Shakin' Stevens (born Michael Barratt, 4 March 1948, in Ely, Cardiff, South… Read Full Bio ↴Shakin' Stevens (born Michael Barratt, 4 March 1948, in Ely, Cardiff, South Glamorgan, Wales) is a Welsh rock and roll singer and performer who has the distinction of being the top selling male U.K. singles artist of the 1980s. Inspired by classic rnb and rock music from the 50s and 60s, he's also known by his nickname "Shaky", a title used by fans of his popular singles such as the evergreen tune "Merry Christmas Everyone".

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.

So Long Baby Goodbye
Shakin' Stevens Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

I know
I've been foolin' myself too long
I'm never right but always wrong
Goodbye, Baby, so long

You know
You never let this thing catch on
You never let me be that strong

Goodbye, Baby, so long

There was a cold wind blowing on the night we met
The leaves fell from the trees
You made a lot of promises I ain't seen yet
And I ain't gonna ask you please

We know
None of us are gonna cry
It wasn't even worth the try
So long, Baby, Goodbye

There was a cold wind blowing on the night we met
The windows were rolled up tight
We both asked for something we could never get
Now I'll do the thing that's right

We know
None of us are gonna cry

It wasn't even worth the try
So long, Baby, Goodbye

Overall Meaning

"So Long Baby Goodbye" is a song by Shakin' Stevens that talks about a relationship that has run its course. The singer acknowledges that he has been fooling himself for too long and is always wrong in the relationship. He says goodbye to his lover as he knows that they were never going to work out. The song also implies that his lover never let him be strong and never allowed their relationship to grow.

The first verse mentions that the singer has been fooling himself for too long and is always wrong. This could mean that he has been lying to himself about their compatibility and the longevity of their relationship. However, he says goodbye to his lover as he acknowledges that their relationship has run its course. The second verse implies that his lover never let him be strong and never allowed their relationship to grow. This could mean that she did not give him enough space or opportunities to grow as an individual.

The chorus indicates that the relationship was not worth their time and effort, and that they will not cry over it. The third verse mentions the night they met with a cold wind blowing, and the leaves falling from the trees. The singer says that his lover made promises that she never fulfilled. They both asked for something they could never attain, and now it is time to do the right thing and say goodbye.

So Long Baby GoodbyeShakin' Stevens Lyrics

So Long Baby Goodbye
Shakin' Stevens Lyrics