In 1963, he renamed the rest of the band "The Shondells", after one of James's idols, guitarist Troy Shondell. Later in 1963, they recorded the Jeff Barry/Ellie Greenwich-penned song "Hanky Panky" (originally by The Raindrops), which failed to chart. The Shondells disbanded thereafter, until James reformed them early 1966 with Gray, Vale, Rosman and Lucia. Their first single was a re-recording of "Hanky Panky", which surprisingly became a national number one hit in June 1966. At first, Tommy James and his Shondells played straightforward rock and roll (as their first hit proves) but soon became involved in the budding bubblegum pop musical movement. One of their main songwriters these days was Ritchie Cordell who gave them the hits "I Think We're Alone Now" (later a hit for dance pop idol Tiffany and power pop rockers The Rubinoos as well) and "Mirage" in 1967. The former hit, labeled by one critic as the "bubblegum apotheosis", has had major airplay for decades and decades.
From 1968, the group members additional tried themselves as songwriters, with James and Lucia penning the psychedelic pop/rock classic "Crimson and Clover". The song was also completely recorded and mixed by the two of them, with James taking over vocal duties and playing all instruments, and it featured the then remarkable use of electronic gadgetry such as vocoders and phasers. Further hits included "Crystal Blue Persuasion", "Sweet Cherry Wine", and "Mony Mony" (1968). That last song was written by James (together with Vale) with allegedly inspired by the sign for prominent bank Mutual Of New York that hung outside his office window, the track receiving major airplay for quite a while and spawning off a successful Billy Idol version in the 80s.
The band took in major inspiration from contemporary bubblegum music and spirited pop rock as well as psychedelia, James finding himself intrigued by his growing spirituality and eventually dabbling in Christian rock music as well. The group carried on with constant success until early 1970, when James became exhausted from the strenuous touring and decided to drop out. His four bandmates carried on for a short while under the name of Hog Heaven but disbanded soon afterwards.
James launched a solo career in 1971. He created one major hit in "Draggin' the Line" (and "Three Times In Love," a #1 Adult Contemporary single in 1980), taking things at a smoother pace in his older days. He's undertaken well-received live tours for decades as well.
In October 2007, Tommy James and the original Shondells reunited in a New Jersey studio to record once again. The entire band has performed off and on for a while since then. For more information, see:
http://www.tommyjames.com/
Note that their name appears as "Tommy James and the Shondells" on their 1966 debut album 'Hanky Panky' and elsewhere, with the use of an ampersand coming in later. They're officially classified as 'Pop-Rock' with respect to the Roulette Records label R/SR-25336.
Do Something To Me
Tommy James & The Shondells Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I've got to find love in a hurry
Do something to me
Help me to ease all the worry
Whenever you're near me
You give me such a lovin' feeling
But baby you keep concealin'
What I want to know (so come on)
Do something to me
I've got to find love in a hurry
Do something to me
Help me to ease all the worry
Do something to me
Help me to ease all the worry
So let's get together
Just think of all the time we've wasted
All the love we could be tastin'
So baby let's go (oh come on)
Do something to me
I've got to find love in a hurry
Do something to me
Help me to ease all the worry
It should be so easy
For you to hear what my heart's sayin'
So why do you keep delayin'
What I want to know
So come on do something to me
(repeat chorus)
The song "Do Something To Me" by Tommy James expresses the desire for love and the need for it quickly. The song starts with the plea to find love in a hurry and the repeated request to do something to ease the worry associated with the search for love. The singer then confides their love to someone who they feel gives them a loving feeling but conceals their true nature. In the chorus, the singer implores the object of their affection to take action and help them ease their worries.
The lyrics suggest an urgency to find love that is conveyed through the repetition of the chorus and repeated requests for action. The singer desires love so much that they are willing to overlook wasted time and opportunities to be with the person they love. The lyrics express frustration at the delay in the response to the singer's affectionate confessions, adding an element of uncertainty and emotional vulnerability that the listener can relate to.
Overall, the song captures the feelings of desperation associated with the search for love and the emotional turmoil that can accompany that search. The sense of urgency conveyed in the lyrics, along with the passionate plea to do something to ease the singer's worries, makes "Do Something To Me" an emotionally charged and relatable song about the search for love.
Line by Line Meaning
Do something to me
Tommy is requesting his love interest to take some action that would make him fall in love with her.
I've got to find love in a hurry
Tommy is in a rush to find love and wants his love interest to reciprocate his feelings.
Help me to ease all the worry
Tommy is feeling anxious and wants his love interest to help him feel more at ease.
Whenever you're near me
Tommy feels a certain way whenever he's around his love interest.
You give me such a lovin' feeling
Tommy feels loved whenever he's around his love interest.
But baby you keep concealin'
Tommy's love interest is hiding something from him.
What I want to know (so come on)
Tommy wants to know what his love interest is hiding from him and is urging her to tell him.
So let's get together
Tommy wants to be in a relationship with his love interest.
Just think of all the time we've wasted
Tommy feels like they've wasted a lot of time not being in a relationship.
All the love we could be tastin'
Tommy believes that they could have already experienced love if they had been in a relationship.
So baby let's go (oh come on)
Tommy urges his love interest to start a relationship with him and not waste any more time.
It should be so easy
Tommy believes that it should be easy for his love interest to understand his feelings.
For you to hear what my heart's sayin'
Tommy wants his love interest to understand and acknowledge his feelings.
So why do you keep delayin'
Tommy wonders why his love interest is taking so long to reciprocate his feelings.
So come on do something to me
Tommy is encouraging his love interest to take some action that would lead to them being in a relationship.
Help me to ease all the worry
Tommy is still feeling anxious and wants his love interest to help him feel more at ease.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: TOMMY JAMES, DONALD CICCONE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind