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/
Hope in a Hopeless World
Paul Young Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Wrapped in a blanket that's tattered and worn
Mama's doing the best she can
Findin' hope in a hopeless world
Her eldest boy
Well he stayed in school
Listen to mama
Didn't drink or use
He gets refused
Is there hope in a hopeless world
Looking for hope in a hopeless world
Searchin' for love in such hateful times
Tryin' to stay strong
While the mind gets weak
I'm lookin' for hope in a hopeless world
On a corner stands a young girl
The home she left was from the better part of town
Her daddy did things she'd rather not talk about
Is there hope in a hopeless world
You gotta quarter for the homeless
Spare some changes for a soldier who fought the war
Put some money in those hats and in those tins
Give them hope in a hopeless world
Gotto find hope in a hopeless world
Lookin' for love in such hateful times
Lookin' for hope in a hopeless world
I got to ease my mind
Ease my mind
You gotta listen to the voice inside you
That speaks of love
Don't compromise , realise
The time is quickly passing by
There are mountains to climb
You can't be standing still
The churches are full but the prayers are not heard
Saturday's child don't want to go to Sunday school
Whatever happened to the golden rule
Teach them hope in a hopeless world
Somebody out there's got to listen
Somebody out there's got to know what I'm talking about
Raise your hand if you're with me
Give them hope in a hopeless world
Gotta find hope in a hopeless world
Gotta in love
Gotta find love in hateful times
Gotta find love
Gotta find love and free your mind
Gotta find love
Is there hope in a hopeless world
Is there hope in a hopeless world
The lyrics of Paul Young's song "Hope In A Hopeless World" describe the struggles and hardships faced by people in modern society, where hope seems lost, and hatred and despair dominate. The song begins with the story of a newborn baby in New York City, wrapped in a tattered blanket, and his mother trying to find hope in the difficult situation. The next verse tells the tale of a boy who stayed out of trouble, completed his education, but finds himself refused for every job he applies for. The song also touches upon a young girl who comes from a good family but had to leave because of her father's questionable behavior.
Paul Young sings about these stories with a yearning to find hope in an otherwise hopeless world. He talks about the struggles of soldiers who fought wars, and the homeless who live in abject poverty. He calls upon everyone to spare some change and contribute to the collection boxes to put some hope in these people's lives. The song ends on a note of determination, urging everyone to listen to their inner voice that preaches love and not to compromise, indicating that we need to act fast and climb the mountains of hope before it's too late.
Line by Line Meaning
The baby's born in New York City
A newborn baby is born in New York City
Wrapped in a blanket that's tattered and worn
The baby is wrapped in a worn-out blanket
Mama's doing the best she can
The baby's mother is trying her hardest
Findin' hope in a hopeless world
Despite the difficulties of the world, the mother is still hopeful
Her eldest boy
The oldest child of the mother
Well he stayed in school
He completed his education
Listen to mama
He obeyed his mother's advice and guidance
Didn't drink or use
He did not partake in drinking or drug use
But every job he wants
Despite his efforts to find work
He gets refused
He is rejected by potential employers
Is there hope in a hopeless world
Given his struggles, he wonders if there is still hope in the world
Looking for hope in a hopeless world
Despite his doubts, he is still searching for hope
Searchin' for love in such hateful times
Amidst a world filled with hate, he is searching for love
Tryin' to stay strong
Despite the challenges, he is striving to remain strong
While the mind gets weak
Despite his efforts, his mind is starting to weaken
I'm lookin' for hope in a hopeless world
He is searching for hope amidst the difficulties of the world
On a corner stands a young girl
A young girl is standing on a street corner
The home she left was from the better part of town
She grew up in a better-off area, but had to leave
Her daddy did things she'd rather not talk about
Her father did things that she is uncomfortable discussing
Is there hope in a hopeless world
Given her situation, she wonders if there is hope in the world
You gotta quarter for the homeless
You should offer money to homeless people
Spare some changes for a soldier who fought the war
You should give money to soldiers who have fought in wars
Put some money in those hats and in those tins
You should donate money to collection containers
Give them hope in a hopeless world
Your donations can provide hope to those in need
Gotto find hope in a hopeless world
Despite the difficulties, we must continue to search for hope
Lookin' for love in such hateful times
Even in times of hate, we still seek love
I got to ease my mind
He needs to reduce his stress and relax
You gotta listen to the voice inside you
We must listen to our inner voice
That speaks of love
That tells us to focus on love
Don't compromise , realise
We should not give up on our beliefs, but instead push for them
The time is quickly passing by
Time is running out
There are mountains to climb
There are many obstacles to overcome
You can't be standing still
In order to overcome obstacles, we must keep moving forward
The churches are full but the prayers are not heard
Many people are praying, but their prayers are not being answered
Saturday's child don't want to go to Sunday school
Some people do not enjoy going to religious schools
Whatever happened to the golden rule
People are not following the universal concept of treating others how they would like to be treated
Teach them hope in a hopeless world
We must teach others to remain hopeful in tough times
Somebody out there's got to listen
Someone must be willing to listen to the cries for help
Somebody out there's got to know what I'm talking about
There are others who understand the struggles that he faces
Raise your hand if you're with me
If others are also feeling the same, they should show support
Give them hope in a hopeless world
We must provide hope to those who feel hopeless
Gotta find hope in a hopeless world
We must continue to search for hope in the face of adversity
Gotta in love
We must find love in our lives
Gotta find love in hateful times
Finding love may be harder, but it is still important in times of hate
Gotta find love and free your mind
Love can help free us from our worries and anxieties
Is there hope in a hopeless world
Given the challenges we face, we wonder if there is still hope in the world
Contributed by Adam D. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@cynthusinfinite
Timeless... his song choices set him apart not to mention his beautiful character and super talent! Really love the artist Paul Young.
@cynthusinfinite
🙆💞✌🙇
We hear you PY. We are raising our hands. 😉
@mauricioelhennaouikael8007
"Esperanza en un mundo sin esperanza"... Qué gran tema y contenido el de este video del gigante y siempre recordado Paul Young.... Visualiza a quienes muchas veces no nos detenemos a mirar con el corazón y el alma desnuda......
@mariadorosariomedeiros6996
Cantor maravilhoso com voz suave e bela sempre!
@susanparker1374
“Hope in a hopeless world “, couldn’t be truer words
✝️🕊️
@lindalourdesmorais9932
Gostei muito é linda música
@danielaleite1424
Que musica bonitinha 💖💕
@valeriamontiel4521
Maravilloso, deja la piel en cada canción, me encanta la intensidad que transmite y en esta estupenda canción no podía faltar
@annettefletcher7827
Still relevant...Should get more airplay in my humble. Peace.
@jovian73
Could have ben written TODAY! Thank you Paul! 🤟