In 1974, Sheppard signed with Melodyland (later Hitsville) Records, which was a short-lived country label that was owned by Motown Records, and recorded the song "Devil in the Bottle," which became a No. 1 hit on Billboard's Hot Country Singles chart and also became a Top 60 Pop hit in 1975. The follow-up, "Tryin' to Beat the Morning Home," also went to No. 1 and cracked the Top 100 during the summer of 1975. Several subsequent releases during 1975-1977 also made the Top 10 like "Motels and Memories" and "Show Me A Man".
Early in his career, TG became close friends w/Elvis Presley. Elvis gave TG his first tour bus and TG even lived at Graceland for a while during their friendship. A relative of TG's at a performance of his in his hometown of Humboldt, TN gave a first-hand account of TG mentioning the recent passing of his friend, Elvis, beginning to honor him by singing one of Elvis' songs, & having to leave the stage to compose himself before returning to finish the song. TG & Elvis were very close.
In 1977, Sheppard signed with Warner Bros. Records, where he enjoyed his greatest success. Starting with that summer's "When Can We Do This Again," he had a series of fifteen consecutive Top 10 releases, including 10 No. 1 songs. The biggest included "Last Cheater's Waltz" (1979); "I'll Be Coming Back For More" and "Do You Want to Go to Heaven" (1980); "I Loved 'Em Everyone" and "Party Time" (1981); "Only One You," "Finally" and "War is Hell (On the Homefront Too)" (1982). Another major hit came in 1984: "Slow Burn." "I Loved 'Em, Everyone" also reached the top-forty on the U.S. pop singles charts.
In 1985, he moved from Warner Bros. to Columbia Records, where he continued to enjoy success. After just missing the top 20 with "Fooled Around and Fell in Love" (a remake of the Elvin Bishop hit), he returned to the top 10, with his biggest success during this time frame coming with 1986's "Strong Heart" (the last of his 14 No. 1 hits, as it turned out). Three more songs peaked at No. 2 in 1987: "Half Past Forever (Till I'm Blue in the Heart)," "You're My First Lady" and "One for the Money."
Sheppard's success continued until about 1988, when rootsy neo-traditionalist artists began to eclipse more polished pop-country artists like Sheppard on the country charts. He continued to tour and play throughout the 1990s, but did not sign a new record contract, and did not release any new material until his 2002 live release, T.G. Sheppard: Live at Billy Bob's, which found Sheppard performing his classic hits for an enthusiastic crowd at the famed honky tonk in Fort Worth, Texas.
He has a new CD out called "Timeless" which has him singing songs from the big band era. In the mid to late 1980's T.G. Sheppard was an associate sponsor on the #25 Folgers Chevrolet driven on the Nascar Winston Cup circuit by Tim Richmond and Ken Schrader. In 1990 the Folgers sponsorship moved to Roush racing and driver Mark Martin.
TG is married to a fellow song-writer / singer, Kelly Lang, and they currently reside in Hendersonville, TN
Slow Burn
T.G. Sheppard Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
There's not a man alive that wouldn't want to hold her
And the way she moves, just the way she moves
Well, that's enough to keep me on a slow burn
Keep me on a slow burn
In her high heals kicking 'cross the dance floor
She's more woman than I could ever ask for
That's love and that keeps me on a slow burn
Keeps me on a slow burn
When we touch this fire breaks out
And it rages out of control
And the love we made is so deep, so strong
And when it's over, even when it's over
And the flame dies down
It just dies down to a slow burn, slow burn
And the love we made is so deep, so strong
That when it's over, even when it's over
And the flame dies down
It just dies down to a slow burn, a slow burn
A slow burn, slow burn
She's got that dark hair falling 'cross her shoulders
Keeps me on a slow burn
In her high heals kicking 'cross the dance floor
Keeps me on a slow burn
When we touch, when we touch
, this fire breaks out and the passion between them ignites, raging out of control. T.G. Sheppard's "Slow Burn" is a song about the intense, slow-building attraction he feels for a woman he describes as having dark hair falling over her shoulders and being more woman than he could ever ask for. The way she moves and the fire in her eyes keeps him on a slow burn, always wanting more.
The song is filled with descriptive language that paints a picture of the woman that he desires. He describes her as a woman that every man would want to hold and how she moves is enough to keep him on edge. She has dark, mysterious eyes that hold the love he craves. When they touch, a fire breaks out, and it rages out of control, but the love they make is deep, strong, and always remains, even when the flame eventually dies down.
In summary, "Slow Burn" portrays a desire for a woman that T.G. Sheppard can't control. Her movements, her eyes, and her passion keep him on a "slow burn" until they eventually come together. The passion between them is intense, but it lasts, even though the flame dies down.
Line by Line Meaning
She's got that dark hair falling 'cross her shoulders
Her dark hair is falling gently over her back and shoulders.
There's not a man alive that wouldn't want to hold her
Every man desires to hold her in his arms.
And the way she moves, just the way she moves
The way she walks, dances, and carries herself is alluring.
Well, that's enough to keep me on a slow burn
Her seductive movements are enough to keep him in a state of slow-burning passion.
Keep me on a slow burn
Her captivating presence is keeping his desire burning slowly.
In her high heals kicking 'cross the dance floor
She's kicking across the dance floor in high-heeled shoes.
She's more woman than I could ever ask for
She possesses qualities of femininity that he never even knew he wanted.
Still there's something in her eyes, in those dark eyes
Even with her stunning appearance, there's something about her eyes that draws him in.
That's love and that keeps me on a slow burn
Her love, implied by the look in her eyes, is causing him to burn with passion.
Keeps me on a slow burn
Her love is continuing to keep his passion burning slowly.
When we touch this fire breaks out
Their physical touch ignites a passionate flame.
And it rages out of control
Their passionate flame explodes out of control.
And the love we made is so deep, so strong
Their love is intense and unshakeable.
And when it's over, even when it's over
Even after their moment of passion has ended.
And the flame dies down
Their fire of passion quiets down.
It just dies down to a slow burn, slow burn
Their passion goes back to burning slowly.
A slow burn, slow burn
Their passion remains in a state of slow burning.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group, CONCORD MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC, Songtrust Ave, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: THOMAS ROCCO, CHARLES FRANK BLACK
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind