Growing up with an older brother Mark and a younger sister Joanne, Young first went to work at the Vauxhall Motors factory and in his spare time played in several bands as bass guitarist. The first group for which he became lead singer was Kat Kool & The Kool Kats. In the late 1970s he joined the Streetband, who had one Top 20 hit in the UK, with the humorous, novelty track "Toast", reaching No. 18 in November 1978.
In December 1979 the Streetband broke up and Young formed the Q-Tips, who established their name by playing live and supporting The Who on their 1982 tour but had no chart hits in the UK, although their single "Letter Song" did enjoy minor success in mainland Europe.
The Q-Tips went their separate ways in 1982, and Young was signed by CBS Records as a solo performer, uniting the fields of New Wave and Soul. His first two singles, "Iron Out the Rough Spots" and a cover of Nicky Thomas’ "Love of the Common People" had no success, but the third, a cover of the Marvin Gaye B-side "Wherever I Lay My Hat (That's My Home)" was No. 1 in the UK singles chart for three weeks in the summer of 1983, the first of fourteen British Top 40 singles.
Similar success followed all over Europe. In the UK, follow-up single "Come Back and Stay" reached No. 4, and a re-release of "Love of the Common People" made it to No. 2, while his début album No Parlez was certified platinum in various countries.
Young's style at the time was a warm, approachable white soul, though he sometimes received playful criticism for his fashion decisions. However, his choice of an Antony Price leather suit for the cover of No Parlez was impractical for stage, where an energetic show dictated more robust clothing.
1984 was a difficult year for Young, as his first heavy promotional and live concert tour of America affected his vocal cords to the extent that he couldn't sing at all for most of the year. He recovered, however, to famously perform the opening line to the Band Aid single "Do They Know It's Christmas?" and his second album, The Secret of Association, secured his future success in the U.S., Japan and Australia. Young's biggest worldwide hit came from this album in 1985 with a version of Daryl Hall & John Oates's album track "Everytime You Go Away". The song reached #1 on the U.S. pop charts.
His third and fourth albums, Between Two Fires, in 1986, and Other Voices, in 1990, were commercial failures (though the latter was a success in the US) but a popular duet, "Senza una donna-Without a Woman", with Italian blues singer Zucchero in 1991 and a corresponding greatest hits album (which also featured duets with Clannad and Joni Mitchell) returned him to success. It also included a new track, 'I’m Only Foolin Myself'. He sung "Radio Ga Ga" with Queen in 1992, at the tribute concert to the recently deceased Freddie Mercury.
In 1992, Paul Young formed Los Pacaminos, a Tex-Max style live band including other top-class musicians such as Jamie Moses and the late Matt Irving. The group have released two albums, with a third scheduled for released in 2024.
In 1993, Young released The Crossing, which produced his first solo Top 20 hit since 'Everytime You Go Away', 'Now I Know What Made Otis Blue'. After this, Young was freed from his contract with CBS. In 1994, he released the covers album Reflections, which was a commercial failure.
He reformed the Q-Tips for a short series of concerts that year in 1993. A year later he suffered significant vocal damage, which has followed him ever since. He contributed to the Vangelis album Voices in 1995. Young sang the British national anthem "God Save the Queen", on the eve of England's Euro '96 semifinal match against Germany.
In 1997, he released his final album to feature original material on EastWest Records. The album featured his final UK Top 40 hit, 'I Wish You Well' and abandoned soul in favour of a more country style somewhat similar to that of Garth Brooks. In 2006 and 2016, he released covers albums, Rock Swings On The Wild Side of Swing and Good Thing, with the former being only released in Germany.
Paul still actively tours solo and with Los Pacaminos and is releasing a new albums both solo and with his group in 2023. He spends his time with his family and following his past time of cooking.
www.paul-young.com/
A Certain Passion
Paul Young Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I certainly can't define
But one thing is for certain
We walk the same line
The strangest early chapters
A pair could ever have
It could have ended quickly
It could have ended sad.
[Chorus]
But there's a beauty in the passing
In the passage of time
And a certain kind of passion
A certain kind of passion that shines in our prime
You try to understand me
As much as I do to you
And I see Joan, she's searching
For salvation and for truth
But boy blue sings a blue song
He's puzzled and he's sad
Is he living in confusion?
Or just a little mad
[Chorus]
A friend is there to help you
And maybe he'll understand
If not, well know he's trying
You can feel it in his hands
As the days and nights are reeling
As the money pit goes down
I've got that certain feeling
We two will be around
The lyrics of the song A Certain Passion by Paul Young expresses the confusion that comes with being in a relationship or friendship. The first verse talks about a certain feeling that the singer cannot define, but one thing that is for sure is that they walk on the same line as the other person involved. The second verse compares the characters; Joan, who is in search of salvation and truth, and boy blue who is puzzled and sad, living in confusion or just a little mad. The chorus then emphasizes the beauty in the passing, in the passage of time and the certain kind of passion that shines in their prime. It talks about the importance of trying to understand each other as friends, helping each other out in times of trouble and even if one does not understand, at least they are trying.
Line by Line Meaning
I've got a certain feeling
I am experiencing a distinct sensation
I certainly can't define
I am unable to explain it in words
But one thing is for certain
However, one thing is definite
We walk the same line
We share similar views or goals
The strangest early chapters
The beginning of our story was peculiar
A pair could ever have
As unique as any couple could be
It could have ended quickly
Our relationship was almost cut short
It could have ended sad.
There was a possibility that we could've been left with sorrow
But there's a beauty in the passing
But there is something beautiful about the passage of time
In the passage of time
As time goes by
And a certain kind of passion
And there is a particular type of enthusiasm
A certain kind of passion that shines in our prime
An excitement that glows during our best years
You try to understand me
You make an effort to comprehend me
As much as I do to you
Just as I am striving to understand you
And I see Joan, she's searching
I observe that Joan is on a quest
For salvation and for truth
In search of deliverance and actuality
But boy blue sings a blue song
However, boy blue sings a sad tune
He's puzzled and he's sad
He is confused and disheartened
Is he living in confusion?
Could he be dwelling in uncertainty?
Or just a little mad
Perhaps he is just a bit crazy
A friend is there to help you
A friend will always be present to assist you
And maybe he'll understand
He may even be able to relate
If not, well know he's trying
Otherwise, acknowledge that he is making an attempt
You can feel it in his hands
You can sense it from his touch
As the days and nights are reeling
As the days and nights flash by
As the money pit goes down
As our wealth seems to diminish
I've got that certain feeling
Despite this, I have a particular impression
We two will be around
That the two of us will endure
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA/AMCOS
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