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.
Tear It Up
Shakin' Stevens Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
List'ning to the Muzak, thinking 'bout this 'n' that
She said, "That's that, I don't want to chitter-chat"
Turn it down a little bit or turn it down flat
Pump it up, when you don't really need it
Pump it up, until you can feel it
Down in the pleasure center, hell-bent or heaven-sent
There's nothing underhand that she wouldn't understand
Pump it up, until you can feel it
Pump it up, when you don't really need it
She's been a bad girl, she's like a chemical
Though you try to stop it, she's like a narcotic
You want to torture her, you want to talk to her
All the things you bought for her, putting up your temperature
Pump it up, until you can feel it
Pump it up, when you don't really need it
Out in the fashion show, down in the bargain bin
You put your passion out under the pressure pin
Fall into submission, hit-and-run transmission
No use wishing now for any other sin
Pump it up, until you can feel it
Pump it up, when you don't really need it
The lyrics of Shakin' Stevens's song "Tear it Up" convey a sense of urgency and intensity that is sustained throughout the entire song. The song is about Cranky Joe, a music fan who is constantly looking for the next big thing, and his obsession with pumping up the music to the point where it takes over his life. The first verse establishes the tone of the song, with Joe admitting that he has been on tenterhooks and is constantly thinking about various things. He tells the person he is with to turn down the "Muzak" or background music, but then admits that he wants them to pump up the volume until he can feel it.
The next verse is about the pleasure center and the role that propaganda and slander play in our lives. Joe is a man who wants to feel something, to experience that unexplainable rush of excitement and adrenaline that comes from having his music turned up to the maximum level. He can't help himself, and even though he knows that his obsession is like a drug, he can't stop himself from wanting more. The chorus of the song repeats the proposition to pump up the music, even when you don't need it, and suggests that there is a kind of pleasure to be had in this experience.
The third verse of the song shifts the focus to a woman who is like a chemical, a narcotic that Joe can't resist. He wants to talk to her, to torture her, to buy her expensive gifts, and to feel that same rush of excitement that he gets from his music. The final verse is about the fashion show and the bargain bin, and the pressures that we all face to conform to certain standards of taste and style. In the end, the song is about the search for pleasure in a world that is constantly trying to limit our experiences and control us.
Line by Line Meaning
I've been on tenterhooks, ending in dirty looks
I've been feeling anxious and uneasy, leading to uncomfortable glares from others.
List'ning to the Muzak, thinking 'bout this 'n' that
Listening to background music while my mind wanders.
She said, "That's that, I don't want to chitter-chat"
She said that's enough, I don't want to continue talking aimlessly.
Turn it down a little bit or turn it down flat
Lower the volume or turn it off completely.
Pump it up, when you don't really need it
Increase the volume or intensity of something, even when it's not necessary.
Down in the pleasure center, hell-bent or heaven-sent
In the part of the brain responsible for pleasure, whether it's good or bad.
Listen to the propaganda, listen to the latest slander
Pay attention to the biased information and harmful rumors being spread.
There's nothing underhand that she wouldn't understand
There's nothing deceitful or sneaky that she wouldn't be aware of.
She's been a bad girl, she's like a chemical
She's been acting badly, and the effect that she has on you is like a powerful substance.
Though you try to stop it, she's like a narcotic
Even if you try to resist her, she has an addictive, captivating quality.
You want to torture her, you want to talk to her
You have conflicting desires of wanting to hurt her and wanting to communicate with her.
All the things you bought for her, putting up your temperature
All the things you've done for her are causing you to become increasingly agitated and frustrated.
Out in the fashion show, down in the bargain bin
From the glamorous world of fashion to the discount section, all around.
You put your passion out under the pressure pin
You suppress your passion and creativity under the pressure and expectations of society.
Fall into submission, hit-and-run transmission
You give in to authority and become passive, while things happen quickly and without warning.
No use wishing now for any other sin
There's no point in regretting or wanting a different type of wrongdoing.
Pump it up, until you can feel it
Increase the volume or intensity until you physically experience it.
Pump it up, when you don't really need it
Increase the volume or intensity even if there's no logical reason to do so.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: ELVIS COSTELLO
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind