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.
Arms Around Me
Gary Barlow Lyrics
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Feelin' down feelin' cold,
Into the fire,
To a world I've never known,
God I'm so tired,
It's been a long long road to here,
But God it's been worth it,
When I feel your body near,
With your arms around me,
Love surrounds me,
Ever by my side,
With your arms you hold me,
Trust and show me,
All I feel tonight,
But all this time that I've been searchin',
All this time that I've been hurtin',
It heals, when I'm in your arms each night,
Runnin' away from,
All the love I never knew, oh no,
Only to fall, into the arms
Of someone true, oh yeah,
Now I've never noticed,
I've been searchin' for so long,
Just waitin' to find,
Someone to make me feel this strong, oh,
With your arms around me,
Love surrounds me,
Ever by my side,
With your arms you hold me,
Trust and show me,
All I feel tonight,
But all this time that I've been searchin',
All this time that I've been hurtin',
It heals, when I'm in your arms each night,
Whoa oh ho,
So safe in your arms,
Whoa, ho, ho,
With your arms around me,
Love surrounds me,
Ever by my side,
With your arms you hold me,
Trust and show me,
All I feel tonight,
Whoa, ho, oh oh, yeah,
(So safe in your arms)
Forever more,
(So safe in your arms)
Whoa yeah,
So safe in your arms,
So safe in your arms,
So safe in your arms,
So safe in your arms,
Whoa ho oh yeah....
The lyrics to Gary Barlow's "Arms Around Me" speaks about the journey of finding true love and the feeling of security and comfort that comes with it. The songwriter is expressing the emotions that come with finally finding someone who they feel safe in every way possible. The first verse talks about the struggles and challenges faced before finding true love. The search for love can be difficult and tiring, but the joy and comfort that comes with it make every step worth it. The lyrics also suggest that sometimes people run away from love without knowing it, but sometimes one falls into the arms of someone true. The chorus further explains the feeling of being surrounded by love and comfort when held in the arms of their loved one.
The theme of the song is relatable as everyone desires to feel loved and safe in the arms of someone. The songwriter delivers the message in a way that is relatable to everyone who has been on the search for love. This song carries a strong message of hope and perseverance, stressing that the journey towards finding true love may be long and tough, but the feeling of being secure and safe in the arms of the one you love makes it all worth it.
Line by Line Meaning
Out of the water,
I have risen from a state of despair.
Feelin' down feelin' cold,
I am feeling discouraged and depressed.
Into the fire,
I have entered a challenging situation.
To a world I've never known,
I am faced with a new and unfamiliar environment.
God I'm so tired,
I am exhausted from the journey thus far.
It's been a long long road to here,
The journey has been arduous and challenging.
But God it's been worth it,
Despite the hardships, it has been worth the effort.
When I feel your body near,
Being close to my significant other provides comfort.
With your arms around me,
Being embraced by my significant other.
Love surrounds me,
Feeling loved and supported.
Ever by my side,
My significant other is always there for me.
With your arms you hold me,
Holding me tight, making me feel safe and secure.
Trust and show me,
I am able to trust my significant other and they show me affection.
All I feel tonight,
The emotions I experience when I'm with my significant other.
But all this time that I've been searchin',
I have been searching for something or someone to fill a void in my life.
All this time that I've been hurtin',
I have been experiencing pain or heartache.
It heals, when I'm in your arms each night,
Being held by my significant other has therapeutic benefits.
Runnin' away from,
I have been avoiding confronting my emotions and relationships.
All the love I never knew, oh no,
I have never experienced love in the way I am experiencing now.
Only to fall, into the arms
I have finally allowed myself to open up emotionally.
Of someone true, oh yeah,
My significant other is trustworthy and genuine.
Now I've never noticed,
I was previously unaware of what I was missing in my life.
I've been searchin' for so long,
I have been searching for a long time before finally finding what I needed.
Just waitin' to find,
I have been patiently waiting for someone to enter my life.
Someone to make me feel this strong, oh,
My significant other makes me feel powerful and capable.
So safe in your arms,
I feel safe and protected when I'm embraced by my significant other.
Forever more,
I want to continue experiencing this feeling indefinitely.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: GARY BARLOW, PETER VETTESE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind