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.
That's All Right
Shakin' Stevens Lyrics
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That gal you're foolin' with ain't no good for you
But that's allright, that's allright
That's allright now Mama, anyway you do
One and one is two, two and two is four
Don't leave me baby when you walk out the door
That's allright, that's allright
That's allright Mama, that's allright with you
That's allright Mama, anyway you do
In Shakin' Stevens's song "That's All Right," the lyrics tell a story of a helpless and naive narrator who is warned by his parents about his problematic relationship with a woman. However, the singer seemingly ignores this advice and resigns himself to the situation by repeating that "that's all right" multiple times throughout the song. The lyrics suggest that the singer may be struggling to leave this woman, despite knowing that it would probably be better for him to move on.
The verse "One and one is two, two and two is four, Don't leave me baby when you walk out the door" highlights the vulnerability of the singer and his reluctance to be alone. The repetition of "that's all right" during the chorus reflects the singer's sense of resignation and helplessness in a situation that he cannot seem to escape. The last lines of the song, "That's allright Mama, that's allright with you, That's allright Mama, anyway you do," suggest that the singer has accepted the relationship's terms and is willing to endure whatever comes their way.
Line by Line Meaning
My Mama told me, Papa done told me too
My parents warned me about this girl I'm involved with, but I didn't listen.
That gal you're foolin' with ain't no good for you
This girl I'm with isn't the right person for me and will cause me trouble or heartbreak.
But that's allright, that's allright
Even though I know this girl may not be the best for me, I'm okay with continuing to see her anyway.
That's allright now Mama, anyway you do
I understand my parents' concerns, but ultimately I am free to make my own choices and stand by them.
One and one is two, two and two is four
Basic arithmetic states that certain things are true and can't be changed.
Don't leave me baby when you walk out the door
I don't want this girl to leave me or end our relationship, despite any problems that may arise.
That's allright now Mama, anyway you do
Regardless of how things turn out, I will accept the consequences of my decisions and be okay with them.
That's allright Mama, that's allright with you
Even though my parents don't approve of my choices, I am still okay with standing by them and not letting their opinions sway me.
That's allright Mama, any way you do
I acknowledge and respect my parents' input, but ultimately I will make my own decisions without their interference.
Contributed by Sydney E. Suggest a correction in the comments below.