The band was formed in 1973 by the amalgamation of two groups, Choise and The Golden Hammers. This led to an eight member band, with the unusual feature of having two vocalists, two drummers, two bassists and two guitarists. Their first single, Hey Rock 'n' Roll (written by the band), was released in April 1974. It reached number two in the UK singles chart. Showaddywaddy then went on to have a further 22 UK hits from this point until late 1982. The first few singles were all written by the band and these generally reached the top-20. However they had most of their biggest hits with pop versions of old '50s US rock 'n' roll songs, catchy tunes backed up by their colourful image, dance routines and numerous television appearances. Some of their best known covers are Three Steps To Heaven, Heartbeat, Under The Moon Of Love, You Got What It Takes, Blue Moon (based on the Marcels' interpretation), and I Wonder Why.
In total they had ten Top Ten singles, a Number One, and spent 209 weeks in the UK singles chart. At the peak of their popularity, this tally included having seven successive Top Five entries. Their biggest selling single was the aforementioned "Under The Moon Of Love", which sold 985,000 copies and gave the group its only UK Number One.
Band members
Current members
Romeo Challenger (born 19 May 1950, St John's, Antigua, West Indies) — drums (1973–present)
Rod Deas (born 13 February 1948, Scarborough) — bass (1973–present)
Ray Hatfield — guitars / vocals / (2017–present)
Rob Hewins — drums / guitars / vocals (2012–present)
Dean Loach — keyboards/ guitar / backing vocals (2012–present)
Andy Pelos — vocals / guitar (2012–present)
Billy Norman — bass guitar/ backing vocals (2018–present)
Former members
Paul Dixon — guitars / vocals / (2008–2017)
Dave Bartram (born 23 March 1952, Leicester) — vocals (1973–2011)
Trevor Oakes (born Trevor Leslie Oakes, 9 September 1946, Leicester) — guitars (1973–2008)
Al James (born Geoffrey Betts, 13 January 1946, Leicester - 16 November 2018) — bass (1973–2008)
Buddy Gask (born William George Gask, 18 December 1945, Leicester – 7 June 2011, Spain) — vocals (1973–1987)
Russ Field (born James Lewis Russell Field, 1 September 1949, Berwick-upon-Tweed) — guitars (1973–1985)
Malcolm "Duke" Allured (born 27 August 1945, Leicester) — drums (1973–1984)
Ray Martinez — guitars (1985–1995)
Danny Willson — guitars (1995–2009)
David Graham — saxophone (2009–2011)
Mona Lisa
Showaddywaddy Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You're so like the lady with the mystic smile,
Is it only 'cause your lonely they have blamed you,
For that Mona Lisa strangeness in your smile?
Well, is your smile to tempt a lover, Mona Lisa,
Or is this your way to hide a broken heart?
Many dreams have been brought to your doorstep,
Are you warm, are you real, Mona Lisa
Or just a cold and lonely, lovely work of art?
Well. in a villa, in a little old Italian town,
Lives a girl who's beauty shames the rose
Many yearn to love her but their hopes all tumble down,
What does she want? I guess nobody knows.
Is your smile to tempt a lover, Mona Lisa
Or is this your way to hide a broken heart?
Are you warm, are you real, Mona Lisa
Or just a cold and lonely, lovely work of art
Or just a cold and lonely, lovely work of art
Or just a cold and lonely, lovely work of art?
The lyrics to Showaddywaddy's song "Mona Lisa" are a reflection on the enigmatic nature of the famed painting by Leonardo da Vinci. The song confronts the question of why Mona Lisa is so captivating to men and what lies beneath her smile. Is she just an object of desire, or is there more to her than meets the eye?
The verses suggest that the Mona Lisa's smile might be a facade to hide a broken heart. The line "Many dreams have been brought to your doorstep, they just lie there, and they die there" conjures the image of a woman who has been the object of many men's affections but remains unattainable. The chorus asks whether she is warm and real or just a "cold and lonely, lovely work of art." The final verse offers an alternate perspective, describing another beautiful woman in an Italian town. The singer suggests that many people desire her, but nobody knows what she wants.
Overall, the song offers a poignant reflection on the desire and longing that art can inspire. It also raises questions about the objectification of women and the mystery and allure that can surround a famous work of art like the Mona Lisa.
Line by Line Meaning
Well, Mona Lisa, Mona Lisa, men have named you,
The singer addresses Mona Lisa and acknowledges that she is famous and has been given her name by men.
You're so like the lady with the mystic smile,
The singer observes that Mona Lisa looks similar to a lady who has a mysterious smile in a painting.
Is it only 'cause your lonely they have blamed you,
The singer suggests that Mona Lisa's strangeness in her smile may be attributed to her loneliness and isolation.
For that Mona Lisa strangeness in your smile?
The artist is questioning if her unusual smile is a result of her life experiences.
Well, is your smile to tempt a lover, Mona Lisa,
The artist asks if Mona Lisa's smile is an intentional attempt to lure someone in romantically.
Or is this your way to hide a broken heart?
The singer wonders if Mona Lisa's smile is really a facade to mask her inner pain and sadness.
Many dreams have been brought to your doorstep,
The singer notes that many people have been inspired by Mona Lisa and have come in pursuit of her.
They just lie there, and they die there.
The artist implies that these dreams never come to fruition and remain unfulfilled.
Are you warm, are you real, Mona Lisa
The artist is unsure of Mona Lisa's true nature and poses questions about her character.
Or just a cold and lonely, lovely work of art?
The artist suggests that Mona Lisa might just be an object and a creation of art rather than a real human being with emotions.
Well. in a villa, in a little old Italian town,
The singer introduces another person, a girl who lives in a villa in a small Italian town.
Lives a girl who's beauty shames the rose
The artist admires the girl's beauty, comparing it to the beauty of a rose flower.
Many yearn to love her but their hopes all tumble down,
The singer notes that many people hope to win the girl's love, but their attempts are unsuccessful.
What does she want? I guess nobody knows.
The singer admits that nobody knows what the girl desires or what motivates her actions.
Or just a cold and lonely, lovely work of art
The singer reflects on the possibility that Mona Lisa and the girl in the villa are both just beautiful artworks, devoid of true feelings and emotions.
Or just a cold and lonely, lovely work of art?
The artist repeats the previous line to emphasize the idea that these women are simply objects of aesthetic appeal.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Ray Evans, Jay Livingston
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
TheGreenwoodTony
To me Buddy Gask was the best of showaddywaddy, thats when showaddywaddy was showaddywaddy
dandee dawes
Hear hear
Paula Walker
buddy could sing any song sill sounds great xx
sara bird
Buddy was the lead singer of showaddwaddy
Graham Goodall
RIP Buddy........
Mark Russon
Not one of his best vocals Shaky does a loads better version
All depends dunnit
Bloody awful