Gary Barlow (born 20 January 1971 in Frodsham, Cheshire, England, United Ki… Read Full Bio ↴Gary Barlow (born 20 January 1971 in Frodsham, Cheshire, England, United Kingdom) is an English singer, songwriter, pianist, composer and record producer. He is frontman and lead vocalist of British pop-group Take That and served as head judge on series 8, 9 and 10 of The X Factor UK.

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.

Mr Everything
Gary Barlow Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

(Verse)
To think that we once shared a home
To think that we once had a goal
And I was once inside your heart
Oh and now this end it means a start

(Pre-Chorus 1)
So what’s love like in the present tense?

How did I rate?
How can I defend?
It hurts too much for me to comprehend
I lose you all over again

(Chorus 1)
Is he Mr. Incredible, Mr Desirable
Mr Emotional, always devotional
Mr and Mrs who always blow kisses
Their children are children who crave possibilities
Ain’t life so cruel when you’re just not good enough?
Ain’t life so cruel when there’s someone else she loves?

(Verse)
To think that you now share a bed
Oh to think my piece was never said
Oh we run but never got too far
Oh we were in the race but never left the start

(Pre-Chorus 2)
So what’s love like in the present tense
Was there any change, how much did you spend?
You make love kissing someone else’s face
The honeymoon starts everyday

(Chorus 2)
Is he Mr. Dependable, Mr Commendable
Never mucks up like a Mr. Expendable
Mr and Mrs he washes the dishes
But gives you the life of finances unlimited
Ain’t life so cruel when you’re just not good enough?
Ain’t life so cruel when there’s someone else she loves?

(Verse)
There’s no time to be happy
Too much to be sad
Hope that our time was the best that you had
Though everything seems such a blur we did love
And everything that you did wrong I forgot

(Verse)
So what’s love like sitting on the fence
D’you ever look back, to how we were then
It hurts so much for you to lose my name
I’d lose you all over again

(Chorus 3)
Is he Mr Exceptional, Mr Professional
Never in doubt through and through heterosexual
Love’s never fast and he always comes last
He’s the best seller a relationship enthusiast
Mr Incredible, Mr Desirable, Mr Emotional
Always devotional
Mr and Mrs who always blow kisses
Their children are children who crave possibilities

Ain’t life so cruel when you’re just not good enough?
Ain’t life so cruel when there’s someone else she loves?

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Gary Barlow's song "Mr Everything" depict a man who is struggling to come to terms with a relationship that has ended. He reminisces about the past when they shared a home and had shared goals. He wonders how he rated in the present tense and how he can defend himself. He feels hurt and cannot comprehend that he has lost her all over again. The chorus focuses on his feelings of inadequacy compared to the new man in her life. The lyrics portray the pain and emotions of a broken relationship and the fear of being replaced.

The song speaks about the different qualities the new man possesses that the singer either doesn't have or never expressed. The lyrics describe him as Mr. Incredible, Mr. Desirable, Mr. Emotional, always devotional, and Mr. Commendable who is never expendable. The singer questions his ability to love and wonders if he was ever good enough for her. The lyrics showcase the insecurity and the feelings of being unworthy that often accompany a failed relationship.

Line by Line Meaning

To think that we once shared a home
Reflecting on the fact that they used to live together

To think that we once had a goal
Thinking back to a time when they had a shared purpose

And I was once inside your heart
Reminiscing about being loved by the other person

Oh and now this end it means a start
Seeing the end of their relationship as a new beginning

So what’s love like in the present tense?
Questioning what love is like in the current moment

How did I rate?
Asking how they were viewed by the other person

How can I defend?
Feeling vulnerable and unsure how to protect themselves

It hurts too much for me to comprehend
Finding it difficult to understand the pain of the breakup

I lose you all over again
Feeling like they are going through the loss of the relationship multiple times

Is he Mr. Incredible, Mr Desirable Mr Emotional, always devotional Mr and Mrs who always blow kisses Their children are children who crave possibilities
Comparing themselves to the idealized version of a perfect partner and family

Ain’t life so cruel when you’re just not good enough? Ain’t life so cruel when there’s someone else she loves?
Expressing the pain of feeling inadequate and being left for someone else

To think that you now share a bed
Reflecting on the other person sleeping with someone else

Oh to think my piece was never said
Regretting not speaking up or expressing their true feelings

Oh we run but never got too far Oh we were in the race but never left the start
Feeling like they made no progress in their relationship

Was there any change, how much did you spend?
Asking if the other person changed and questioning how much effort they put into the relationship with someone else

You make love kissing someone else’s face The honeymoon starts everyday
Feeling jealous that the other person is able to experience a fresh start and romantic feelings with someone new

Is he Mr. Dependable, Mr Commendable Never mucks up like a Mr. Expendable Mr and Mrs he washes the dishes But gives you the life of finances unlimited
Comparing themselves to the idealized version of a perfect spouse who is both reliable and financially stable

There’s no time to be happy Too much to be sad
Feeling overwhelmed and unable to enjoy positive emotions

Hope that our time was the best that you had
Wishing that the relationship was meaningful and positive for the other person

Though everything seems such a blur we did love
Despite the pain and confusion, acknowledging that love was present in the relationship

And everything that you did wrong I forgot
Choosing to forgive and forget the other person's mistakes

D’you ever look back, to how we were then
Wondering if the other person reflects on their relationship together

It hurts so much for you to lose my name
Feeling the pain of being forgotten or replaced

He’s the best seller a relationship enthusiast Mr Incredible, Mr Desirable, Mr Emotional Always devotional Mr and Mrs who always blow kisses Their children are children who crave possibilities
Highlighting the unrealistic standards set by society for a perfect relationship and family

Ain’t life so cruel when you’re just not good enough? Ain’t life so cruel when there’s someone else she loves?
Expressing the pain of not measuring up to societal and personal standards and being left for someone else

Contributed by Liliana V. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

To comment on or correct specific content, highlight it

TRACKS