In Blue he was Tabloid Boy, or as he says, “the wild one who was always getting into trouble. I had about 10 girls selling their stories on me. I didn’t care, as long as they get a new pair of shoes out of it then why should I be upset.”
Adjusting to going it alone, Lee’s new solo material is soulful contemporary adult pop often dealing with emotionally intimate issues. The debut single Army of Lovers is a good example of the stripped-back sound of his first album. Having written some of Blue’s key material – one of Blue’s biggest International hits, “Breathe Easy”, was one of Lee’s contributions – songwriting is still a big a part of Lee’s focus. He continues to try and develop his writing, actively seeking out other people to help him learn his craft. “I’ve worked with a huge range of ranging from Mario’s producer Neo to up and coming British songwriters like Nigel Hoyle, who wrote Army Of Lovers,” says Lee.
Elton John has remained a close mentor to Ryan during his move to solo artist. Having learned of his solo ambitions, designers D&G have also signed Lee up as the one of their next generation of ambassadors for their brand.
Lee's early life did not provide the road straight to stardom. His mother brought him up alone in tough Chatham. “We had nothing. But because I was dyslexic and a wild kid she thought "I'll take him to drama school". She thought it would help me concentrate, and it actually helped me a lot. I got a lot of energy out of it. My mum worked her bollocks off.” Towards the end of his sojourns at various drama schools, including Italia Conti, the Bright Lights Academy and Sylvia Young, and with a diagnosis of dyslexia and ADD, one of the schools insisted he take the hyperactivity drug, Ritalin, to help him concentrate through his GCSEs. His mother looked into the drug, realised it was an amphetamine, and refused to let them put him on it...so Lee Ryan moved onto another drama school.
He now says his experiences growing up help him feel strong enough to avoid some of the pitfalls that are common to young artists. Growing up in a neighbourhood struggling against drug and crime problems mean that his good friend Elton John’s concerns about Doherty style drug problems are unlikely to beset Ryan.
Close To You
Lee Ryan Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I wanna love somebody else
Someone like you
Makes me smile the whole night through
I'm Hungry for some answers
I'm Hunting for the truth
You are what I'm looking for
Please show me the way
I'll do anything to be close to you
And I'll be anyone that you want
If you let me know
Where you run to
Where you go
All around the world
I will follow
Coz I'm looking for the real thing
I'm haunted by the truth
You can do anything you want
I wanna be
I wanna be with you
I'll do anything to be close to you
And I'll be anyone that you want
Save me from myself I want you
One more time I got to show you how I feel
[Chorus repeat]
In these lyrics, the singer expresses a desire to be saved from themselves by loving somebody else. They are specifically interested in someone like the addressee, because being with them makes them happy. The singer admits to having questions and seeking truth and believes that the addressee is the one who can provide the answers. The singer is willing to go anywhere that the addressee goes and be anyone that they want in order to be close to them. They are haunted by the truth and seek the real thing, which they believe the addressee represents. Ultimately, the singer wants to show the addressee how they feel and be saved by them.
The lyrics reveal a certain vulnerability on the part of the singer, who is aware of his own shortcomings and seeks redemption through his love for someone else. At the same time, the singer is aware of the power dynamic in the relationship and is willing to compromise himself in order to be with the addressee. Overall, the lyrics convey a sense of yearning and longing for connection with another person.
Line by Line Meaning
Save me from myself
I need you to rescue me from my own destructive behavior
I wanna love somebody else
I want to move on and find someone new to love
Someone like you
Someone who has the qualities that I admire in you
Makes me smile the whole night through
You bring joy and happiness to my life
I'm Hungry for some answers
I need to know the truth about my feelings and yours
I'm Hunting for the truth
I'm searching for the honesty and authenticity in our relationship
You are what I'm looking for
You are the person that I want to be with
Please show me the way
Please guide me to a deeper understanding of our connection
I'll do anything to be close to you
I'm willing to make sacrifices to be near you
And I'll be anyone that you want
I'll transform myself to be the person that you desire
If you let me know
If you open up to me and share your thoughts and feelings
Where you run to
Where you go to seek solace and comfort
Where you go
Places and people that bring you happiness and joy
All around the world
Anywhere and everywhere
I will follow
I'm devoted to being by your side
Coz I'm looking for the real thing
I want an authentic and genuine relationship
I'm haunted by the truth
I'm consumed by the need to know the real nature of our connection
You can do anything you want
You have the power to shape our future and decide our destiny
I wanna be
I desire to be with you
I wanna be with you
I want to share my life with you
Save me from myself I want you
I need you to rescue me from my own destructive behavior and I want to be with you
One more time I got to show you how I feel
I need to express my emotions and feelings to you one last time
[Chorus repeat]
The chorus repeats the central theme that I am willing to do anything to be close to you and be the person you want me to be
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: NIGEL HOYLE, LEE RYAN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Impressed Guy
So underrated. It was a solid release. Don’t know why it did so bad
Kathy Landry
I absolutely love this album...such talent, musicality, and phenomenal voice! I hope it will always be available here, since from the comments, it sounds like it's not available anywhere for purchase. Thank you for having created such masterpieces, I'm sorry though if the music didn't support you the way that it should have - I don't understand the world. Your songs are so magnificent and soul-touching.
StephboSpoon
I love this album and don’t understand why it didn’t do better - though it still did do quite well at no3 in the UK chart! He seems to be a bit ashamed of it but it’s great and his voice is just gorgeous
Laura Bruni
Thank you for sharing the whole album ❤️
Javier Siguas
Gracias Laura
CoCoNuT VaN!LLa
11. How Do I? - is the stand out track of this album. You can feel the sadness in his voice
Duquesne
Lee was my first love when I was a teenager
Lana Marie Kirstein
Mine too 😂❤️
Kavran Karmen
He is my Angel. I just love him.
Windy Nguyen
Me tooooo :)))