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.
When You Were Sweet Sixteen
Val Doonican Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
i love you as i never loved before!
since first i met you on the village green.
come to me, or my dream of love is o'er!
i love you as i loved you,
when you were sweet
when you were sweet sixteen.
when first i saw the lovelight in your eye,
and dreamt the world held naught but joy for me.
and even though we drifted far apart,
i never dreamt of what i dream of thee
i love you as i never loved before!
since first i met you on the village green.
come to me, or my dream of love is o'er!
i love you as i loved you,
when you were sweet
when you were sweet sixteen.
Val Doonican's ballad 'When You Were Sweet Sixteen' is a heartfelt love song that captures the essence of young love and reflects on the fleetingness of time. The song is sung from the perspective of an older man reminiscing about his young and innocent love interest who was only sixteen when they first met. He beautifully describes how he fell in love with her at first sight and how he still loves her the same way he did when she was young and innocent. The song is filled with nostalgia and regret and the lyrics are poignant as they depict the man's sentimental longing to be with his love interest again.
The first verse of the song is particularly symbolic because it represents the moment when the man saw the girl for the first time and knew she was special. He is telling her how much he loves her and how much she means to him. He fears that if she doesn't come to him, he will lose the dream of love that he has always nurtured, and that will be a great tragedy.
In the second verse, the man remembers how he used to dream about their future together even though they drifted apart. He never imagined that his love for her would last so long or that he would still yearn for her. The chorus is a repeated expression of his love for her and how he still feels the same way he did when she was young and sweet.
Line by Line Meaning
you were sweet sixteen, you were sweet sixteen
You were in your youthful prime at the age of sixteen, filled with innocence and beauty that captivated my heart.
i love you as i never loved before!
I feel a love for you that is greater than any I have felt in the past. You mean the world to me.
since first i met you on the village green.
From the moment we first met on the village green, I knew that you were someone special and I could not resist falling in love with you.
come to me, or my dream of love is o'er!
If you do not come to me, my dream of love with you will fade away and die. You are the only one I want to spend my life with.
i love you as i loved you,
The love I have for you is just as strong today as it was when we first fell in love.
when you were sweet when you were sweet sixteen.
I will always cherish the memories of when you were sweet and innocent at sixteen. Those moments brought me great joy and happiness and will remain special to me forever.
when first i saw the lovelight in your eye,
The moment I first saw the love in your eyes, I knew that you were the one for me. It was a magical and unforgettable moment.
and dreamt the world held naught but joy for me.
At that moment, I believed that nothing but pure joy and happiness awaited me in this world. I was filled with hope and optimism for the future.
and even though we drifted far apart,
Despite the fact that we have been separated by distance and time, my love for you remains as strong as ever. I will always cherish the memories of our time together and look forward to being reunited with you one day.
i never dreamt of what i dream of thee
I never could have imagined the depth of the love I feel for you. You are the one who makes my heart sing and brings a smile to my face. I love you more than words can express.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, RESERVOIR MEDIA MANAGEMENT INC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: James Thornton
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Carla Linford
This song reminds me of my grandma. Used to listen to Val Doonican with her. Love it!
LoveTheOConnor
Congrats on #200, Jim!! I love this song, and this is such a beautiful version! The pictures of lovely Ms. Taylor are wonderful! Thanks so much for sharing and brightening another dreary day. I hope you have a marvelous weekend, my friend--happy Father's Day! :))
Sheila Gadsden
Fabulous chap with a wealth of music to sing to us all. 😘😘💕💕💕💕
William Gagnon
Good Heaven! Images of the gorgeous Elizabeth Taylor when she was a teenager. I was in love with her when she was sweet sixteen; her pictures and Val Doonican's "Sweet Sixteen" make me realize that I still am. Beautiful music! Beautful girl!
Michael Ryan
loely song by a gentle singer Val.
MontseAntares
¡¡¡ PURE GOLD !!!....The music and the video!!!!
nipstertunes
Oh, Thank You Heather! I thought it was a beautiful version of the song and I am happy that you did too. Ms. Taylor was someone very special, for sure. Thank you for the wonderful comments and your Father's Day wishes. Wishing you a marvelous weekend and some bright sunny days. Jim
nipstertunes
So glad you liked it! Thanks so much for listening! Jim
susan chapman
love him great songs
john morrison
He gave great pleasure to us all.