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.
My Bonnie
Tony Sheridan Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
My Bonnie lies over the sea
My Bonnie lies over the ocean
Oh bring back my Bonnie to me
My Bonnie lies over the ocean
My Bonnie lies over the sea
Well, my Bonnie lies over the ocean
Yeah bring back, ah bring back
Oh bring back my Bonnie to me to me (to me)
(Ah bring) Oh bring back, ah bring back
Oh bring back my Bonnie to me
Well, my Bonnie lies over the ocean
My Bonnie lies over the sea
Yeah my Bonnie lies over the ocean
Oh, I said bring back my Bonnie to me
Yeah bring back, ah bring back
Oh bring back my Bonnie to me to me (to me)
Oh bring back, ah bring back
Oh bring back my Bonnie to me
The song "My Bonnie" is a Scottish folk song that gained popularity in the 20th century. This particular version, recorded by Tony Sheridan and The Beat Brothers in 1961, became popular in Germany, where The Beatles were also gaining popularity around the same time. The song is a simple love song: the singer longs for his lover, Bonnie, who is across the ocean. He asks for her to be brought back to him, expressing his desire through repetition of the same phrase at the end of every verse.
It's easy to see why the song became popular: it has a catchy melody and a sing-along chorus. But there may be more to its popularity than that. Some have pointed out that the song's yearning for a far-off lover echoes the feelings of German youth who were separated from family and friends due to the country's east-west division. The song's popularity may have provided a sense of unity and connection for those who felt alone in a divided country.
Line by Line Meaning
My Bonnie lies over the ocean
The person being referred to as 'My Bonnie' is currently situated far away from the singer, across a large body of water.
My Bonnie lies over the sea
The aforementioned body of water which separates the singer and 'My Bonnie' is the ocean.
Oh bring back my Bonnie to me
The singer is expressing a desire for 'My Bonnie' to return to them, as they are currently separated.
Yeah bring back, ah bring back
The artist is repeating and emphasizing their desire for 'My Bonnie' to be brought back to them.
Well, my Bonnie lies over the ocean
The artist is restating the fact that 'My Bonnie' is located across the ocean, as a reminder to themselves and others listening.
Oh bring) Oh bring back, ah bring back
The singer is continuing to express their strong desire for 'My Bonnie' to be brought back to them.
Oh bring back my Bonnie to me to me (to me)
The singer is repeating their desire for 'My Bonnie' to return to them, and adding emphasis by saying 'to me' multiple times.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Tony Sheridan, Traditional, T SHERIDAN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind