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.
Small Town Girls
Gary Barlow Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
They don’t waste time dreaming of opportunity
Small town girls learn quickly
They live for who they are not who they wanna be
Upon the greenest grass they laugh and grow
The man who makes the boundaries no one knows
Small town girls they make the whole world turn
Small town girls they make my heart collapse
It's such a shame the Bible never said that
The foundations of the world they are built on small town girls
Small town girls stop at nothing
They take no prisoners, never try small talking
And what they have is quite unique
Their hearts are big enough to wear on their sleeves
Upon the greenest grass they laugh and grow
The man who makes the boundaries no one knows
Small town girls they make the whole world turn
Don’t get their fingers burned quite as easy as the rest, oh oh
Small town girls they make my heart collapse
It's such a shame the Bible never said that
The foundations of the world they are built on small town girls
Everybody knows they’re quite a chase
When everybody looks they hide their face
Small town girls are innocent
With rosy cheeks and grassy knees their life is heaven sent
Most girls marry young and have some kids
Who am I to tell them what they’ve missed
Small town girls they make the whole world turn
Don’t get their fingers burned quite as easy as the rest, oh oh
Small town girls they make my heart collapse
It's such a shame the Bible never said that
The foundations of the world they are built on small town girls
Gary Barlow's song, Small Town Girls, is an ode to the beauty and perseverance of women who grow up away from the big city lights. The lyrics portray small town girls as sweet, adventurous, and resilient. The song suggests that they don't let opportunities slip by, but rather that they learn from the challenges they face and use those lessons to grow. The opening lines suggest that they are content with their lives and do not look to change who they are to fit into any particular mold of who they should be. Instead, they live for who they are, learning and growing along the way.
The chorus praises small town girls for their ability to weather life's storms. It suggests that they are not easily burned by the harsh realities of life as they go about their daily routines. They are resilient and are not afraid to forge their paths, unafraid of taking on new challenges. Moreover, the song's bridge highlights the innocence of small town girls, emphasizing their simple joys and pure hearts. It suggests that despite the complexities of the world around them, they remain faithful to the simple pleasures of life.
In conclusion, Small Town Girls highlights the strength and beauty of women who grow up in smaller, perhaps more rural communities. Despite the challenges they face, they are triumphant in their ways, living lives that are full and joyful. Gary Barlow praises and admires them for their fortitude, encouraging listeners to value the traits that make small town girls so special.
Line by Line Meaning
Small town girls live life sweetly
Girls from small towns live their lives in a simple, contented way
They don’t waste time dreaming of opportunity
They do not spend their time dreaming of a better life outside their town
Small town girls learn quickly
They learn fast to be happy with what they have
They live for who they are not who they wanna be
They are true to themselves and do not try to be someone else
Upon the greenest grass, they laugh and grow
They enjoy the simple pleasures of life and grow up in a natural enviroment
The man who makes the boundaries, no one knows
It is not clear who sets the limits for what these girls can achieve
Small town girls they make the whole world turn
These girls are capable of achieving great things and impacting the world
Don’t get their fingers burned quite as easy as the rest, oh oh
They are careful and cautious when it comes to taking risks
Small town girls they make my heart collapse
These girls have a special place in the singer's heart
It's such a shame the Bible never said that
The singer thinks that the value of small town girls is not recognized enough
The foundations of the world they are built on small town girls
The world owes a lot to the contribution of girls from small towns
Everybody knows they’re quite a chase
Everyone recognizes the attraction of these girls
When everybody looks they hide their face
These girls are modest and shy in front of the attention they receive
Small town girls are innocent
They have a pure and untainted character
With rosy cheeks and grassy knees, their life is heaven sent
Their idyllic life is a gift from a higher power
Most girls marry young and have some kids
It is common for girls from small towns to start a family at a young age
Who am I to tell them what they’ve missed
The singer acknowledges that they have their own path to follow and it's not his place to judge
Small town girls stop at nothing
They are determined to achieve what they want despite their humble beginnings
They take no prisoners, never try small talking
They are confident and direct in their approach, not wasting time on idle chatter
And what they have is quite unique
Their qualities and way of life are distinctive and special
Their hearts are big enough to wear on their sleeves
They are honest and sincere in showing their emotions
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: GARY BARLOW
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Rane A.
I can't believe I forgot about this album! I wish it was on Spotify. I'd listen to it WAY more often.
Daisy C
Every time this song comes on my mum says this song is about me. Makes me happy :,)
Sini Tuuli
The foundations of the world are built on small town girls. This wisdom is so true.
val rodrigues
Gatinho 😻😻😻😻😻🇧🇷🇧🇷🇧🇷
Sini Tuuli
Gary you are amazing and gorgeous.
Lola Gil
Hola que grande es GARY BARLOW 💓😘😎
María Guerrero Fernández
Oooooowue Gary desde España 💕💕😚😚😚
Olga Olga
It is not about me. Good. I see. You do not know me, Gary Barlow. Just God knows me. And l like it. You think more and you think deeply. It is good. I like it too.Good luck and all the best to you.
Lane Ringwood
small town girls they do count..
freya Woods
hi gary barlow its been ages about your songs