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.
You Shake Me Up
Shakin' Stevens Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You shake me down
You make me shiver and quake and quiver when you′re around
You shake me up
Each time you do what you do
Baby, I'm shakin′ like a leaf because of you
My body swerves
My kneecaps tremble, I can't assemble my shattered limbs
You shake me up
Each time you do what you do
Baby, I'm shakin′ like a leaf because of you
Since you gave your love to me
My body won′t keep still
Shakin' like a jelly in a bowl
Girl what have you done to me
I know that I′m not ill
But every time you're near I lose control
Ha, rock and roll
Ooh my soul
I′m crackin' up
Can′t handle this
My limbs are twitching, my lips are itchin' to steal a kiss
You shake me up
Each time you do, well you do
Baby, I'm shakin′ like a leaf because of you
Wooh!
Since you gave your love to me
My body won′t keep still
Shakin' like a jelly in a bowl
Girl what have you done to me
I know that I′m not ill
But every time you're near I lose control
Ha, rock and roll
Ooh my soul
I′m crackin' up
Can′t handle this
My limbs are twitching, my lips are itchin' to steal a kiss
You shake me up
Each time you do what you do
Baby, I'm shakin′ like a leaf because of you
Baby, I′m shakin' like a leaf because of you
I said, baby, I′m shakin' like a leaf because of you
The song "You Shake Me Up" by Shakin' Stevens is a classic rock and roll tribute to the power of love and the effect it can have on a person's body. The lyrics depict the singer being almost physically overwhelmed by the presence of his lover, from the shivers and quivers she causes to the sway and tremble of his body. He's so affected by her that he feels like his limbs are breaking apart and he's cracking up, unable to control himself. Despite the intense physical and emotional response he has to her, he's grateful for her love and the way it makes him feel alive.
The song celebrates the raw energy of rock and roll, with its emphasis on rhythm and movement. The repeated phrase "you shake me up" reinforces the idea that the singer is being literally shaken and stirred by his feelings for his lover, and the inclusion of references to rock and roll staples like swaying and trembling reinforces the genre's influence on the song. The repeated chorus of "baby, I'm shakin' like a leaf because of you" is a simple but effective way of conveying the intensity of the singer's feelings, and the way he's almost being swept off his feet by his love for her.
Overall, "You Shake Me Up" is a high-energy, celebratory tribute to the power of love and music. With its catchy chorus and upbeat rhythm, it's a song that's sure to get people up and dancing, while also conveying a genuine emotional depth and passion.
Line by Line Meaning
You shake me up
You excite me and fill me with energy
You shake me down
You calm me down and bring me back to reality
You make me shiver and quake and quiver when you're around
Your presence intensifies my emotions and physical sensations
Each time you do what you do
Every action you take has a profound effect on me
Baby, I'm shakin' like a leaf because of you
You have such a strong impact on me that I am physically and emotionally trembling
My body swerves
My physical movements are affected by your presence
My kneecaps tremble, I can't assemble my shattered limbs
My body feels weak and disoriented because of the way you affect me
Since you gave your love to me, my body won't keep still
Your love has given me a constant buzz of energy and excitement
Shakin' like a jelly in a bowl
My body is uncontrollably shaking due to the influence of your love
Girl what have you done to me
Your impact on me is so strong that I can't believe it's real
I know that I'm not ill
I am aware that my symptoms are caused by my emotions, not an actual illness
But every time you're near I lose control
I cannot contain my emotions and physical reactions when you are with me
Ha, rock and roll
I am in such a state of excitement that I feel like dancing to rock and roll music
I'm crackin' up
I feel like I am losing my sanity
Can't handle this
I am overwhelmed by the intensity of my emotions and reactions to you
My limbs are twitching, my lips are itchin' to steal a kiss
My body is so affected by you that I cannot control my physical movements and desires
Baby, I'm shakin' like a leaf because of you
You have such an intense impact on me that I feel like I am physically trembling like a leaf
Writer(s): G. Sulsh, S. Leathwood
Contributed by Mason J. Suggest a correction in the comments below.