Barlow is one of Britain's most successful songwriters, having written fourteen Number 1 singles and twenty four top 10 hits. He has had three Number 1 singles, six top 10 singles and two Number 1 albums as a solo artist, and has had seventeen top 5 hits, twelve Number 1 singles and seven Number 1 albums with Take That. He is also a six-time recipient of the Ivor Novello Award and has sold over 50 million records worldwide. He was appointed an OBE in 2012 for services to music and charity.
Barlow's solo career was predicted to be very successful, being described as 'the next George Michael'. His first two solo singles "Forever Love" (released July 1996) and "Love Won't Wait" (composed by Madonna and Shep Pettibone) both leapt to the number one spot in his home country. "Forever Love" was also used as the soundtrack to the film The Leading Man. His debut album "Open Road" reached number 1 in the UK Albums Chart and went on to sell 2 million copies worldwide. Barlow's first single to be released in the United States as a solo artist was "So Help Me Girl", which reached number 44 on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart and number 1 on the US Billboard Adult Contemporary chart. He then achieved another top ten hit in the UK with "Open Road" peaking at number 7 and number 8 in the Netherlands with "Are You Ready Now".
After the success of his first solo album he released his second LP "Twelve Months, Eleven Days" in 1999. Barlow released "Stronger" as the lead single preceding the album. However, due to an expected backlash against Barlow, it received minimal support and airplay and only peaked at number 16. The second single "For All That You Want" again was subjected to minimal radio play and peaked at number 24, however it peaked just outside the top 5 in Finland. "Twelve Months, Eleven Days" was released soon after the first single to little promotion and peaked at a disappointing number 35, which led to Sony recalling Barlow's 'greatest' song according to critics, the scheduled third single from his second album "Lie to Me". This resulted in both Barlow and BMG parting company. To date Barlow has sold 5 million records worldwide as a solo artist.
On September 2013, Barlow announced via his Twitter account that he would be releasing his first full-length solo album in 14 years, on 25 November 2013. Barlow encouraged his followers and fans to tweet #GBSOLO to reveal the album artwork and title, with their profile pictures being used to create a collage of the album cover. On 4 October 2013, Barlow revealed his new album would be called "Since I Saw You Last", and would be preceded by his first single from the LP, titled "Let Me Go", released worldwide on 17 November 2013. He also announced that he would be touring the album in April 2014, playing some of the biggest arenas in the UK.
A Million Love Songs
Gary Barlow Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Put your head against my life, What do you hear
A million words just trying to make, The love song of the year
Close your eyes but don't forget, What you have heard
A man who's trying to say three words,
The words that make me scared
And here I am trying to tell you that I care
A million love songs later, And here I am
Looking to the future now, This is what I see
A million chances pass me by , A million chances to hold you
Take me back, take me back, To where I used to be
To hide away from all my truth, Through the light I see
A million love songs later,
And here I am trying to tell you that I care
A million love songs later, And here I am
The lyrics of Gary Barlow's song "A Million Love Songs" beautifully capture the essence of longing and vulnerability in love. The opening lines evoke a sense of intimacy as the singer invites the listener to connect on a deeper level by placing their head against their life, symbolizing the closeness and shared experience in a relationship. The mention of a million words suggests the overwhelming emotions and thoughts that are poured into expressing love, aiming to create the ultimate love song of the year. The singer acknowledges their fear and vulnerability in expressing love, emphasizing the significance of those three words that hold so much power and meaning.
As the song progresses, the repetition of "A million love songs later" suggests a passage of time and the effort put into expressing love and care towards the listener. The repetition showcases the singer's persistence and determination to convey their feelings, highlighting the enduring nature of love despite the challenges and uncertainties that may arise. The phrase "And here I am" reflects a sense of being present and steadfast in their emotions, showing a willingness to continue to express their love despite any doubts or fears that may linger.
The lyrics shift towards a contemplative tone as the singer looks towards the future and envisions a multitude of missed opportunities to embrace love fully. The mention of a million chances passing by conveys a sense of regret and longing for what could have been, emphasizing the desire to reconnect with a past version of themselves where love was simpler and more genuine. The plea to be taken back to that place signifies a yearning for comfort and security, seeking solace in familiar surroundings away from the complexities of reality.
In the final repetition of "A million love songs later," the singer reaffirms their commitment to expressing their feelings and care for the listener. The accumulation of love songs over time represents the depth and sincerity of their emotions, showing that despite the challenges and uncertainties, their love remains constant and unwavering. The closing lines encapsulate a sense of resilience and determination to overcome obstacles and continue to profess their love, underscoring the enduring power of love songs as a means of communication and connection in a relationship.
Line by Line Meaning
Put your head against my life, What do you hear
Listen closely to my innermost thoughts and feelings, what do you perceive?
A million words just trying to make, The love song of the year
Numerous words attempting to create the ultimate expression of love
Close your eyes but don't forget, What you have heard
Remember the heartfelt messages even when you can't see them
A man who's trying to say three words, The words that make me scared
Struggling to utter those three words that evoke fear within me
Looking to the future now, This is what I see
Gazing ahead into what's to come, envisioning my path
A million chances pass me by , A million chances to hold you
Countless opportunities slip away, countless opportunities to embrace you
Take me back, take me back, To where I used to be
Bring me back to the place where I felt most at ease
To hide away from all my truth, Through the light I see
Retreating from my reality, finding solace in the light that shines through
And here I am trying to tell you that I care
Now, at this moment, I'm endeavoring to express my feelings of care for you
And here I am
And now, here I stand
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Robb Turner
Put your head against my life
What do you hear?
A million words just trying to make
The love song of the year
Close your eyes, but don't forget
What you have heard
A man who's trying to say three words
The words that make me scared
A million love songs later
And here I am trying to tell you that I care
A million love songs later
And here I am, here I am
A million love songs later
And here I am
Looking to the future now
This is what I see
A million chances pass me by
A million chances to hold you
Take me back, take me back
To where I used to be
And hide away from all my truths
Through the light I see
A million love songs later
And here I am trying to tell you that I care
A million love songs later
And here I am, just for you, girl
A million love songs later
And here I am
I feel for you, babe
I feel for you, baby
A million love songs later
And here I, here I am
ILZINETE MARIA GOMES MONTEIRO
Gary Barlow, a perfection of voice, of songs with perfect lyrics, ethical, talented and brilliant, perfect.
ILZINETE MARIA GOMES MONTEIRO
Gary's perfection, besides being beautiful, his songs are perfect, it's irreplaceable, eternal congratulations Gary Barlow.
T-Bone36#
Imagine being one of the sad ppl who thumbs-down this masterpiece.
Kelly Smith
Agreed hard to fathom
May04bwu
Oh I always wished for a more recent version of this song. Love it!! Thank you.
Mônica Ferreira
Músicas belíssima❤ quanta emoção.
Neil Bailey
What an incredible set. Pure joy
SIMONE QUEIROZ DUARTE
Gary vc é show na beleza e na canção,bjs no coração ❤️❤️, do🇧🇷🇧🇷🇧🇷😘😘
Jessica Morris
When Gary sings solo you can really understand the lyrics he's singing. Very relatable.
Marlene Petiaye
Hello Gary!! What a beautiful performance!!!!