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.
Hello Josephine
Shakin' Stevens Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You're the only girl for me, Josephine
When you look you come my way
You're for me, oh my Josephine
Oh Josephine
I like your lips to press mine, Josephine
To have and hold you all the time
Why not tonight, Josephine?
I know that you're my queen
But when you go I will know
You're not my Josephine
Oh Josephine, you're my pride
You're my joy, Josephine
What we've got I can't deny
You're for me, oh my Josephine
Why not tonight, Josephine?
I know that you're my queen
But when you go I will know
You're not my Josephine
Oh Josephine
I will love you till I die, Josephine
I'm not telling you a lie
You're for me, oh my Josephine
Oh Josephine, you're my pride
You're my joy, Josephine
What we've got I can't deny
You're for me, oh my Josephine
You're for me, oh my Josephine
You're for me, oh my Josephine
The song "Hello Josephine" by Shakin' Stevens is a playful love song that celebrates the singer's affection for a woman named Josephine. The main chorus of the song tells Josephine that she is the only girl for the singer and that she is completely loved and cherished by him. The singer claims that when Josephine is around, she has his full attention and admiration, and her beauty and charm are unmatched. The lyrics portray Josephine as a source of pride and joy for the singer, and he promises to love her until his dying breath.
The first verse of the song expresses the singer's physical attraction to Josephine. He desires to kiss her lips and hold her close to him all the time. The second verse addresses the singer's fear of losing Josephine. He asks her to stay with him tonight, reminding her that she is his queen and that he loves her deeply. He implies that if she were to leave him, she would no longer be his Josephine. The third verse doubles down on the singer's commitment to Josephine. He swears he is not lying when he says he will love her until the end of his life.
Overall, "Hello Josephine" is a charming and lighthearted love song that honors the beauty and value of the singer's muse, Josephine. It celebrates the emotional and physical connection that the two share and promises enduring love and loyalty.
Line by Line Meaning
Oh Josephine
The singer is addressing Josephine.
You're the only girl for me, Josephine
Josephine is the only romantic interest of the singer.
When you look you come my way
The singer is attracted to Josephine and notices her when she looks his way.
You're for me, oh my Josephine
Josephine belongs to the singer and they are meant to be together.
I like your lips to press mine, Josephine
The singer enjoys kissing Josephine.
To have and hold you all the time
The singer wants to be in a committed relationship with Josephine.
Why not tonight, Josephine?
The singer is questioning why Josephine is hesitant to be with him.
I know that you're my queen
Josephine is important and loved by the singer.
But when you go I will know
If Josephine leaves, the singer will understand that she was not meant to be with him.
You're not my Josephine
If Josephine does not commit to the singer, she is not the right person for him.
Oh Josephine, you're my pride
The singer takes great pride in being with Josephine.
You're my joy, Josephine
Being with Josephine brings happiness to the singer.
What we've got I can't deny
The singer is happy and content with the relationship with Josephine.
I will love you till I die, Josephine
The singer plans on loving Josephine forever.
I'm not telling you a lie
The singer is being truthful about his feelings for Josephine.
You're for me, oh my Josephine
Josephine is the perfect romantic match for the singer.
You're for me, oh my Josephine
The singer emphasizes the fact that Josephine belongs with him.
You're for me, oh my Josephine
The singer repeats that Josephine is meant to be with him.
Contributed by Leah H. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
lindaLourdes Morais
Parabéns pela linda voz
rhian jones
I love the song Hello Josephine by Shakin Stevens very much indeed
Jayne Harper
Love it xxx
JUSZTINA ÉVA DÁVIDNÉ ÖRDÖG
Simply impressive!
anthony belcher
Fabulous singer brilliant song 66
Willy Verstraeten
The BRITISH KING of Rock and Roll !
Ferencné Kesztler
Shakin, posted on facebook in Hungary, yesterday, I saw 340 so far, they really love it, I said look at the rest. Very good! You dance very well and interesting!
Alexandru Voicu
The great Shakin Stevens , i love !
Robert Tomah
so awesome,....wow
Odette Gijbels
EXELLENT !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!