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/
Soldier's Things
Paul Young Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And swallow tail coats
Table cloths and patent leather shoes
Bathing suits and bowling balls
And clarinets and rings
And all this radio really needs is a fuse
A soldier's things
His rifle, his boots, full of rocks
And this one is for bravery
And this one for me
And everything a dollar in this box
Cuff links and hub caps
Trophies and paperbacks
It's good transportation
But the brakes aren't so hot
Neck tie and boxing gloves
This jackknife is rusted
You can pound that dent out
On the hood
A tinker, a tailor
A soldier's things
His rifle, his boots, full of rocks
And this one is for bravery
And this one for me
And everything a dollar in this box
A tinker, a tailor
A soldier's things
His rifle, his boots, full of rocks
And this one is for bravery
And this one for me
And everything a dollar in this box
In his song "Soldier's Things," Paul Young highlights the material possessions of a soldier, specifically items that hold sentimental value. The song begins with a description of luxurious items such as davenports, kettle drums, swallowtail coats, tablecloths and patent leather shoes. Contrasted with these objects are more commonplace things - bathing suits, bowling balls, and clarinets. The lyrics also reflect the soldier's need for a simple possession to operate the radio in the era before radios were equipped with electrical cords. This sweet and nostalgic tune smoothly brings together disparate objects and emphasizes the soldier's need for necessities while also showing the beauty in the small things.
The chorus enumerates several possessions: "A rifle, his boots filled with rocks, And this one is for bravery, And this one for me, And everything a dollar in this box." This repetition of "A tinker, a tailor, a soldier's things" reinforces the idea that such objects represent the soldier's life. Indeed, the song carries the theme of sentimentality for the material things that hold significant meaning to an individual, such as cufflinks, trophies, neckties, and boxing gloves. Yet, the soldier's world is not one of luxury, as the song highlights the inadequacies of "good transportation" with bad brakes.
Line by Line Meaning
Davenports and kettle drums
Luxurious furniture and grand percussion instruments
And swallow tail coats
Formal attire for events such as weddings and dances
Table cloths and patent leather shoes
Fine dining accessories and polished shoes
Bathing suits and bowling balls
Summer essentials and recreational sports gear
And clarinets and rings
Musical instruments and jewelry
And all this radio really needs is a fuse
The radio is broken and just needs a minor fix
A tinker, a tailor
Skilled workers who repair and customize clothing
A soldier's things
Belongings of a military service member
His rifle, his boots, full of rocks
Tools of the trade that come with a heavy emotional weight
And this one is for bravery
An item to commemorate acts of courage on the battlefield
And this one for me
A personal item with sentimental value to the soldier
And everything a dollar in this box
All of these significant mementos only worth a dollar to anyone else
Cuff links and hub caps
Elegant accessories and car parts
Trophies and paperbacks
Awards for achievement and books for leisure
It's good transportation
The vehicle serves its purpose of getting from one place to another
But the brakes aren't so hot
The vehicle is not entirely reliable or safe
Neck tie and boxing gloves
Business attire and athletic equipment
This jackknife is rusted
A handheld tool that has been forgotten and neglected for a while
You can pound that dent out
A minor damage or imperfection that can be easily repaired
On the hood
A specific location of the damage, likely referring to a vehicle
And everything a dollar in this box
All of these significant mementos only worth a dollar to anyone else
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, JALMA MUSIC
Written by: Thomas Alan Waits
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Martin Macdonald
Davenports and kettle drums
And swallow tail coats
Table cloths and patent leather shoes
Bathing suits and bowling balls
And clarinets and rings
And all this radio really needs is a fuse
A tinker, a tailor
A soldier's things
His rifle, his boots, full of rocks
And this one is for bravery
And this one for me
And everything a dollar in this box
Cuff links and hub caps
Trophies and paperbacks
It's good transportation
But the brakes aren't so hot
Neck tie and boxing gloves
This jackknife is rusted
You can pound that dent out
On the hood
A tinker, a tailor
A soldier's things
His rifle, his boots, full of rocks
And this one is for bravery
And this one for me
And everything a dollar in this box
A tinker, a tailor
A soldier's things
His rifle, his boots, full of rocks
And this one is for bravery
And this one for me
And everything a dollar in this box
richwoman10
one of the best songs i ever heard !!! No exageration !! and I AM a retired soldier. Thanks for a heart wrenching rendition, better than the original !!!!!!
Man Out Of Time
Good, but I'm not convinced it's better than Waits.
tim
This song came out when I served, couldn't get enough of it and still love it today.
Kelly Courtney
Love this song. This was the first cassette album I ever bought. This song reminds me of my Dad who fought in WWII in the Battle of the Bulge.
Colin Birdseye
Great Tom Waits cover. Good soul here.
Martin Hennigs
Beautiful song!
Joyce Pugh
One of my top 10 favorite songs -- whether sung by Young or Waits.
Whitni Mantooth
Grew up hearing this because my Dad played it sometimes when he was in that headspace- thinking about his time in the USAF. It's a great song.
My Daddy passed away in 2020 and he was my best friend. Sometimes I'll play this song and just remember him. ❤️🎸
Geoff Norton
Not heard this one for about 25 years. Brilliant version. Fabulous production, keyboards, bass and that haunting voice. Amazing performances all round.
warwick bunting
Outstanding! Superb arrangement! He recorded several great tracks in his time but this is perhaps his finest hour. Gives me chills and shakes each time I revisit it.....