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/
Oh Women
Paul Young Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Racing cars, who's afraid?
I'm living to be yours a mystery
A situation's comedy
Women, oh women, oh women
(Tous les et monsieur)
Women, hey women, oh women
Taxicabs hit a light
Of conversation still polite
Consequences, true or false
Leaders' money, light my pulse
Women, yeah women, oh women
(Tous les et monsieur)
Women, oh women, oh women
(Tous les et monsieur)
Twist around everything I'd say
(Whatcha gonna, whatcha gonna,
ay ee ay, ay aye em aye uh)
In a room of pastel shades
(Whatcha gonna, whatcha gonna, ay ee ay, em a de)
Of what you like and she'll discuss
From this day on I still don't know
Women, oh women, oh women
(Tous les et monsieur)
Women, yeah women, oh women
(Tous les et monsieur)
Women, oh women, oh women
(Tous les et monsieur)
Women, hey women, oh women
(Tous les et monsieur)
(Whatcha gonna, whatcha gonna, ay ee ay)
Ooh ooh ooh ooh
The lyrics to Paul Young's song "Oh Women" explore themes of curiosity and confusion towards women. The singer of the song has "nightclub eyes," indicating a certain level of superficiality in their interactions with women, and feels like they are living "to be yours a mystery." They observe conversations with polite detachment and are intrigued by the consequences of these interactions, questioning whether they are true or false. The use of French ("Tous les et monsieur") adds a layer of sophistication and worldliness to the song, perhaps suggesting that the singer is trying to be more cosmopolitan than they actually are.
At the same time, the lyrics reveal a sense of frustration and bewilderment towards women. The singer notes that they try to twist around everything they say, and is surrounded by a room of pastel shades and things they don't understand. The repeated chorus of "Women, oh women" seems to be both a celebration and a lament, as the singer is both fascinated and confused by these enigmatic figures.
Overall, the song seems to be a reflection on the complexities of human relationships, particularly those between men and women. The singer is both drawn to and repelled by the women they encounter, and are struggling to make sense of their interactions with them.
Line by Line Meaning
Nightclub eyes I can fade
I'm used to the flashy nightlife scene and can handle it with ease.
Racing cars, who's afraid?
I'm not afraid of the fast-paced, risky lifestyle that comes with the type of people I hang around with.
I'm living to be yours a mystery
I'm purposely keeping things mysterious and enigmatic when it comes to our relationship because I think it's exciting for you.
A situation's comedy
This whole situation is like a comedy, but instead of laughing at it, we're both playing along with it.
Women, oh women, oh women
I can't get enough of women and the thrill they bring into my life.
(Tous les et monsieur)
This is just a French phrase to fill in some syllables in the song.
Taxicabs hit a light
We're driving recklessly in the city streets, and maybe even running a few red lights.
Of conversation still polite
Despite the chaos around us, we know how to keep up polite conversation without getting too deep or personal.
Consequences, true or false
We're making risky decisions and taking chances without thinking about the consequences, but it's all part of the fun.
Leaders' money, light my pulse
We're chasing after the thrill of success and the exciting lifestyle that comes with being around powerful, wealthy people.
Twist around everything I'd say
You're playing mind games and twisting my words around, which makes it hard for me to understand what you're really thinking.
(Whatcha gonna, whatcha gonna, ay ee ay, ay aye em aye uh)
This is another phrase used in the song just to add some catchiness and flavor to the lyrics.
In a room of pastel shades
We're in a fancy, luxurious place with light colors and soft tones, which creates a soothing atmosphere.
(Whatcha gonna, whatcha gonna, ay ee ay, em a de)
Another made-up phrase in the song just for rhythmic purposes.
Of what you like and she'll discuss
I don't really know what you like or what your interests are, but I'm trying to impress you by acting like I do.
From this day on I still don't know
Even though we've been interacting for a while now, I still feel like I don't know you very well, like you're still a mystery to me.
Women, yeah women, oh women
Women are always on my mind, no matter what I'm doing.
Women, hey women, oh women
I'm calling out to all women, as if they have some sort of power over me that I cannot resist.
(Whatcha gonna, whatcha gonna, ay ee ay)
This phrase is repeated one more time before the end of the song, probably for the sake of flow and repetition.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: JACK LEE, JIMMIE O'NEILL, PAUL YOUNG
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind