Doonican started performing in his home town and featured in the first ever television broadcast from Waterford. He then joined a band which toured Ireland playing the drums. In 1951 he moved to England to join another group, The Four Ramblers who toured and performed on BBC Radio shows broadcast from factories.
He eventually went solo and had a radio show as well as performing concerts and cabaret. In 1963 he was booked to appear on Sunday Night at the London Palladium. As a result of this performance, he was offered his own show on BBC television, lasting for over twenty years and moving to Saturday as its popularity grew. It featured his relaxed crooner style performance sitting in a rocking chair, as well as a number of comic Irish songs, notably "Paddy McGinty's Goat", "Delaney's Donkey", and "Rafferty's Motor Car", on which he accompanied himself on acoustic guitar. He often wore a cardigan which became a trade mark, and was sometimes compared to American singer Perry Como though Doonican has claimed his main influence was Bing Crosby. As a variety show, there were a number of other acts featured and performers such as Dave Allen had early exposure on the show.
The Palladium performance also kick-started his recording career. Between 1964 and 1973 he was rarely out of the UK Singles Chart, his greatest successes including the singles "Walk Tall", "The Special Years", "What Would I Be", "If The Whole World Stopped Loving", and "Morning"; and the albums 13 Lucky Shades of Val Doonican, and Val Doonican Rocks, But Gently. He also sang the theme song to the film, Ring of Bright Water.
He stopped performing in 2009 and spent a lot of his free time in Spain (where he had a second home).
Doonican's daughter wrote two books entitled Wired to the Moon and Fear of Custard under the name Sarah Kavanagh. Both stories are related to the performance entertainment world.
If The Whole World Stopped Lovin'
Val Doonican Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Have you ever stopped to wonder what kind of place this would be
If the whole world stopped lovin' the way you stopped lovin' me
If every heart was broken the way that you broke my own
And the whole world stopped lovin' how long would livin' go on
Hear the church bells in the steeple as they ring their song through the air
If the whole world stopped lovin' there'd be no steeple bell there
If the whole world stopped lovin' the way you stopped lovin' me
If the whole world stopped lovin' the way you stopped lovin' me
In Val Doonican's song "If The Whole World Stopped Lovin'," the singer laments over a lost love and imagines what it would be like if everyone in the world stopped loving the way his ex-lover stopped loving him. The lyrics paint a picture of a world without love - church bells would ring without purpose, tears would fill the river, and the world would be a bleak and desolate place. The song speaks to the feelings of heartbreak and the pain of losing love, and emphasizes how love is an essential component of human existence.
The song is a poignant reminder of the importance of love in our lives and how the loss of love can affect us deeply. The lyrics underscore the idea that love is not just a personal emotion between two individuals, but something that binds us together as a human race. The loss of love on a global scale would be catastrophic and would fundamentally change the fabric of society.
Line by Line Meaning
If the whole world stopped lovin' the way you stopped lovin' me
Imagine a world where no one loved each other, just like how you stopped loving me
Have you ever stopped to wonder what kind of place this would be
Reflect on the consequences of a world where love no longer exists
If every heart was broken the way that you broke my own
If everyone experienced the same heartbreak that you caused me
And the whole world stopped lovin' how long would livin' go on
Consider the possibility of life continuing without love
Hear the church bells in the steeple as they ring their song through the air
Listen to the sound of the church bells ringing their message
If the whole world stopped lovin' there'd be no steeple bell there
Without love, there would be no reason for church bells to ring
The tears would fill the river till the river's flooded the sea
The world would be filled with sadness and despair
If the whole world stopped lovin' the way you stopped lovin' me
Again, imagine a world without love, just like how you stopped loving me
Lyrics © SHELBY SINGLETON MUSIC INC
Written by: BEN PETERS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Brian Harris
Wow, what a voice Val had, we love and miss you. You songs like this one bring back so, so many memories of times long gone, care free times as a child with my parents sadly long gone. You were my Mum and Dads favourite singer back in those days. Beauiful song sung by a man who really could sing. RIP Val you are missed and still loved by so many, and thank you for the legacy of songs you have left us, much love.
BOB IYER
Val was the most versatile singer and television personality and I still remember his shows, his wit and humour and above all his mellifluous , silky voice! Such genius are rare!
Sue Richardson
Val's wonderful rich smooth voice will be a great miss. I was a teenager when this came out and loved it then as I still do. Reminds me of Jim Reeves, another velvet voice from the past.
kevin heming
Yes, I was 14 in 1967- my favourite year for music. Used to love Val's Saturday tv show. Such a lovely man. RIP.
John Robertson
Whats to dislike, a great waltz, a lovely song..back at 9 i wanted this..no proper pop radio..love it still
MadFranko008
I always remember this song being played endlessly as kid by my mum & dad on the only record player in the house back in the late 60's / early 70's... times were different back then... :-) Even recall it was the one with the light blue label in the video... :-)
Bernie Darbyshire
Fond memories of Val in my special years .
Janet Kempster
rip Val, so many memories of listening to your songs, growing up, awesome singer
Old Aircraft Guy
A great talent with humour and humility. R.I.P.
Karen Hackman
Val Doonican singing was a great 👍 singer all his life RlP Val forever ❤️ 2:45