Shondell was born in 1939, raised in Fort Wayne, Indiana, and educated at Valparaiso and Indiana universities. He wrote his first song at age 14, which was recorded by Little Anthony & the Imperials. Shondell also learned to play five musical instruments. His professional music career started as a teenager. Mercury Records released his first single, "My Hero", from The Chocolate Soldier, which he recorded in 1958 under the name Gary Shelton, which was close to his real name, Gary Schelton.
He followed the next year with "Kissin' at the Drive-In", a rockabilly song that went on to become a drive-in theater standard. Still performing as Gary Shelton, he seemed to be on his way, at least in the Midwest. Chicago's Brass Rail, a major nightclub that usually hosted jazz and blues acts, brought him in for its first foray into rock and roll. The successful gig stretched to 16 weeks. In 1959, Mark Records released "The Trance" and "Goodbye Little Darlin'". These sold well in the Midwest and a few other areas, but neither made it into the Hot 100's Top 40. The singer cited his father as a major influence, among others. A song he wrote about his father's death in 1960 from a heart attack, "Still Loving You", became a country hit when it was recorded by Bob Luman. His father's demise caused his career to falter, and he briefly returned to help run the family business.
Around this time, he began using a new stage name, Troy Shondell, partly because of the popularity of actor Troy Donahue. In April 1961, he recorded "This Time", a song written by Chips Moman and first recorded by Thomas Wayne. The record was released during the last week in June on the tiny Gaye label and picked up by the small Los Angeles Goldcrest label, selling ten thousand copies during the first week. Six weeks after being released and played in Chicago, Shondell flew to Los Angeles and signed with Liberty Records. It finally hit the Billboard charts the third week of September and landed in the Top 10 five weeks later at its number six peak, and it stayed in the charts for a total of thirteen weeks. The track reached no. 22 in the UK Singles Chart at the end of that year. The song was covered by Shakin' Stevens on the 1981 Epic album Shaky (album).
"Tears From An Angel" was his follow-up recording, released in March 1962. No further chart action was forthcoming, and Shondell quietly slipped away from the music industry the following year, despite his third single "Na-Ne-No", being produced by Phil Spector. However, in 1963, Tommy Jackson changed the name of his high school band from "Tom and the Tornados" to "The Shondells" in honor of Shondell (one of his musical idols). Jackson became "Tommy James" and international fame followed for the act. Chicago band the Ides of March originally named themselves the Shon-dells, also in tribute to Troy. Shortly before their debut single, "You Wouldn't Listen", was released, the label found out that James had been using the name first, so they were forced to change it. In 1968, Shondell became a songwriter for Acuff-Rose Music in Nashville, Tennessee, and the first recording artist for TRX Records, a branch of Hickory Records, for whom Shondell recorded some gramophone record discs until 1969, when he went into the music publishing field. In October 1969, Shondell was appointed as Assistant Regional Director for ASCAP's Southern Regional Office in Nashville.
In 2001, Shondell still performed at shows and other events. Along with Jimmy Clanton, Ronnie Dove, and Ray Peterson, Shondell was a member of the Masters of Rock 'n' Roll. On October 2, 2007, Shondell traveled to Collins, Mississippi, to deliver a musical tribute to his fallen rock and roll colleague Dale Houston, who, with musical partner Grace Broussard, had reached no. 1 in 1963 with "I'm Leaving It Up to You" as the musical duo Dale & Grace. Shondell died from complications of Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease on January 7, 2016.
This Time
Troy Shondell Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
This time we said way too much
This times for all time
How about this time
This time there'll be no goodnite kiss
This time is forever
This time I find that I'm
My heart is broken now
It really doesn't matter anyhow
Now that you're going away
I only live from day to day
This time there'll be no good nite kiss
This time is forever
This time I find that I'm
Really losing you
The song "This Time" by Troy Shondell is a sad breakup song that conveys the finality of a relationship that is coming to an end. The opening lines of the song express the sentiment that the breakup is real this time, that there are no more chances for reconciliation. The singer acknowledges that they have said too much, and this particular argument has pushed them beyond the point of no return.
The chorus repeats the phrase "this time" as if to emphasize the finality of the situation. This is not just another argument, but rather the end of the relationship "for all time." The singer laments that there will be no goodnight kiss, and that they are losing the person they love for good. The final lines of the song express the singer's despair at the situation, as they feel that their heart is broken and that they are now only living from day to day.
Overall, the song is a poignant and powerful expression of the pain that comes with the end of a relationship. It captures the sense of finality that often accompanies a breakup and conveys the emotions of loss, regret, and despair.
Line by Line Meaning
This time we're really breaking up
We are definitely ending our relationship this time.
This time we said way too much
We have communicated our problems and feelings more than we should have.
This times for all time
This is the final and permanent break up.
How about this time
Is this decision final or can we reconcile in the future?
This time there'll be no goodnite kiss
We are parting ways without a final goodbye.
This time is forever
Our break up is permanent and we cannot get back together.
This time I find that I'm
I realize that I am truly losing you this time.
Really losing you
I am losing you for good and it hurts my heart.
My heart is broken now
I am deeply hurt and saddened by our break up.
It really doesn't matter anyhow
It doesn't matter what I do now, our relationship is over.
Now that you're going away
Since you are leaving me, my daily existence is very difficult to manage.
I only live from day to day
I am trying to just live day by day without you in my life.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Reservoir Media Management, Inc.
Written by: CHIPS MOMAN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@stressbelden4478
To Holly and Charles......
You are correct......but who cares. This song is not opera nor will it vie for anything
by Reid. It what gives the song the roughness....the character.
Charles....if you want perfection, you are on the WRONG website/video.
@virginiawilliams9998
When you know in your heart that the last time really is the last time. This time is forever....RIP Troy Shondell.
@kokolanza7543
Surprising to see how many views this 60 year-old song has! It could easily have been forgotten amidst so many songs that are more celebrated. HOWEVER, it is unforgettable - for one thing, the message of "this is the last time" is an important event in all of our relationships, and not the theme of many songs. And then Troy S delivers it perfectly, with a good quality voice, but a bit "shaky", conveying sincerity and vulnerability. Greetings to all the commenters and listeners who have good thoughts about this classic. Didn't realize it was that big a hit!
@TheIrishrogue68
It captures maybe better than any other teen pop song from that era the pain of breaking up with your first real love.
@debeeriz
i like shakins version so come here to see how close it was to the original
@carolynstuart5901
Love this song. Elvis started to sing it on a rehearsal tape of him laughing and singing “I forgot the words”. So he had heard it and knew the words.
@richardortiz8704
I like this song I never get tired I'm hearing❤❤❤❤❤❤😊😊😊😊😊 listen to in the 60s now its 2024 still listening to it and I still love it go to make them like🎉🎉🎉🎉😊😊 I'm in Indio California and I'm still here in this song❤
@kokolanza7543
Hi@@richardortiz8704 Yeh! ❤from Superior, AZ. Listened to this on KRUX in Phoenix.
@Cochran752
Amazing and underrated song!
This song is in my bands setlist, to keep it alive.
@brookelondon8029
A friend of mine does mash ups on the guitar. He always plays I will survive and now I'm going to have him add this song and red rubber ball. This is the fifth and last time I'm dumping him. Too bad there's not a song about narcissism, lol.
@jimswank8151
SXM brought back my childhood to me and when I think back on the 50s and 60s I truly am sad that they are gone. Nothing will ever compare and this song is proof of that.