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/
Our Time Has Come
Paul Young Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Not close enough to touch
I want to take the knocks and bear the scars
I need to have you so much
Oh my heart’s desire
Will soon be in my reach
Our time has come
As it is written in the sand
I can feel your power and it seems to guide my hand
You belong to me
Our time has come
Every step I take to you
I reach beyond myself
I know I’ll find the strength I need
To get me through this hell
This hour is all on me
I never let you go
Our time has come
As it is written in the sand
Our time has come
I can feel your power as it seems to guide my hand
You belong to me
Our time has come
When I found it hard
I reach my goal
Never break my will
Never break my soul I try
But I’ve got my taste
And I’ve got the power
I’ve been broken every waking hour
I try
Our time has come
This hour is all on me
I’ll never let you down
Our time has come
Our time has come
As it is written in the sand
Our time has come
I can feel your power as it’s seems to guide my hand
You belong to me
Our time has come
I can feel your power, just taking me by the hand
You belong to me
The lyrics of Paul Young’s song “Our Time Has Come” convey a sense of longing and determination. The singer describes being so close to the object of his desire, yet unable to physically touch her. He expresses a willingness to endure hardship and bear scars for the chance to be with her. The chorus repeats the phrase “Our time has come” which seems to suggest that the singer believes that he and this person are fated to be together.
The lyrics also contain elements of self-determination, with the singer vowing to never let go of his heart’s desire and doing anything it takes to reach his goal. He speaks of finding strength within himself throughout the journey he takes to reach this person, underscoring themes of perseverance and triumph. The lyrics, “I’ve been broken every waking hour” demonstrate the challenges he faced throughout his journey, but the phrase “never break my soul” reinforces his unbreakable spirit and his belief that he will ultimately succeed.
Overall, “Our Time Has Come” is a song about determination and destiny that could be interpreted as a love song or an anthem for anyone striving to reach a personal goal.
Line by Line Meaning
So close but yet so far
Despite our proximity, we are not physically close enough to touch.
Not close enough to touch
We are not physically close enough to make contact with each other.
I want to take the knocks and bear the scars
I am willing to endure hardship and pain for our relationship.
I need to have you so much
I have a deep desire and longing for you.
Oh my heart’s desire
You are the central desire of my heart.
Will soon be in my reach
I will soon have the opportunity to attain my heart's desire.
Our time has come
The moment of our relationship's fulfillment has arrived.
As it is written in the sand
Our destiny was predetermined and is now being realized.
I can feel your power and it seems to guide my hand
I feel your influence and guidance in my life.
You belong to me
You are meant to be mine, and our connection is significant.
Every step I take to you
I am constantly moving toward our relationship's fulfillment.
I reach beyond myself
I push past my limitations and reach for something greater.
I know I’ll find the strength I need
I am confident in my ability to endure hardships and overcome obstacles.
To get me through this hell
I believe that the challenges I face are a necessary part of our relationship's fulfillment.
This hour is all on me
The responsibility for our relationship's success is solely mine.
I never let you go
I will never let go of our relationship and the fulfillment it brings.
When I found it hard
When things were difficult and challenging.
I reach my goal
I remained focused and achieved my objective.
Never break my will
I will not let external forces weaken my determination.
Never break my soul I try
I am committed to preserving my core values and beliefs despite adversity.
But I’ve got my taste
I have a clear understanding of what I want and the satisfaction it will bring.
And I’ve got the power
I have the inner strength and determination to achieve my heart's desire.
I’ve been broken every waking hour
I have experienced pain and hardship regularly, but I have not given up.
I try
I will keep pushing forward and striving for our relationship's fulfillment.
This hour is all on me
The moment of our relationship's fulfillment is my responsibility and challenge.
I’ll never let you down
I am committed to fulfilling our relationship and making it successful.
I can feel your power, just taking me by the hand
I feel your influence and guidance in my life, leading me toward our relationship's fulfillment.
Contributed by Muhammad F. Suggest a correction in the comments below.