He began his career fronting the group Shakin' Stevens and the Sunsets, managed by Paul Barrett. Also known as the The Sunsets, the 50s-esque rock n roll outfit originaled from Penarth, South Glamorgan. An early break for the band arrived when they were given a support slot for The Rolling Stones in December 1969. Yet, despite landing a recording contract with the seminal label Parlophone Records the following year, the band found success hard to come by. At least in their native Great Britain, they couldn't quite break through commercially, though they had hit singles in other countries. After seven years of constant touring and recording, Shaky left the band in 1977. He gained a lead role in Jack Good's "Elvis!" musical, which brought him praise from many critics.
Regular TV appearances on the revamped TV show Oh Boy led eventually to his first chart success, a reworked version of a Buck Owens song "Hot Dog", which Owens would go on to re-record using Stevens arrangement which had been created by pedal steel guitar player B.J. Cole.
In 1979, Shaky signed what was to be his most successful management deal with Freya Miller, and in 1981, he had his first UK number 1 with "This Ole House" and would have 10 more songs reach the top 5, including three number 1 hits with "Green Door", "Oh Julie" and "Merry Christmas Everyone", while "You Drive Me Crazy" and "A Love Worth Waiting For" reached number 2 in 1981 and 1984 respectively. His 1984 hit "Teardrops" featured Hank B. Marvin on guitar and Stevens has often featured famous musicians such as Albert Lee, Roger Taylor, Bonnie Tyler and more recently Tony Joe White on his recordings. In the mid 80s, Stevens reunited with former producer Dave Edmunds to record an album Lipstick, Powder and Paint and the Christmas smash "Merry Christmas Everyone".
The hits continued throughout the 1980s, making Stevens the biggest selling artist of the decade, and into the early 1990s. Chart successes also included his album Shaky reaching number 1.
It was in the 1990s, however, that Stevens took a lengthy break from recording and was stung by a court ruling requiring a substantial payout to former bandmates The Sunsets. In 1999, Shaky returned to performing and undertook tours that year and the year following. In 2004, things started to look up for Stevens he had a further platinum CD/DVD album in Denmark and a gold album in South Africa.
In 2005, he returned once again to the charts in the United Kingdom, with his greatest hits album The Collection, which reached the UK top 5. That year, he also appeared in the video to Tony Christie's and Peter Kay's #1 hit single "Is This the Way to Amarillo", alongside many other UK stars, including Ronnie Corbett, Jim Bowen, Michael Parkinson and Geoffrey Hayes. He was the winner on the reality television show, Hit Me Baby One More Time. This was quickly followed by a re-release of his cover and his own biggest hit sung in the show, ("Trouble" covering Pink's version) / "This Ole House"), which reached #20 on the UK Singles Chart in June 2005, his 33rd Top 40 hit in the United Kingdom.
In May 2007, Stevens released a brand new album in Denmark entitled Now Listen.
Baby If We Touch
Shakin' Stevens Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Well I'm over in a gear.
You say you want me baby,
Well come on over here.
And baby if we touch, too much.
You say you wanna rock me,
But then you say you wanna roll.
Come over and crawl.
And baby if we touch, too much.
You say you're gonna push,
You say you re gonna shovel
You say you want it all,
But baby that's tough.
I know you really need me,
I know you think you care.
Well, maybe one day baby
There's a chance that I'll be there.
You're hotter than an oven
So roll over please.
I think I'll let you rock me,
Oh baby please, please, please.
But baby when we touch, too much.
You say you're gonna push,
You say you re gonna shovel
You say you want it all,
But baby that's tough.
I know you really need me,
I know you think you care.
Well, maybe one day baby
There's a chance that I'll be there.
You're hotter than an oven
So roll over please.
I think I'll let you rock me,
Oh baby please, please, please.
But baby when we touch, too much.
The lyrics of Shakin' Stevens's "Baby If We Touch" are a playful invitation to a physical interaction. The singer responds to the other person's claims of wanting him by saying he is ready and willing to engage. However, he also warns that if they touch, it might be too much, suggesting that things could get out of control quickly. The singer uses rock and roll imagery to convey the impression of dancing and lovemaking. He responds to the other person's pushy attitude by pushing back, encouraging them to roll over and let him take the lead.
Overall, the lyrics are lighthearted and suggestive, but they also hint at the possibility of emotional distance and ambivalence. The singer acknowledges that the other person desires him, but he doesn't seem particularly invested in the relationship. He speaks of the possibility of being there for them one day, but it's unclear whether it's a genuine promise or a way to appease them. The song captures the excitement and uncertainty of new romantic encounters, but it also underscores the importance of mutual consent and communication.
Line by Line Meaning
You say you want me baby,
You express a desire to be with me
Well I'm over in a gear.
I'm ready and willing to engage with you
You say you want me baby,
Your desire for me is repeated
Well come on over here.
I invite you to come closer to me
And baby if we touch, too much.
We must be careful not to become too physically intimate too soon
You say you wanna rock me,
You want to have a pleasurable and stimulating experience with me
But then you say you wanna roll.
But then you change your mind and express a different desire
You say you want me baby,
Again, you express a desire for my company
Come over and crawl.
You ask me to physically move towards you in a submissive manner
And baby if we touch, too much.
Again, we must be careful not to become too physically intimate too soon
You say you're gonna push,
You express an aggressive desire to have your way with me
You say you're gonna shovel
You're willing to put in the work to make things happen between us
You say you want it all,
You want everything I can offer you
But baby that's tough.
But that may not be possible
I know you really need me,
You have a strong desire for my affection and attention
I know you think you care.
You may be confusing your desire for me with genuine care for me as a person
Well, maybe one day baby
There is a possibility that we may be together in the future
There's a chance that I'll be there.
I may be willing to be with you at some point
You're hotter than an oven
You are very attractive and desirable
So roll over please.
You ask me to physically turn towards you
I think I'll let you rock me,
I'm willing to let you pleasure me
Oh baby please, please, please.
You ask for my affection in a pleading and desperate way
But baby when we touch, too much.
Again, we must be careful not to become too physically intimate too soon
Contributed by Hudson M. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
pkfireflies
Wow! Can't Get Enough Of Shaky!
Minor Sandor
Shaky it`s great,I love it and like it!!His music makes me crazy!!
Ana Salomão
ELE é o máximo . Belíssimo Talentoso.
Mike
One of the best B Sides ever 😃
the king
Back in the 80's I was a big shaky fan. He was my hero of the 80's. I even named my white cat shaky. She lived for 17 years and she sadly passed away in the year 2000. I still miss my cat. I got to see shaking Stevens live about 3 or 4 times over the years.
FC Salfermoser
cool
David Lench
oh 17 that's wonderful for your cat, I've had many cats but the oldest was about 14 and great you got to see this great popstar too, me and Dad are big fans, sadly I know have to jive alone
Erik
love this one !
Connie Knox
impact1 okyes
paul BROWN
l think he should get all his b side tracks put them into a album call it greatest hits 2