At the time of his victory on Britain's Got Talent, he had been working in The Carphone Warehouse, but following his win he has been signed by the show's judge Simon Cowell to record an album.
Potts has previously worked in unpaid opera productions from 1999 to 2003, however, illness in 2003 brought an end to his amateur opera career
On June 9,2007, Potts' audition of Simon Cowell's new search-for-a-star show Britain's Got Talent was televised on ITV in UK. The actual audition was held at the Wales Millennium Centre in Cardiff on March 17, 2007. Paul sang a condensed version of Giacomo Puccini's "Nessun dorma", which impressed the judges and received a standing ovation from the audience of 2,000 people. Potts' rendition of this has currently been viewed on video upload site YouTube tens of millions of times and exists among Youtube's all-time most viewed videos.
In the semi-final on June 14, 2007, Potts performed main verses of "Con te partirò" with praise from the audience and judges. He progressed to the final after receiving the highest public vote in that show. He performed a full-length "Nessun dorma" for his final on June 17, 2007 as well as an encore after he won the competition. Potts defeated co-favourite with the bookmakers, Connie Talbot and received the highest public vote out of 2 million votes cast to win Britain's Got Talent, winning the chance to perform at Royal Variety Performance in front of the Queen.
In the United States, he was profiled on a National Public Radio programme called "Day to Day" on Friday June 15, 2007. NPR is a non-commercial network that reaches several million people every day in the U.S. On Monday, June 18, 2007, a commercial US Television network, NBC, highlighted Potts's victory on its broadcast network's NBC Nightly News and on its Cable news outlet MSNBC. Then on Thursday, June 21, 2007 he appeared live on NBC's programme Today.
On July 8, 2007, Potts performed at a Katherine Jenkins' concert at Margam Park, "Katherine In The Park". Jenkins extended an invitation for him to sing his rendition of "Nessun Dorma" at the concert.
Passione, his second album, was released in 2009. Potts spent nearly a year recording Passione in Prague and Stockholm.
Mamma
Paul Potts Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Thank you for all the things I'm not
Forgive me for the words unsaid
For the times I forgot
Mamma, remember all my life
You showed me love, you sacrificed
Think of those young and early days
(Along the way)
And I know you believed and I know you had dreams
And I'm sorry it took all this time to see
That I am where I am because of your truth
And I miss you, yeah, I miss you
Mamma, forgive the times you cried
Forgive me for not making right
All of the storms I may have caused
And I've been wrong, dry your eyes, dry your eyes
'Cause I know you believed and I know you had dreams
And I'm sorry it took all this time to see
That I am where I am because of your truth
And I miss you, I miss you
Mamma, I hope this makes you smile
I hope you're happy with my life
At peace with every choice I made
How I've changed along the way
'Cause I know you believed in all of my dreams
And I owe it all to you, Mamma
In Paul Potts's song Mamma, the lyrics express gratitude towards the love, sacrifices, and wisdom of his mother. He thanks her for who he is and for all the things he's not, acknowledging that there may have been times when he fell short of her expectations. Although he may have caused storms in her life and made mistakes, he hopes that his achievements and choices have made her proud.
The lyrics also delve into the mother-son relationship, evoking memories of the early days when his mother showed him love and instilled in him dreams for his future. Potts acknowledges that his mother believed in him and his dreams, which ultimately led him to where he is now. He expresses remorse that it took him so long to see that he owes his success and everything he is to her.
Throughout the song, the emotions conveyed are raw and sincere, with the use of the word "Mamma" intensifying the tenderness and depth of feelings expressed for her. The lyrics are a beautiful tribute to the love and sacrifices of a mother and the influence she has on her child's life.
Line by Line Meaning
Mamma, thank you for who I am
Thank you, Mother, for accepting and loving me for who I truly am
Thank you for all the things I'm not
I am grateful that you embrace me and all my quirks, flaws and imperfections
Forgive me for the words unsaid
I am sorry for all the things I should have said to you but didn't
For the times I forgot
I apologize for the moments when I did not remember to show my love and appreciation for you
Mamma, remember all my life
Mother, recall all the moments of my existence
You showed me love, you sacrificed
You showered me with affection and gave up so much for me
Think of those young and early days
Reflect on our early days when I was young and needed your guidance and care
How I've changed along the way
Ponder over how much I have evolved and transformed over time
And I know you believed and I know you had dreams
I acknowledge that you had faith in me and wanted me to soar high
And I'm sorry it took all this time to see
I apologize for taking so much time in realizing your unconditional support and love
That I am where I am because of your truth
I am in this position today because of your honesty and teachings
And I miss you, yeah, I miss you
I deeply crave and yearn for you, I wish you were still here
Mamma, forgive the times you cried
Please forgive me for hurting you and making you cry
Forgive me for not making right
I am regretful that I was unable to make things right during difficult times
All of the storms I may have caused
I am sorry for any chaos and turmoil that my actions may have brought to you
And I've been wrong, dry your eyes, dry your eyes
I admit my faults and flaws, so please stop shedding tears because of me
Mamma, I hope this makes you smile
I hope to bring a smile to your face with these words
I hope you're happy with my life
I aspire to bring joy and contentment to your heart with the way I am living
At peace with every choice I made
I desire that you find peace in accepting all the choices I have made in my life
How I've changed along the way
Look at how much I have matured and evolved through my life's journey
‘Cause I know you believed in all of my dreams
I am aware that you had immense faith in my aspirations and ambitions
And I owe it all to you, Mamma
Everything I have achieved so far is because of your unending love and support, Mother
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: ANDREAS JONAS SAMMY ROMDHANE, CHARLIE RAPINO, JOSEF LAROSSI, SAVAN KOTECHA
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind