Paul Young born Paul Antony Young on 17 January 1956 in Luton, Bedfordshire… Read Full Bio ↴Paul Young born Paul Antony Young on 17 January 1956 in Luton, Bedfordshire) is an English pop musician. Young was the lead singer in blue eyed soul group Q-Tips before going solo in 1982. Young's biggest worldwide hit followed in 1985 with a version of Daryl Hall's "Everytime You Go Away". The song reached #1 on the U.S. pop charts.

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/

Only Game In Town
Paul Young Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Time after time I've turned it over in my mind
How could you let it go so long?
I had it all, I felt the spark but not the flame
And with a cold wind it's gone

I had the future in my hand
I didn't understand

Chorus:
When the only game in town was tearing you down
And the love that I found slipped away
Now the real king of fools has no one to rule
And nothing to lose, much less to say
I should have never, never played
The only game in town

I need to talk with the only girl who knows
All of the big mistakes I've made
I held the moment in my hand
I didn't understand

Chorus

I'll pay the price for fooling around
I'll never find a love in this town
Should've never let you go

When the only game in town was tearing you down
And the love that I found slipped away
I should have never, never played
The only game in town
It was tearing me down
And the love that I found slipped away
Now the real king of fools has nothing to chose
Nothing to lose, much less to say

Only game in town
Tearing me down, playing

Overall Meaning

The song "Only Game in Town" by Paul Young explores the theme of regret and missed opportunities. The verses describe the realization of losing a great love due to neglect and lack of understanding. The singer admits to turning over in his mind how he could have let it go for so long. He hints at having had it all, but losing it just when he thought he had finally gotten the spark he needed. The chorus emphasizes the sense of missing out on something great by playing the only game in town, which ultimately led to the love slipping away. In the end, he accepts the consequences of his actions, but he cannot help feeling regret for not having realized sooner what he had and how much it meant to him.

The lyrics are straightforward and simple, but they pack an emotional punch due to the relatability of the theme. The song speaks to anyone who has ever let a great love go because they were too busy or blinded by other things. It is about recognizing the value of the person or thing you have before it is too late, and the regret that follows when you realize you should have cherished it more. The message is universal and timeless, making the song resonant with listeners even decades after its release.

Line by Line Meaning

Time after time I've turned it over in my mind
Reflecting on the past and the events that led up to the present

How could you let it go so long?
Wondering why someone let a situation become worse over time

I had it all, I felt the spark but not the flame
Feeling like something was missing even though everything seemed perfect

And with a cold wind it's gone
Losing something suddenly and unexpectedly

I had the future in my hand
Feeling in control of one's life

I didn't understand
Realizing that one did not fully comprehend the situation

When the only game in town was tearing you down
Being in a situation where everyone is being negative and critical

And the love that I found slipped away
Losing a significant other unexpectedly

Now the real king of fools has no one to rule
Feeling foolish and alone

And nothing to lose, much less to say
Not knowing what to do or say

I should have never, never played
Regretting a past decision