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.
Vanessa
Shakin' Stevens Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I've learned my lesson
And I've guit that (this) messin' around
So won't you come back to me
I'll be good to you, sweetheart
I'm beggin' for a new start
Vanessa it ain't nesessary
for you to keep hurtin' me
Now love ain't wrong
But you ain't right
Treat me like a lover
That's never had a thing
Come by your house
And turn off the light
I call you on the phone
It just rings, rings, rings,
Oh Vanessa
I've learned my lesson
And I've guit that (this) messin' around
So won't you come back to me
I'll be good to you, sweetheart
I'm beggin' for a new start
Vanessa it ain't nesessary
for you to keep hurtin' me
Tell me baby soon
And maybe you'll be true and comin' back
Don't you be so cruel
Just don't you treat me a fool
Just like that, like that
Now I was good to your mom
And I talked to your dad
But they sympathize with all the guys
My friends they say you're not doin' bad
That makes me wanna go home and cry, cry, cry
Oh Vanessa
I've learned my lesson
And I've guit that (this) messin' around
So won't you come back to me
I'll be good to you, sweetheart
I'm beggin' for a new start
Vanessa it ain't nesessary
for you to keep hurtin' me
I know Vanessa, I know Vanessa
Vanessa, Vanessa, Vanessa, Vanessa, Vanessa,
Vanessa, Vanessa, Vanessa, Vanessa, Vanessa,
Vanessa, Vanessa, Vanessa, Vanessa, Vanessa,
Oh Vanessa, Vanessa, Vanessa, Vanessa, Vanessa,
V-V-V-V-V-V-V-V-V-V-Vanessa
The song "Vanessa" by Shakin' Stevens is a plea from a betrayed lover to his ex-girlfriend. The singer admits that he made mistakes in the past by cheating on Vanessa, but now he has learned his lesson and has given up that way of life. He begs for a second chance to make things right with her and promises that he will treat her well. He declares that love is not wrong, but Vanessa's treatment of him is not right. He admits that he has been suffering and crying because of her cruel behavior. The song ends with the repeated desperate call of her name as the singer pleads with her to come back to him.
The lyrics reflect the themes of heartbreak and regret that are common in many love songs. The singer's attempt to win back his ex-girlfriend by confessing his mistakes and promising to be better is a common trope in pop music. The repetition of Vanessa's name at the end emphasizes the singer's desperation and longing for her, as if the mere mention of her name would bring her back to him.
Line by Line Meaning
Oh Vanessa
The singer is addressing Vanessa directly.
I've learned my lesson
The singer has realized that his mistakes led to the breakup with Vanessa.
And I've quit that messin' around
The singer has stopped cheating on Vanessa and wants her to know that.
So won't you come back to me
The singer is asking Vanessa to give him another chance.
I'll be good to you, sweetheart
The singer promises to be good to Vanessa if she comes back to him.
I'm beggin' for a new start
The singer is desperate for a fresh beginning with Vanessa.
Vanessa it ain't necessary for you to keep hurting me
The singer pleads with Vanessa to stop causing him pain and give him another chance.
Now love ain't wrong
The singer believes that love is not a bad thing.
But you ain't right
The singer believes that Vanessa is not treating him well.
Treat me like a lover that's never had a thing
The singer feels like he is being treated unfairly despite being in a relationship with Vanessa.
Come by your house and turn off the light
The singer tries to visit Vanessa, but she ignores him and turns off the lights.
I call you on the phone, it just rings, rings, rings
The singer tries to talk to Vanessa over the phone, but she does not answer.
Tell me baby soon and maybe you'll be true and coming back
The singer wants Vanessa to be honest with him about her feelings and whether she wants to get back together.
Don't you be so cruel, just don't you treat me a fool
The singer pleads with Vanessa not to be mean to him.
Now I was good to your mom and I talked to your dad
The singer is reminding Vanessa that he had a good relationship with her family.
But they sympathize with all the guys
Vanessa's family has sympathy for the singer's friends who are also suffering in their own relationships.
My friends they say you're not doing bad
The singer's friends think that Vanessa is not treating him well.
That makes me wanna go home and cry, cry, cry
The singer is upset and emotional because of how Vanessa is treating him.
I know Vanessa, I know Vanessa
The singer is emphasizing that he knows Vanessa well and wants her to come back to him.
Vanessa, Vanessa, Vanessa, Vanessa, Vanessa, Vanessa, Vanessa, Vanessa, Vanessa, Vanessa
The singer repeats Vanessa's name to express his longing for her.
Oh Vanessa, Vanessa, Vanessa, Vanessa, Vanessa
The song ends with the singer repeating Vanessa's name in a final plea for her to come back to him.
Contributed by Lily A. Suggest a correction in the comments below.