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/
Heaven Can Wait
Paul Young Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Those first impressions saying love is blind
Why find a reason when this feeling goes on and on
In everyone swept into the tide
Heaven can wait forever
Now till the end of time
Heaven can wait forever
Two lonely people that are locked in time
Wait for the moment the perfect crime
Reaching out to steal your heart in the dark
We fade away and dream to stay in this world we tried
Heaven can wait forever
Now till the end of time
Heaven can wait forever
Now I know you're mine
This feeling I got swept into the tide, yeah
Reaching out to steal your heart in the dark we fade
Heaven can wait forever
Now till the end of time
Heaven can wait forever
Now I know you're mine
Now that I've got you by my side
Heaven can wait forever
Now till the end of time
Heaven can wait forever
Now that I got you by my side
Heaven, I got you here
I got a [Incomprehensible], yeah yeah
Ain't nothing like [Incomprehensible]
Ain't nothing that I'd ever miss
In "Heaven Can Wait," Paul Young sings about a change of heart regarding the person he loves. He realizes that he was wrong in his initial impression of them and that love can be blind, allowing him to see them in a new light. The feeling he has for them continues to grow as they both find themselves swept up in the tide of emotion. They are two lonely people, frozen in time, waiting for the perfect moment to steal each other's hearts. They fade away into the darkness, dreaming of staying in this world they have tried to create.
The chorus, "Heaven can wait forever, now till the end of time," speaks to the idea that their love is strong enough to withstand anything, even the afterlife. This idea is reinforced throughout the song with phrases like "this feeling I got swept into the tide" and "now that I've got you by my side."
Overall, the song tells the story of a deep and all-consuming love, one that can stand the test of time and even the afterlife. The idea of being so in love that it feels like you're the only two people in the world is a timeless one, and "Heaven Can Wait" captures it perfectly.
Line by Line Meaning
What did I see in you, have changed my mind
My initial perceptions of you were altered after getting to know you better
Those first impressions saying love is blind
The commonly held belief that love can make one overlook the flaws in their partner
Why find a reason when this feeling goes on and on
There's no need to overly analyze or justify the intense emotions we feel for each other
In everyone swept into the tide
We've been caught up in a powerful force that we couldn't resist
Two lonely people that are locked in time
We were both searching for companionship and happened to cross paths at the right moment
Wait for the moment the perfect crime
We were waiting for the right opportunity to seize the chance to be together
Reaching out to steal your heart in the dark
I was ready to risk everything to capture your love, even in the shadows
We fade away and dream to stay in this world we tried
Our love creates a world where we can escape and live out our dreams despite the struggles we face
This feeling I got swept into the tide, yeah
I was overwhelmed by the intensity of my feelings for you
Reaching out to steal your heart in the dark we fade
Our love is an act of rebellion, and we retreat to the shadows to protect it
Now that I've got you by my side
Having you in my life has made all the difference
Heaven, I got you here
Being with you feels like heaven on earth
I got a [Incomprehensible], yeah yeah
I have everything I could ever want
Ain't nothing like [Incomprehensible]
There's nothing that compares to the love we share
Ain't nothing that I'd ever miss
I have no desire for anything else because my love for you is more than enough
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: PAUL RUTTER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Ruth Ramsburg
The song is so smooth. And the music is wonderful. PAUL YOUNG your singing is the best of the best. And always is and will be.
David Norman
Steady drum groove! Gilmour haunting guitar work! Great song great album!
80s Music
@MsAppassionata I looked it up on discogs after posting this. Thanks for clarifying. She is a legendary figure in music and it is also remarkable that she was a member of the Black Panthers during the civil rights era.
MsAppassionata
@80s Music Yes she does. I have that album (“Other Voices”). She also does another tune on it called “Stop On By” which she originally had covered herself, but when she heard that he was doing another cover version, she asked if she could appear on that one too.
80s Music
@MsAppassionata Is that her? I did not know she sings on it.
MsAppassionata
Not to mention the great Chaka Khan singing with him. Don’t know why she didn’t appear in this video.
Marcos Vivez
Great...
Ruth Ramsburg
Once you listen to this song, you listen every day to this wonderful and moving song you sing Paul.
Ruth Ramsburg
Fantastic singing voice. And a GREAT SONG.
Juba San
"Other Voices" is, by far, my favorite album in Paul Young's discography...