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.
Love Won't Wait
Gary Barlow Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I knew that I could not hesitate
You said 'Baby, don't go too fast'
If we do then it may not last
Time went on and I waited for you
I didn't know what else I could do
I thought that we'd always be together
You said 'Hold on it just gets better'
And I believed you, I kept holding on
You think that I can never leaved you
You think I'm not that strong, you're wrong
Love won't wait
Forever and a day
Love must live in the here and now
Don't ask me how I know
So here I am with my heart on my sleeves
You said, 'Baby put your trust in me'
But I've come to the end of the line
And you've wasted up all of my precious time
Wanted to be something special to you
Everybody is somebody's fool
Won't be a fool, no you've got me all wrong
You don't know what you had till it's gone
love takes time
But you've been taking too long
Time never waited for anyone
Don't wait too long or I'll be gone
Don't wait too long or I'll be gone
I'll be gone
That was an empty thing that I wouldn't do
You led me on, you even said 'I love you'
How can we go on when it's tearing up apart
Are you going to break my heart
Cause I believed you
In Love Won't Wait, Gary Barlow talks about love and the passage of time. The song starts with the main character seeing their loved one for the first time, where they know that they must act fast before it's too late. The loved one tells the main character not to move too quickly, as it may spoil what they have. Time goes by, and the main character still waits for their loved one, thinking that they will always be together and believing that things will only get better between them.
However, as time goes by, the main character begins to question the strength of their love, believing that it may not be enough to keep them together. They start to feel that they have given too much and have been left with nothing in return. They exclaim that love must live in the present, and that they know this from experience. The main character is now tired of waiting and hearing empty promises, they are ready to move on if their significant other refuses to commit.
In conclusion, "Love Won't Wait" tells us that love is not something that we can keep waiting for. It is an emotion best expressed in the present moment. While time can be a friend to love, it can also be the enemy if we allow it to consume us. Thus, the song stresses the importance of making the most of each moment.
Line by Line Meaning
When I first saw your face
From the moment I laid eyes on you, I knew that you were someone special to me.
I knew that I could not hesitate
I knew that I had to act on my feelings immediately without fear or reservation.
You said 'Baby, don't go too fast'
You cautioned me not to rush into things too quickly to avoid problems in the future.
If we do then it may not last
Rushing into things too quickly could potentially jeopardize our future together.
Time went on and I waited for you
I patiently waited for you to reciprocate my feelings and intentions over a period of time.
I didn't know what else I could do
I was at a loss for other ways to show you how much I wanted to be with you.
I thought that we'd always be together
I assumed that our relationship was strong enough to last or that we were meant to be together forever.
You said 'Hold on, it just gets better'
You assured me that our relationship would get better over time, so I should not give up on us.
And I believed you, I kept holding on
I trusted that you were telling the truth and continued to hold onto our relationship with hope and optimism.
You think that I can never leave you
You believed that I could never walk away from our relationship or end things because of my love for you.
You think I'm not that strong, you're wrong
Contrary to your belief, I am strong enough to walk away and let go of our relationship if I need to for my own well-being.
Love won't wait
Love cannot wait around forever for the right moment or perfect timing.
Forever and a day
Love cannot exist in a perpetual state of waiting or uncertainty because it must be lived in the present moment.
Love must live in the here and now
Love thrives when it is experienced and enjoyed in the present moment and not put on hold.
Don't ask me how I know
I know this to be true through my own experiences and the lessons I have learned about love and relationships.
So here I am with my heart on my sleeves
I am vulnerable and open about my feelings for you, wearing my heart on my sleeve for everyone to see.
You said, 'Baby put your trust in me'
You asked me to trust you with my heart and emotions, believing that you would take care of them.
But I've come to the end of the line
I have reached the point where I can no longer continue with this relationship or invest any more time and energy into it.
And you've wasted up all of my precious time
You have used up all of the time and energy that I invested in this relationship without reciprocating my feelings or intentions.
Wanted to be something special to you
I had hoped to be someone special and important to you, but it seems that I am not.
Everybody is somebody's fool
Everyone has experienced feeling foolish or insecure in a relationship at some point in their lives.
Won't be a fool, no you've got me all wrong
I refuse to continue feeling foolish or being taken advantage of in this relationship because you have misunderstood my intentions or character.
You don't know what you had till it's gone
You may not realize the value or importance of our relationship until it is too late and I am gone.
Love takes time
Building a strong, lasting relationship takes time, effort, and patience.
But you've been taking too long
However, you have been taking too much time or not putting in enough effort to make this relationship work.
Time never waited for anyone
Time does not stop or wait for anyone to catch up, so we must make the most of it while we can.
Don't wait too long or I'll be gone
If you continue to wait or delay, I may not be around anymore and our relationship will be lost forever.
I'll be gone
I will have no other choice but to move on if you continue to neglect or fail to prioritize our relationship.
That was an empty thing that I wouldn't do
Your actions or behavior towards me have been hurtful or deceitful, and I would never do the same to you.
You led me on, you even said 'I love you'
You gave me false hopes or expectations by leading me on and saying things that you did not mean or feel.
How can we go on when it's tearing up apart
Our relationship cannot continue when it is causing more pain, hurt, or damage than happiness or joy.
Are you going to break my heart
I am afraid that you may hurt me again or break my heart if we continue this way.
Cause I believed you
I trusted and believed in you, but you failed to live up to my expectations or promises.
Lyrics © Downtown Music Publishing
Written by: MADONNA CICCONE, SHEP PETTIBONE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@MagicDragon
On May 10 1997, Gary Barlow’s Love Won’t Wait hit #1 on the UK Singles chart. The track was the lead single from the former Take That singer’s debut solo album, Open Road.
The song was written by Madonna & Shep Pettibone during an early 1994 writing session for what would evolve into Madonna’s Bedtime Stories album.
After recording a handful of demos with Pettibone, Madonna decided to shift musical directions. While some of Madonna’s lyrics from the Pettibone sessions would be reworked into songs that would appear on Bedtime Stories, the excellent Love Won’t Wait remained shelved until it was submitted to Gary Barlow’s manager for consideration.
Strangely, Barlow’s single release credited only Shep Pettibone as the song’s writer, with no mention of Madonna or her publishing company, Webo Girl, Inc. This was subsequently corrected in the liner notes for Barlow’s album, Open Road, with both Madonna & Pettibone receiving credit.
Madonna’s soulfully delivered original demo version of Love Won’t Wait leaked online a few years after Barlow’s version was released.
@PaulNat360
the true voice of Take That
@EmanueleBenatti
This song wasn't ready for 1997'. I'm so sorry about gary was struggling into depression after Robbie takes the lead for some years. Because GB is simply the greatest songwriter of the 00's.
@mariamblascosempere6361
Opino lo mismo 👍
@caroldecampos4392
Love, Gary
@lucyfer4420
This is another proof of Madonna's witty songwriting skill. She is so underrated as a songwriter. Another gem is her mid 80s hit she gave Jelybean Benitez "SIDEWALK TALK"
Same way Love Won't Wait captures 90s R&B ish mood , Sidewalk Talk perfectly embodies 80s music scene.
All Hail the Queen!
@DistantCousin
Gary was very privileged to get a Madonna original song. And he did a great version!
@trundistroyer8584
LMAO you act like that money grubbing hag wrote the song. She just didn’t have the vocal range or human soul to carry it off so she passed and let a human being sing it.
@joeljack1
Such an incredible song. The backing vocal arrangement makes this tune what it is.
@joeridgechua
I read Gary's first biography and he didn't anticipate the final product would be a dance number. His recording was much slower. And we all know he borrowed this from Madonna. This is honestly one of my favorite 90s songs. It helped get me thru my career troubles a few yrs back.
@wukey9041
:🌏🇰🇷🌎🇺🇲🌄🏙💐🌺🍀📿💄💎💍👑👸👩❤️👨🚶♀️🤔 1997 🎼🎵Channel V 🎶🎚🎛🖲💽💻⌨️🔊🔍Music- video 🎭🧨✨️