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.
Turning Away
Shakin' Stevens Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
They've given up trying to steer you
Because you're turning away
Turning away from love
Lately you look so ragged
The edge of your heart's become jagged
And you're turning away
I say, you're turning away
Turning away from love
I say, you're turning away
Turning away from love
Well, she gives it to you without asking
A piece of her heart ever lasting
But you're turning away
Turning away from love
Just when this old world
Needs all of the love it can get
You're turning away
Turning away from the one who really cares
You're turning away from love
I say, your'e turning away
Turning away from love
I say, you're turning away
Turning away from love
Just when this old world
Needs all of the love it can get
You're turning away
Turning away from the one who really cares
You're turning away from love
I say, your'e turning away
Turning away from love
I say, you're turning away
Turning away from love
Well, she gives it to you without asking
A piece of her heart ever lasting
But you turn it away
Turning away from love
I say, your'e turning away
Turning away from love
I say, you're turning away
Turning away from love
I said your'e turning away
Turning away from love
I said you're turning away
Turning away from love
No No No,
Turning away
Turning away from love
I said you're turning away
Turning away from love
In "Turning Away," Shakin' Stevens sings about someone who has become disillusioned with love and has started to turn away from it. He notes that this person's friends have given up on trying to help them navigate their problems, as they seem to have lost all faith in love. Stevens sings of a heart that has become jagged and frayed at the edges, and it's implied that this has made it difficult for this individual to open themselves up to love from others.
The lyricist suggests that just when the world could use more love, the person in the song is choosing to turn away from it. He implores them to take notice of the person who truly cares for them and is offering a "piece of their heart ever lasting." It's not clear what caused this person to become so disillusioned with love, but it's suggested that it has caused them to become a tad cynical, turning away from any chance for love even when it might be offered freely.
Overall, "Turning Away" is a song about the dangers of closing oneself off from love after experiencing heartache. It's a plea for people to stay open and to take notice of the love that might be right in front of them.
Line by Line Meaning
None of your friends come near you
Your friends have given up on trying to help you.
They've given up trying to steer you
Your friends have stopped trying to guide you back to the right path.
Because you're turning away
You're rejecting their help and advice, which is making them back off.
Turning away from love
You're refusing to accept love from those around you.
Lately you look so ragged
Recently, you've looked exhausted and worn out.
The edge of your heart's become jagged
The hardness of your heart is causing emotional distress.
And you're turning away
You're not open to facing your emotional problems.
I say, you're turning away
I'm telling you that you're turning away from love.
Well, she gives it to you without asking
Someone is offering you love without needing anything in return.
A piece of her heart ever lasting
They're offering you their undying love and commitment.
But you're turning away
You're not willing to accept such a precious gift.
Just when this old world needs all of the love it can get
The world needs more love and compassion than ever before.
Turning away from the one who really cares
You're rejecting the one who truly loves and cares for you.
I said your'e turning away
I'm repeating that you're turning away from love.
No No No, Turning away
You're completely resisting the love that could help you.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: TIM KREKEL
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind