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/
It's What She Didn't Say
Paul Young Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
All my dreams are locked inside
Never hurt before the way I do
I’m afraid of someone new
Only once, you give it all
Second time you know the fall
She was everything and more to me
I took her leaving silently
And the wounded love it’s strange
Late at night I miss her touch
Foolish heart that want so much
It’s what she didn’t say that hurt so bad
It’s what we didn’t do that makes me sad
And now I’m talking to her picture on the wall
It’s what she didn’t say that burns in me
Our broken promise that won’t set me free
It’s what she didn’t say that I remember best of all
In her silent way she changed my life
The best in me became alive
With her smile she calmed the storms in me
All my passion now runs free
On the loose with broken wings
Wondering what tomorrow brings
It’s what she didn’t say that hurt so bad
It’s what we didn’t do that makes me sad
And now I’m talking to her picture on the wall
It’s what she didn’t say that burns in me
Our broken promise that won’t set me free
It’s what she didn’t say that I remember best of all
Late at night I miss your touch
Foolish heart that wants so much
It’s what she didn’t say that hurt so bad
It’s what we didn’t do that makes me sad
And now I’m talking to her picture on the wall
Unfinished dream that only burns in me
A broken promise that won’t set me free
It’s what she didn’t say that I remember best of all
The lyrics to Paul Young’s song “It’s What She Didn’t Say” recount a painful experience of love and loss. In the first verse, he speaks of a suitcase at his door, the symbol of the leaving of a loved one. All of his dreams are locked inside, symbolizing the death of his hopes for that relationship. He has never been hurt like this before and he is afraid of what a new relationship would bring. He then continues on to the chorus where he speaks of the things that hurt the most - what she didn’t say and what they never did. He is left with only her picture on the wall as a reminder of what they once had.
Young then turns to the memory of the woman in the second verse, describing how she changed his life for the better, bringing out the best in him. He recalls the way her smile calmed the storms inside of him and allowed his passion to run free. However, they were unable to make it work, and he is left with only broken wings, wondering what tomorrow brings. He repeats the chorus, emphasizing the pain of what was left unsaid and undone, and how it still haunts him.
In conclusion, “It’s What She Didn’t Say” is a moving and insightful song about the complexities of love and loss. It speaks to the unspoken feelings and promises that can be as powerful as those that are openly communicated.
Line by Line Meaning
There’s a suitcase at my door tonight
He is experiencing a significant change and his life will never be the same.
All my dreams are locked inside
He feels like he can't move forward because his hopes and aspirations seem out of reach.
Never hurt before the way I do
This is the most pain he has ever experienced in his life, and he is not sure how to handle it.
I’m afraid of someone new
He is feeling vulnerable and not sure if he can trust anyone again.
Only once, you give it all
He believes that he gave everything he had to the person who left him, and he isn't sure he can do it again.
Second time you know the fall
He is scared to get hurt again and knows that he could fall much harder the next time.
She was everything and more to me
He loved her completely and feels like he lost more than just a relationship.
I took her leaving silently
He didn't express how he felt when she left and may regret it now.
The world still turns and seasons change
Everything keeps moving forward even though his life got stuck after the break up.
And the wounded love it’s strange
Being heartbroken is a strange feeling that is difficult to understand.
Late at night I miss her touch
He thinks about her and wishes they were still together, especially when he's alone late at night.
Foolish heart that want so much
Despite being hurt, he still has strong feelings for her and wishes they could be together again.
It’s what she didn’t say that hurt so bad
The things that were left unsaid hurt him the most and he wishes she had been more honest with him.
It’s what we didn’t do that makes me sad
He regrets the things they didn't do together and wonders if things could have been different if they had.
And now I’m talking to her picture on the wall
He misses her so much that he talks to her picture as if she were still there with him.
Our broken promise that won’t set me free
He feels trapped by their shattered relationship and the promises they made to each other that were left unfulfilled.
It’s what she didn’t say that I remember best of all
Despite everything that happened, what they didn't say to each other is what he still remembers the most.
In her silent way she changed my life
Even though she didn't say much, she had a profound impact on his life.
The best in me became alive
He became a better person because of her and the relationship they had together.
With her smile she calmed the storms in me
Her smile had the power to make everything better and put him at ease.
All my passion now runs free
He feels free to pursue his passions because of what he learned from her.
On the loose with broken wings
He is moving forward despite feeling broken and unsure of himself.
Wondering what tomorrow brings
He is uncertain about his future and what it will be like without her.
Unfinished dream that only burns in me
He had a dream for their future together that will never be realized, and the thought of it still hurts him.
Contributed by Nathan V. Suggest a correction in the comments below.