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.
Don't Knock Upon My Door
Shakin' Stevens Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I don't want you anymore.
I don't love you as before,
When you're gone you made me sore.
You were a fool and I ain't a fool no more.
Don't wait above for me,
I don't want you, can't you see.
Away of cheating, me like you.
You were a fool and I ain't a fool no more.
I want you once and twice,
But you're as cold as ice.
I want you just once more,
Don't you knock upon my door.
Well, don't wait about my home,
You know I ain't alone.
You broke my heart, it's true,
When you said we were through.
You were a fool and I ain't a fool no more.
It's such a pity, cause you're so pretty.
I'll keep you on a string, honey I'll give almost everything.
But, don't knock upon my door,
I don't want you anymore.
I don't love you as before,
When you're gone you made me sore.
You were a fool and I ain't a fool,
You were a fool and I ain't a fool,
You were a fool and I ain't a fool no more.
The lyrics of this song by Shakin' Stevens display a sense of empowerment after a heartbreak. The singer is telling their former lover to not even bother trying to come back into their life because they no longer have any feelings towards them. The first verse starts with a straightforward message that gets repeated throughout the song: “Don't knock upon my door” which represents a clear metaphor for not wanting the person to come back into their life. The singer doesn't love them as before and is tired of the pain their ex-lover caused when they left. They call out their ex for being foolish in the past by leaving them but now they're the one who has moved on and found someone new, someone who doesn't cheat as they did. They have become a more discerning partner and refuse to settle for less than they deserve.
Through the course of the song, the singer makes it clear that they are not going to be fooled again. The words “You were a fool and I ain't a fool no more” are repeated throughout the song, signifying a sense of empowerment that they have gained. Interestingly, despite this newfound strength and independence, the singer still acknowledges an attraction to their ex-lover. They want them “once and twice” but they are aware that they are “as cold as ice.” Ultimately, though, the singer is firm in their decision to move on, telling their ex to “not knock upon my door” because they don't want them around anymore.
Line by Line Meaning
Don't knock upon my door,
I don't want to see or hear from you anymore.
I don't want you anymore.
My feelings for you have changed, and I no longer desire your presence in my life.
I don't love you as before,
The love and affection I once had for you have faded away.
When you're gone you made me sore.
Your absence caused me pain and discomfort.
You were a fool and I ain't a fool no more.
You behaved foolishly, and I refused to continue being deceived by your actions.
Don't wait above for me,
Stop expecting me to return your feelings or attention.
I don't want you, can't you see.
I do not have any romantic interest in you.
Well, I've got somebody new,
I have moved on and found someone else to love and cherish.
Away of cheating, me like you.
You betrayed my trust and cheated on me, something I won't tolerate anymore.
You were a fool and I ain't a fool no more.
You acted erratically and made very poor choices. I refuse to be with a person like that ever again.
I want you once and twice,
There have been times when I craved your presence and attention, but not anymore.
But you're as cold as ice.
I have realized that the love you showed me was always untrue and shallow.
I want you just once more,
I once longed to be with you again, but I am now over those urges.
Don't you knock upon my door.
I will not let you into my life anymore - not now and not ever.
Well, don't wait about my home,
Stop hoping that I will let you back into my life.
You know I ain't alone.
I have moved on and found someone else to share my life with.
You broke my heart, it's true,
Your actions caused me immense heartbreak and distress.
When you said we were through.
It was hard for me to accept, but I am now aware that we are no longer together.
You were a fool and I ain't a fool no more.
Your mistakes and misjudgments turned you into a fool in my eyes, and I can never be foolish enough to take you back.
It's such a pity, cause you're so pretty.
Despite your appealing looks, I cannot overlook the harm you caused me and our relationship.
I'll keep you on a string, honey I'll give almost everything.
I will not try to make things work between us anymore despite their lack of potential
You were a fool and I ain't a fool,
You acted foolishly and made decisions that were self-destructive.
You were a fool and I ain't a fool,
You made one too many mistakes, and I can't afford to keep making excuses for you.
You were a fool and I ain't a fool no more.
I have learned my lesson and won't repeat the same mistake of trusting you again.
Contributed by Eliana A. Suggest a correction in the comments below.