ln Waterford, O'Sullivan's father worked in a meat factory while his mother ran a sweet shop. In 1958, at the age of 11, he moved with his family to Swindon in England in search of a better life. He attended St. Joseph's Comprehensive school in Swindon. While there he developed an interest in both music and amateur boxing. Musically he began with the guitar and progressed to the piano. In the boxing ring he had nearly 50 bouts. Meanwhile his painting and drawing had won him a place at Swindon Art College. He started there in September 1963. His aim was to be a graphic designer. He played drums in his first group The Doodles and left them to join The Prefects while attending Swindon Art College. It was while at college that he met Rick Davies, who was later a member of Supertramp. While at college he began writing songs and sending out demo tapes, alas they were always returned unopened. The first song he remembers writing was Ready Miss Steady.
After finishing college, O'Sullivan moved to London in 1967 to try and further his musical career. He took a part-time job as a salesman at the C & A department store in Oxford Street. Mike Ward who also worked at C & A, had a contract with CBS and Gilbert went with him one day and played his tapes for some of the CBS executives. Gilbert signed a five year publishing contract with CBS which called for one single a year, and released two singles Disappear/You in 1967 and What Can I Do/You in 1968. Gilbert was disappointed that he was not allowed any input into the arranging or production of the singles. Neither single did well. Disillusioned with CBS, O'Sullivan signed with the Major Minor label and released I Wish I Could Cry/Mr. Moody's Garden in 1969.
O'Sullivan came to the attention of BBC Radio 1 disc jockey, John Peel, who gave him a slot on his radio show Top Gear, little of note resulted, and O'Sullivan spent part of 1969 applying to other record labels and management companies. It was at this time that O'Sullivan formulated his 'Bisto Kid' image; grey flannel suit, flat cap, school boy tie, football socks and hobnail boots. In search of a manager he sent some demo tapes to Gordon Mills, an ex-pop singer and himself a songwriter of repute, who had successfully guided the careers of Tom Jones and Engelbert Humperdinck. Gordon Mills recognised something unique in the young Irishman and signed him for management as well as to a songwriting contract.
O'Sullivan made an irresistible impression with Nothing Rhymed, his first Top 10 hit and an introduction to his witty lyrics and original approach as a singer/songwriter. Signed to MAM Records, the label launched by Gordon Mills, who was also his record producer, great friend and surrogate older brother, O'Sullivan enjoyed four years of major success, incorporating a dozen more hit singles, ten of which reached the UK Top 10, and four Top 5 albums: Himself (1971), Back To Front (1972), I'm A Writer Not A Fighter (1973) and A Stranger In My Own Back Yard (1974).
Both Clair (written about Mills's infant daughter for whom Gilbert occasionally babysat) and Get Down were number one hit singles in Britain, and additionally, Back To Front topped the UK LP chart in 1972, emulating the success of the two million seller Alone Again (Naturally), a six week US chart-topper in 1972. O'Sullivan made his live debut in The National Stadium in Dublin in October of '72. Around this time, the singer jettisoned his so-called "Bisto Kid" image in favour of an endless series of collegiate-styled sweaters embossed with the letter "G". As quickly as O'Sullivan ascended to fame, however, his star began to fall , although singles like Ooh Baby and Happiness Is Me and You continued to chart, they sold increasingly fewer copies, and after 1973 his overseas popularity essentially ceased altogether. At home, he notched his final Top 20 hit with 1975's I Don't Love You But I Think I Like You. After a Greatest Hits album in 1976, and Southpaw in 1977, by which time the hit singles had dried up, disagreements over future direction led to a bitter split between O'Sullivan and Mills, which effectively sidelined the former as a recording artist for five years. The gruelling court case between O'Sullivan and his erstwhile manager, producer, music publisher and record company boss finally gave him control of his own recordings and the copyright in his songs, although it exacted an inevitable toll on his energy and his creativity during it's precedent-setting course.
Gilbert returned to CBS in 1980 and released Off Centre (1980) and Life & Rhymes (1982) but maintained a low profile during much of the 1980s, recharging his batteries and moving to Jersey, where he still lives with his wife and two children. Off Centre provided his 13th UK Top 20 single, What's In A Kiss?, after which legal proceedings monopolised his time. However, he continued writing songs, performing what he called "concepts within four walls" rather than starting back on the road before it was appropriate. He later recalled that the lyrics he wrote during that period were too heavily influenced by his personal emotions - having been extremely close to Mills before their disagreement, he was highly distressed to discover that his dear friend had been guilty of considerable financial greed at Gilbert's expense. Even so, he applied himself to his lonely creativity, working from 9 to 5 each day "just like Goffin & King and people like Neil Sedaka & Howard Greenfield at the Brill Building in New York used to do", although he later confessed "Really, the words were no good, because my mind was cluttered with all the problems". Lyrics have always been O'Sullivan's most unique facet, reflecting what's going on in his mind, and the strain under which he found himself was hardly conducive to much positive artistic or commercial creativity.
The first release for five years was Frobisher Drive and was only available in Germany. The same album with a slightly different track listing was released in the UK in 1989 under the title In The Key Of G, and included So What, his first chart single in almost a decade. Since the low-key comeback, the pace has increased, with five more albums. Gilbert also made a return to live performances in the early nineties, playing regularly in both Europe and Japan. In 1991, Gilbert was again in court, this time he sued American rapper Biz Markie and won the decision after Markie's unauthorized sample of "Alone Again (Naturally)" on his 1991 album I Need a Haircut. A 1992 single, Tomorrow Today had topped the Japanese charts for nine weeks, and this success led to a tour of Japan in early 1993 with his newly formed backing group, during which he recorded and filmed his first ever live album Tomorrow Today. Gilbert's newfound success in Japan led to the Japanese only release of The Little Album (1992) and Rare Tracks (1992). 1993's critical acclaimed Sounds Of The Loop (Daily Telegraph's Record Of The Week) included a duet with the legendary Peggy Lee on Can't Think Straight and even a solo version of the same song in Japanese. This album was recorded almost entirely at his home in Jersey in the Channel Islands.
By Larry (with a similar track listing to the Japanese released The Little Album) was released in 1994. Larry is a famous English cartoonist, much admired by Gilbert. Larry provided original cartoons for the album sleeve and booklet. Every Song Has It's Play was released the following year and was the soundtrack of the semi-autobiographical stage show that Gilbert had acted and sang in, in 1991. Singer Sowing Machine was released in 1997. The title is a humorous reaction by Gilbert to being constantly referred to as a singer/ songwriter. Irlish was released in 2000 and yielded three singles, Have It, Say Goodbye and Two's Company (Three Is Allowed). The album title Irlish, combination of the words Irish and English, appropriate for someone born in Ireland and raised in England. Gilbert's family was part of this migration. In 2001 The Official Gilbert O'Sullivan Website was launched as well as his own record label ByGum Records.
Gilbert continued to tour and he played a series of concerts in Ireland in 2001 and in the UK in 2002 to promote the Irlish album. A new studio album Piano Foreplay followed in 2003. In 2004 Rhino Handmade Records released a 3 CD anthology in the USA of Gilbert's music entitled Caricature: The Box. It contains 73 tracks which span the years 1967-2001. This is the first in-depth survey of Gilbert's lengthy career. It contains numerous singles and B-sides, tracks from 16 of his albums, and five previously unreleased tracks. A b-side collection entitled The Other Sides of Gilbert O'Sullivan was released in Japan in 2004 and contained many tracks available on CD for the first time. A series of concerts followed in Japan in June 2004 followed by a 20 date European Tour of the UK, Ireland, Norway and Denmark in November and December. In February 2005 a DVD/CD set of the 2004 Japanese show was released in Japan. Gilbert returned to Japan in June 2005 for a series of 13 shows. Gilbert spent the end of 2005 and the beginning of 2006 recording his next studio album "A Scruff At Heart" which was released in Japan on 25 October 2006.
Young At Heart
Gilbert O'Sullivan Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Young at heart hut we're not Lonely
If anything we're never in but we're out
Young at heart if we are only
Young at heart then let us slowly
Unwind our say only way we know how
Young at heart
You can so easily become a part
Like the way that you did
When we were kids
Young at heart we may he only
Young at heart but even so
We're the first to admit we're at that stage
Even though we might act our age
Young at heart we'll always remain
[solo]
(Young at heart)
(It's so important to play your part)
Don't let them tell you your much too old
Wearing clothes in a way that's up to date
Young at heart if we are only
Young at heart you never know
We could still surprise, tantalize
Even with bags under our eyes
Young at heart we'll always
(Young at heart we'll always)
Young at heart well always remain
The lyrics of Gilbert O'Sullivan's "Young at Heart" talk about being young at heart despite growing old. The first lines emphasize that although the singer and the addressee are not young anymore, they are still young at heart. They may not be lonely, but they are never really in – probably because they are always chasing after life and adventure.
The next lines mention that they can still get into any new dance craze, just like they did when they were young. The lyrics also suggest that age doesn't define the clothes you wear or the way you behave. The singer encourages the addressee to play their part and not let others tell them they are too old. The phrase "young at heart" is repeated throughout the song to drive the point home that age is only a number.
The song's overall message is not to let age hold you back; rather, keep exploring and being adventurous, no matter how old you are. The song emphasizes that growing old does not mean that you lose your youthful spirit; instead, it only means that you have more experiences and a broader perspective on life.
Line by Line Meaning
Young at heart we may he only
Although we may not be young in age, we have a youthful mindset and spirit.
Young at heart hut we're not Lonely
Our youthful perspective keeps us from feeling lonely despite not always being in the most popular crowd.
If anything we're never in but we're out
We may not always be included in the popular group, but we still maintain a positive outlook and enjoyment in life.
Young at heart if we are only
Even if our youthfulness is only a mindset, we still embrace it.
Young at heart then let us slowly
Let us take our time and enjoy life without feeling rushed or pressured to conform to societal expectations.
Unwind our say only way we know how
We'll find our unique way of relaxing and enjoying life without feeling the need to conform to the pressures of society.
Young at heart
Our youthful perspective keeps us feeling lively and energetic.
You can so easily become a part
It's easy to get caught up in the latest dance or trend, but we stick to what makes us comfortable and happy.
Of any new fangled dancing craze
Every new trend or fad may come and go, but we stay true to ourselves and our way of living.
Like the way that you did
We don't need to conform to the expectations of others; we'll continue to live life in our own unique way.
When we were kids
Our youthful mindset has been with us since childhood and we continue to embrace it as we age.
Young at heart we may he only
We may not be young in age, but we still embrace our youthful perspective and enjoy life.
Young at heart but even so
We acknowledge our age, but refuse to let it dictate our enjoyment of life.
We're the first to admit we're at that stage
We acknowledge our age and embrace the changes that come with it.
Even though we might act our age
We may be older, but we still maintain a youthful spirit and outlook on life.
Young at heart we'll always remain
No matter how old we get, we'll always maintain our youthful mindset and enjoy life to the fullest.
(Young at heart)
We're proud to maintain our youthful spirit and outlook on life.
(It's so important to play your part)
Living life on our own terms and embracing our youthful perspective is important for our happiness and well-being.
Don't let them tell you your much too old
Society may try to pressure us into conforming to age expectations, but we won't let it diminish our youthful spirit.
Wearing clothes in a way that's up to date
We'll dress in a way that makes us happy and comfortable, regardless of societal expectations or fashion trends.
Young at heart if we are only
Even if our youthfulness is only a mindset, we still embrace it and enjoy life to the fullest.
Young at heart you never know
Our youthful spirit may surprise those who underestimate us due to our age.
We could still surprise, tantalize
We'll continue to live life on our own terms and surprise those who underestimate us with our youthful energy and outlook.
Even with bags under our eyes
Despite the physical signs of aging, we'll continue to maintain our youthful spirit and positive outlook on life.
Young at heart we'll always
No matter what, we'll always maintain our youthful spirit and enjoy life to the fullest.
(Young at heart we'll always)
Our youthful mindset and perspective is something that we'll never let go of, no matter how old we get.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: GILBERT O'SULLIVAN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Irlish Donna Carl Kuchinski
truly one of the best songwriters ever...thank you for your beautiful music, Gilbert O'Sullivan....I will always be young at heart!
mediarolf
It is wonderful music
millie talarico
beautiful!
Joe Korn
Young at heart always