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/
Follow On
Paul Young Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
sleepless nights spent waiting for an answer
Dreams of heaven falling, panic in the town
Lovely men with fingers on the future ...
When all is said and done
You are the only one
For the open road is waiting
Like the song
We will welcome what tomorrow has to bring
Be it fair or stormy weather
Take my hand
And we'll walk the road together
I won't mind
If it turns out that we never find the end
For all I ask is that you want me for a friend
Days of beauty calling, vanish through a haze
Trapped inside some spiral with no ending
Still you bring me loving, free me with a touch
Lead me out to greet the calm descending
When all is said and done
You are the only one
Follow on
For the open road is waiting
Like the song
We will welcome what tomorrow has to bring
Be it fair or stormy weather
Take my hand
And we'll walk the road together
I won't mind
If it turns out that we never find the end
For all I ask is that you want me for a friend
The lyrics of "Follow On" by Paul Young evoke a sense of uncertainty and hope in the midst of chaos. The opening lines describe an atmosphere of fear, with shutters on windows and chains on doors, suggesting a community scared of some unknown danger. The lyrics go on to describe dreams of heaven falling and panic in the town, and yet amidst this turmoil, there are "lovely men with fingers on the future". Who these men are and what exactly they represent is unclear, but they seem to offer some hope and guidance in a world gone awry.
The chorus of the song emphasizes a sense of partnership and commitment, with the singer vowing to walk the road ahead with his companion - "Take my hand and we'll walk the road together". The road they're traveling is the open road, which represents the future, full of both the fair and the stormy weather. The singer expresses that he won't mind if they never find the end, as long as they remain friends. The second verse speaks of the days of beauty, that are fleeting and vanish through a haze, leaving the singer of the song feeling trapped inside some spiral with no ending. The only thing that frees him from this trap is the love and touch of his partner. In the end, the chorus repeats, emphasizing the theme of partnership and commitment in the face of an uncertain future.
Line by Line Meaning
Shutters on the windows, chains upon the door
The anxious wait for a response has led to fortifying the doors and windows as an attempt to keep danger out.
Sleepless nights spent waiting for an answer
The anticipation for a reply is causing insomnia as thoughts race through the mind.
Dreams of heaven falling, panic in the town
A sense of foreboding is imminent as dangerous events are foreshadowed and causing terror in the community.
Lovely men with fingers on the future ...
Those in power who hold the keys to the future are seen as charming but worrisome.
When all is said and done
After weighing all the options and considering everything that has been said or done, there is only one conclusion.
You are the only one
The answer to the problem is obvious, and it is to rely on the support of a particular person.
Follow on
Continue on with this journey.
For the open road is waiting
There is a world of opportunities ahead that is ready to be explored.
Like the song
Like a melody, this journey will have its highs and lows.
We will welcome what tomorrow has to bring
It is important to remain optimistic and stay open to what the future may bring.
Be it fair or stormy weather
No matter what obstacles come our way - whether easy or difficult - we must persist.
Take my hand
Trust in me and let me lead the way.
And we'll walk the road together
Together we will face whatever may come.
I won't mind
It doesn't matter how things turn out, we will still be friends.
If it turns out that we never find the end
Even if we don't reach a clear resolution, the journey itself will have been worthwhile.
For all I ask is that you want me for a friend
All that is needed is to rely on each other and maintain a supportive friendship to overcome any challenge.
Contributed by Brody A. Suggest a correction in the comments below.