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.
Dying Inside
Gary Barlow Lyrics
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Don't want a conversation with nobody
And it hurts too much to say how I feel
What you don't know, is all I know
How can I make sure that I fool everyone
Gonna wear a suit and tie
And put my bravest face on
No it won't heal no time soon
Nobody knows what I'm going through
I'm dying inside
Who knows what I'm thinking
What I'm trying to hide
Yeah, I'm dying all night
I'm breathing but I can't feel life
I'm smiling but I'm dying inside
How can I make sure
I'm invisible
I find just a simple phrase that may say it all
Cause it's far too soon and not the right time
What I've seen was for my eyes
And how can I make sure
No one worries for me
Cause I don't need a helping hand
And don't want sympathy
Don't know what I need but know what I don't
What you can't see it feels so broke
That you can't see is how I'll cope
'Cause I'm dying inside
Who knows what I'm thinking
What I'm trying to hide
Yeah, I'm dying all night
I'm breathing but I can't feel life
I'm smiling but I'm dying inside
Want everyone around to think that I'm alright
Hope they assume I've left the dark and found the light
Want them to think that I don't cry myself to sleep at night
ooh, ooh
Yeah, I'm dying inside
Who knows what I'm thinking
What I'm trying to hide
Yeah, I'm dying all night
I'm breathing but I can't feel life
I'm smiling but I'm dying inside
The lyrics to "Dying Inside" by Gary Barlow express the emotions of someone who is struggling to keep their pain hidden from others. They want to be invisible, not drawing any attention to themselves because acknowledging their pain may be too difficult. The singer is searching for ways to cope with their pain and find a way forward, but it seems too deep and too soon to reveal the wounds. The chorus emphasizes the internal struggle of the singer, who is dying inside and cannot find a way out of their turmoil. They are breathing but they can't feel life, and they're smiling but they're dying inside.
The verses express the antithetical nature of the singer. They want to hide but at the same time, they want everyone to think that they are alright. The singer fears that if someone were to ask how they feel, it would hurt too much to say, they feel like no one can understand the pain they are going through. They want to fool everyone by wearing a suit and tie and putting on a brave face, but their wounds are too deep to hide. They need to find a simple phrase that may say it all because what they've seen was for their eyes only. The pain is so unbearable that the singer doesn't know what they need, but they know what they don't.
Line by Line Meaning
How can I make sure no one notices me
I want to be invisible and not be bothered by any conversations.
Don't want a conversation with nobody
I don't feel like talking to anyone.
And it hurts too much to say how I feel
I am hurting so much but can't express my feelings.
What you don't know, is all I know
I have kept everything hidden inside and no one knows my thoughts.
How can I make sure that I fool everyone
I want to hide my pain and pretend that everything is fine.
Gonna wear a suit and tie
I will dress up and put on my best behavior to look normal.
And put my bravest face on
I will act strong and brave to conceal my emotions and struggles.
And it's far too deep to show you this wound
The pain I am experiencing is beyond what I can reveal.
No it won't heal no time soon
My pain is long-lasting and won't go away anytime soon.
Nobody knows what I'm going through
I am hiding my pain so well that no one knows what I am struggling with.
I'm dying inside
I am struggling with so much pain and hurt inside me.
Who knows what I'm thinking
No one can tell what's going through my mind.
What I'm trying to hide
My pain and struggles are buried deep inside, and I am trying to keep them hidden.
Yeah, I'm dying all night
My pain is with me every moment and is affecting me all the time.
I'm breathing but I can't feel life
I am alive but am not able to experience joy and pleasure in life because of my pain.
I'm smiling but I'm dying inside
I am pretending that everything is fine with a smile, but I am really hurting inside.
How can I make sure I'm invisible
I want to be unnoticed and not be bothered by anyone or anything.
I find just a simple phrase that may say it all
I may use simple phrases to explain my pain and struggles, but the real feelings are beyond words.
Cause it's far too soon and not the right time
It's too early to reveal my pain, and the timing is not right yet.
What I've seen was for my eyes
I have been through things that only I have witnessed and experienced.
No one worries for me
I don't want anyone to worry about me or feel sorry for me.
Cause I don't need a helping hand
I don't want anyone's help or assistance in dealing with my pain.
And don't want sympathy
I don't want anyone's pity or sympathy, but just understanding of my situation.
Don't know what I need but know what I don't
I am not sure what kind of support I need, but I know I don't want to be treated with pity.
What you can't see it feels so broke
My inner struggles and pain are not visible, but it feels as if something inside me is broken.
That you can't see is how I'll cope
I will deal with my pain and struggles internally without anyone's help or intervention.
Want everyone around to think that I'm alright
I want people to believe that I am fine and not struggling with any pain or hurt.
Hope they assume I've left the dark and found the light
I hope people think that I have moved on from my pain and found happiness in life.
Want them to think that I don't cry myself to sleep at night
I want people to assume that I am not struggling with such intense pain that it keeps me awake at night.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: GARY BARLOW
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind