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.
Lonely Blue Boy
Shakin' Stevens Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
My name could be heartache
For trouble and heartache is all that I know
Yeah, lonely, lonely blue boy is my name
My life over-ended, my heart been torn
It must have been rainin' the night I was born
Yeah, lonely, lonely blue boy, is my name
Well, I'm so afraid of tomorrow
And so tired, so tired of today
They say that love is the answer
But love never came my way
I'm writin' this letter, to someone I've known
So if you should find it, and you're all alone
Yeah, lonely, lonely blue boy is my name
Well, I'm so afraid of tomorrow
And so tired, so tired of today
They say that love is the answer
But love never came my way
I'm writin' this letter, to someone I've known
So if you should find it, and you're all alone
Yeah, lonely, lonely blue boy is my name
"Lonely Blue Boy" by Shakin' Stevens is a melancholic song about being alone and abandoned, with loneliness being its central theme. It highlights the character's fear of the future and exhaustion from the present, as well as the negative emotions associated with love.
The singer admits that his name could bring trouble and heartache, as that is all he has experienced throughout his life. The reference to the character being a "blue boy" suggests his sadness and depression.
The character's past has been traumatic and has caused his heart to be broken repeatedly. The lyrics imply that his heartbreak began the night he was born, which could mean that his childhood or early life in general was filled with sadness.
The chorus of the song reinforces the character's fear of tomorrow and tiredness of today. The lyrics suggest that love could be the answer to his problems, but it has never come his way.
The latter half of the lyrics mention the singer writing a letter to someone he has known, in the hopes that they find it when they are also feeling lonely. This implies a sense of longing and a desire for a connection with someone who might understand the singer's pain.
All in all, "Lonely Blue Boy" is a poignant reminder of the pain of loneliness and heartbreak, with lyrics that paint a vivid image of the character's life.
Line by Line Meaning
My name could be trouble
I have a reputation for getting into trouble.
My name could be heartache
People associate my name with heartache and pain.
For trouble and heartache is all that I know
I have experienced nothing but trouble and heartache in my life.
Yeah, lonely, lonely blue boy is my name
I am a lonely person who is often sad and downhearted.
My life over-ended, my heart been torn
My life has been turned upside-down and my heart has been broken.
It must have been rainin' the night I was born
The night I was born must have been a dark and stormy one.
Well, I'm so afraid of tomorrow
I am fearful of what the future may hold.
And so tired, so tired of today
I am exhausted from dealing with the struggles of today.
They say that love is the answer
People say that love can solve all our problems.
But love never came my way
I have never experienced the love that people say can solve all our problems.
I'm writin' this letter, to someone I've known
I am writing this letter to someone from my past.
So if you should find it, and you're all alone
If you happen to find this letter and are also feeling lonely, maybe you can understand my pain.
Yeah, lonely, lonely blue boy is my name
Once again, I am emphasizing that I am a lonely person who struggles with sadness and despair.
Contributed by Nicholas I. Suggest a correction in the comments below.