one she wrote. A version of "When You Walk In The Room" by Pam Tillis in 1994 topped the country charts. Another recent cover of "When You Walk In The Room" was by ex-ABBA vocalist Agnetha Fältskog, both in her comeback album My Colouring Book and as a UK and European hit single.
Jackie was portrayed by singer Liz Phair in an episode of the NBC period drama American Dreams.
Personal life:
DeShannon is married to singer/songwriter and film music composer Randy Edelman, who is her third husband. Her first husband was Liberty Records executive Irving "Bud" Dain, whom she married on January 29, 1966. She has also dated Jimmy Page and Love guitarist Bryan MacLean. It is likely that Jimmy Page wrote the song "Tangerine" (which appeared on the third Led Zeppelin album) after the breakup of his relationship with DeShannon in early 1965.
Sooner or Later
Jackie DeShannon Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I can feel somethin' real
Sometimes at sundown I go across town
Every place I see your face
Sooner or later (In the mornin')
Sooner or later (Without a warnin')
Sooner or later (You know someday)
You'll find the right thing for you
I keep findin' books for bindin'
To help the time go
Big wheel spinnin', someone's winnin'
And I need you so
Oh-oh-oh, oh-oh-oh-oh
Oh-oh-oh, oh-oh-oh-oh
Oh-oh-oh, oh-oh-oh-oh
Oh-oh-oh, oh-oh-oh-oh
When my mind just runs free
Thoughts of the country
Take me far from the way things are
Sellin' and buyin' without really tryin'
The man at the store keeps orderin' more
And sooner or later (In the mornin')
Sooner or later (Without a warnin')
Sooner or later (You know someday)
You'll find the right thing for you
You'll find the right thing for you
You'll find the right thing to do (For you)
Sooner or later (You'll find the right thing for you)
Sooner or later (You'll find the right thing for you)
Sooner or later (You'll find the right thing for you)
Sooner or later
The lyrics of "Sooner or Later" by Jackie DeShannon express the longing for love and the feeling that something real is out there waiting to be found. The singer describes how they see the object of their affections everywhere they go and how they spend their time reading books and dreaming of a simpler life away from the chaos of the city.
The chorus of the song, with its repeated refrain of "Sooner or later, you'll find the right thing for you," speaks to the hopeful anticipation of finding love and fulfillment in life. The imagery of the big wheel spinning and someone winning underscores the idea that happiness and success are achievable and within reach.
In the final verse, the singer reflects on the emptiness of a life focused solely on buying and selling, and the need for something deeper and more meaningful. The song ends on a hopeful note with the repeated assurance that eventually, the right thing will come along.
Overall, the lyrics of "Sooner or Later" capture the universal desire for love, connection, and purpose in life, and the belief that these things are ultimately attainable.
Line by Line Meaning
Tell me a story of love and glory
Please narrate a tale of romance and fame
I can feel somethin' real
I have an intuition that something is authentic
Sometimes at sundown I go across town
Occasionally during sunset, I traverse the city
Every place I see your face
I notice your countenance everywhere
Sooner or later (In the mornin')
Eventually, possibly in the morning
Sooner or later (Without a warnin')
Someday, unexpectedly
Sooner or later (You know someday)
At some point, you are aware
You'll find the right thing for you
You will discover your purpose
You'll find the right thing for you
You will uncover your destiny
I keep findin' books for bindin'
I continuously discover books to cover
To help the time go
To aid the passage of time
Big wheel spinnin', someone's winnin'
A large wheel rotates, and someone is succeeding
And I need you so
And I desperately require you
Oh-oh-oh, oh-oh-oh-oh
Vocalization with no significant meaning
When my mind just runs free
When my thoughts are unobstructed
Thoughts of the country
Concepts of pastoral life
Take me far from the way things are
Transport me to an alternative reality
Sellin' and buyin' without really tryin'
Purchase and vend without significant effort
The man at the store keeps orderin' more
The gentleman in the shop persistently requests additional inventory
You'll find the right thing for you
You will ascertain the appropriate course of action
You'll find the right thing for you
You will identify the perfect solution for you
You'll find the right thing to do (For you)
You will discover your calling (That is suitable for you)
Sooner or later (You'll find the right thing for you)
Within an indefinite time, you will determine the ideal thing for yourself
Sooner or later (You'll find the right thing for you)
Eventually, you will find your true purpose
Sooner or later (You'll find the right thing for you)
At some point, you will discover your raison d'etre
Writer(s): jimmy holiday, randy myers, jackie deshannon
Contributed by Adalyn Y. Suggest a correction in the comments below.