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.
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Tony Sheridan Lyrics
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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' by Tony Sheridan and The Beatles seems to describe a chance encounter with an orphan boy, who is standing by himself and crying. The singer asks the boy why he is crying, and the boy responds that he is 'nobody's child.' The lyrics go on to express the boy's feelings of neglect and isolation, describing how he has no one to comfort him or care for him. He longs for the love and attention of a parent, but knows that he is unwanted and unloved. The final verse offers a glimmer of hope, however, as the boy dreams of walking the streets of heaven, where he will finally find a home.
The song is a poignant reminder of the struggles faced by many abandoned and orphaned children, who are left to fend for themselves without the love and support of a family. It speaks to the universal human need for love and belonging, and highlights the cruelty of a world that can let children suffer in this way.
Interestingly, 'Nobody's Child' was not originally written by Tony Sheridan and The Beatles. The song was actually written by Cy Coben and Mel Foree in 1949, and had been recorded by a number of artists before The Beatles got hold of it. Sheridan's version, which was recorded in 1961, is notable for featuring vocals from the young Beatles, before they had become a household name. The song was a hit in the UK and Germany, and is now regarded as a classic of the 'skiffle' genre.
Line by Line Meaning
As I was slowly passing An orphan's home one day,
While I was walking by an orphan's home at a slow pace,
I stopped for just a little while To watch the children play.
I paused for a brief moment to observe the children playing.
Alone a boy was standing And when I asked him why,
I noticed a solitary boy standing and inquired about his situation.
He turned with eyes that could not see And he began to cry.
The boy faced me with sightless eyes and started weeping.
I'm nobody's child,
I don't have any parents or guardians.
I'm nobody's child. Just like the flowers I'm growing wild.
I'm akin to wildflowers in that I don't have a home or family.
I got no mummy's kisses I got no daddy's smile.
Neither do I receive affectionate motherly kisses nor fatherly smiles.
Nobody wants me, I'm nobody's child.
I feel unwanted and unloved; I'm all alone.
No mummy's arms to hold me Or sue me when I cry,
I don't have comforting motherly arms to embrace me or console me when I cry.
'Cause sometimes I feel so lonesome I wish that I could die.
I experience feelings of loneliness so deeply sometimes that I desire to end my life.
I'll walk the streets of heaven Where all blinds can see.
I'll go to heaven, where the sightless inhabit and can finally perceive.
And just like for the other kids It will be a home for me.
In the afterlife, heaven will serve as a home for me, similar to the other children.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA/AMCOS
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