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 Turn Your Back
Shakin' Stevens Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Well I'm holdin' you, baby
I wanna hold you oh so tight
I wanna love you, baby
Ooh all through the night
Don't turn your back on my advice
Ooh when I'm trying to be so nice
Well get on down
You got me reelin' and a-rockin'
Ooh baby, I'm a hound
Don't turn your back on my advice
Ooh when I'm trying to be so nice
*You got me crawling like a reptile
You wanna grab my tail
Well hold on, pretty baby
And you'll make me wail
It took a little time
Ooh baby, ooh that's fine
Now you're feelin' good
Ooh (baby) like I knew you should
(Well) You took my advice
Ooh baby, ooh that was nice
(* Repeat)
I just wanna tell you
Ooh you took my advice
Ooh baby, ooh that's nice
Oh your rockin' was nice
Ooh and you took my advice
Oh that was sure nice, ooh nice
The lyrics of "Don't Turn Your Back" by Shakin' Stevens speak about the singer's desires for his lover. He wants to hold her tight, love her through the night, and give her advice. He urges her not to ignore his advice and assures her that if she listens to him, things will get better. The lyrics also suggest that the singer's lover is not easily won over, and he has had to work hard to get her attention. In the end, the lyrics express the singer's pleasure at finally winning her over and the joy of being together.
The lyrics suggest that the singer is in a romantic relationship and is in love with his partner. He expresses his affection for her and his desire to be close to her. He wants her to listen to his advice and believes that if she does, everything will work out for them. The use of the phrase "reelin' and a-rockin'" suggests that the singers' emotions are intense, and he cannot control his feelings towards his lover.
The catchy tune reflects the performer's ability to combine Rockabilly grooves with pop sensibilities. The song peaked at number 13 on the UK Singles Chart in May 1981, and it was one of the several hits for the artist. It transformed him into a superstar, not just in his native Wales, but also across the UK, Europe, and beyond.
Line by Line Meaning
Well I'm holdin' you, baby
I am embracing you, my dear
I wanna hold you oh so tight
I desire to keep you in a firm embrace
I wanna love you, baby
I yearn to express my adoration to you
Ooh all through the night
During the entirety of the evening
Don't turn your back on my advice
Please do not disregard the information I am providing
Ooh when I'm trying to be so nice
At moments when I am amiable
Well get on down
Proceed in a downward manner
I know you'll come around
I am confident that you will eventually alter your position
You got me reelin' and a-rockin'
You have caused me to feel excitement and enthusiasm
Ooh baby, I'm a hound
Oh dear, I am like a dog in my behavior
*You got me crawling like a reptile
*You have me behaving in a subservient way
You wanna grab my tail
You desire to take hold of me in a dominant manner
Well hold on, pretty baby
However, wait for me a moment, my attractive partner
And you'll make me wail
Then you will cause me to cry out in pleasure or pain
It took a little time
It required a modest amount of duration
Ooh baby, ooh that's fine
Oh darling, oh that is acceptable
Now you're feelin' good
Presently, you are experiencing pleasure
Ooh (baby) like I knew you should
Oh dear (my love), exactly as I anticipated you would
(Well) You took my advice
(Indeed) you heeded my counsel
Ooh baby, ooh that was nice
Oh darling, oh that was pleasant
(* Repeat)
Repeat the section marked with an asterisk (*)
I just wanna tell you
I simply desire to communicate to you
Ooh you took my advice
Oh, you listened to my recommendations
Ooh baby, ooh that's nice
Oh darling, oh that is agreeable
Oh your rockin' was nice
Oh, the way you moved was enjoyable
Ooh and you took my advice
Oh and you adhered to my guidance
Oh that was sure nice, ooh nice
Indeed, that was exceedingly gratifying
Contributed by Brayden B. Suggest a correction in the comments below.