In 1956 Tony formed his first band. In 1958, at 18, he began appearing on the BBC's Oh Boy, playing electric guitar. He was eventually offered a contract to perform at the Top Ten Club in Hamburg, Germany.
While performing in Hamburg between 1960 and 1963, Sheridan employed various backup bands. In 1961, one such band, who had met Sheridan during their first visit to Hamburg in 1960, and who worked with him on their second, was The Beatles (with their line-up at the time as John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, and Pete Best). When German Polydor agent Bert Kaempfert saw the pairing on stage, he suggested that they make some recordings together. In 1962, after a series of singles (the first of which, "My Bonnie"/"The Saints" made it to #5 in the Hit Parade), Polydor released the album My Bonnie across Germany. The word Beatles was judged to sound too similar to the German Pidels (pronounced peedles), the plural of a slang term for penis, hence the album was credited to Tony Sheridan and The Beat Brothers. After The Beatles had gained fame, the album was re-released in Britain, with the credit altered to Tony Sheridan and The Beatles.
By 1967, Sheridan had become disillusioned with his Beatle-brought fame. As he was more concerned by the Vietnam War, Sheridan agreed to perform for the Allied troops. While in Vietnam however, the band that he had assembled was fired upon and one of the members was killed. Reuters reported that Sheridan himself had died. For his work entertaining the Allies, Sheridan was made an honorary Captain of the United States army.
In the early 1970s, Sheridan managed a West German radio programme of blues music, which was well-received. In 1978, the Star Club was reopened, and Sheridan performed there along with Elvis Presley's TCB Band.
On August 13, 2002, Sheridan released Vagabond, a collection largely of his own material, but also including a new cover version of "Skinny Minnie", a song he had years earlier recorded for his first album.
Nobody's Child
Tony Sheridan Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
An orphan's home one day,
I stopped for just a little while
To watch the children play.
Alone a boy was standing
And when I asked him why,
He turned with eyes that could not see
And he began to cry.
I'm nobody's child,
I'm nobody's child.
Just like the flowers
I'm growing wild.
I got no mummy's kisses
I got no daddy's smile.
Nobody wants me,
I'm nobody's child.
No mummy's arms to hold me
Or sue me when I cry,
'Cause sometimes I feel so lonesome
I wish that I could die.
I'll walk the streets of heaven
Where all blinds can see.
And just like for the other kids
It will be a home for me.
I'm nobody's child,
I'm nobody's child.
Just like the flowers
I'm growing wild.
I got no mummy's kisses
I got no daddy's smile.
Nobody wants me,
I'm nobody's child.
The song "Nobody's Child" tells the story of an orphan boy who is living in an orphanage, where he feels unwanted and unloved. The singer of the song comes across the orphanage and observes the children playing. He notices a young boy standing alone, who eventually tells the singer that he is nobody's child. He explains that he has no parents to hold him or console him when he cries. The child feels so alone that he often wishes for death as a way out.
The lyrics of the song explore the notion of abandonment and loneliness that many children experience when they do not have a family or home to call their own. The opening verse sets the tone for the sad story that is going to follow. The repetition of the phrase "nobody's child" serves as a reminder of the child's isolation from society, of not belonging anywhere. The lyrics are heartfelt and poignant, highlighting the emotional impact of the boy's situation. The final verse, however, suggests that the boy finds solace in the idea of heaven, a place where he hopes to find the love and acceptance he desires.
Line by Line Meaning
As I was slowly passing
While moving along at a leisurely pace
An orphan's home one day,
A place where children without parents are housed
I stopped for just a little while
Paused momentarily
To watch the children play.
Observe the kids having fun
Alone a boy was standing
A single, isolated boy was present
And when I asked him why,
Inquiring as to the reason
He turned with eyes that could not see
Eyes that failed to function
And he began to cry.
A young child's tears flowed down his face
I'm nobody's child,
Nobody to call my own
I'm nobody's child.
No family connection
Just like the flowers
Similar to plants in the wild
I'm growing wild.
Developing without any guidance
I got no mummy's kisses
No affectionate mother's kisses
I got no daddy's smile.
No fatherly happiness
Nobody wants me,
No one desires me
I'm nobody's child.
Alone in the world
No mummy's arms to hold me
No loving maternal embrace
Or sue me when I cry,
No one to comfort me when I'm upset
'Cause sometimes I feel so lonesome
At times I'm overcome with loneliness
I wish that I could die.
Wishing for an end to the misery
I'll walk the streets of heaven
In the afterlife, the roads of paradise
Where all blinds can see.
Even the visually impaired can see clearly
And just like for the other kids
The same as for the rest of the children
It will be a home for me.
There will be a place for me to reside
Lyrics © Kanjian Music, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Cy Coben, Mel Foree
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Freddy T. Black
Perhaps the best version of my favorite early Beatles song and Tony Sheridan sings it with such eloquence and emotion and puts a picture of the lyrics in ones mind and heart 💔😭
heinzer69
Good performance by Tony👍
Konstantia
So heartfelt...beautiful.
That was Tony.
❤️
buddy velayo
good voice and plays guitar the best
Patrick Buzzo
GREAT TONY ,I'M PROUD THAT I'VE MET YOU IN PERSON!!
Steve Kalinich
A great performance a grand song
Jim Rafferty
Love the version with The Beatles
Ed Becka
I've been trying to find that unsuccessfully.
Jim Rafferty
@Ed Becka Looks like Tony pulled all versions from You Tube
Konstantia
Hi Jim! The first recording made by the "Beatles" (John, Paul, George, Pete) was on the album featuring Tony Sheridan. They were used as a back-up group, named by Polydor as the "Beat Brothers". (That name was used for for various groups backing Tony on recordings.) It's Tony singing on that version of Nobody's Child, as well.