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/
Steps To Go
Paul Young Lyrics
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Whose is the silver statue
Whose is 'I want you.'
Who gets to keep the pictures
The ones we've both been through
Looking through any window
See an empty hole
A face without a soul
Did we ever think of (taking) steps to go?
Here in the empty condo
It never will be the same
Who's gonna take the suitcase?
Who's gonna take the pain?
It's not for the want of trying
I think we tried it all
But you couldn't stop the wanting
Until you had it all
Did we ever think of (taking) steps to go?
There was just two of us, dear
When we fell in love
Now it's all legal numbers
What are you thinking of?
Whoever thakes the children
Might as well take it all
I'm gonna leave my shadow
Leaning against the wall
Did we ever think of (taking) steps to go?
(Leaving just seven numbers
Throwing down the glove
Where did you leave your keys dear?
Where did you leave your love?)
The song "Steps To Go" by Paul Young is a poignant exploration of a failed relationship that has reached its inevitable end. The lyrics convey a sense of bitter disappointment and disillusionment, with the singer questioning what went wrong and whether steps could have been taken to avoid the inevitable. Throughout the song, the singer poses a series of questions to his former lover, asking who will keep the belongings they once shared and who will take responsibility for the pain they have caused each other.
The opening lines of the song refer to a silver statue and the phrase "I want you," which are ambiguous in their meaning but suggest some sort of trophy or prize that was sought after but ultimately meaningless. The imagery of looking through a window and seeing an empty hole suggests a sense of loss and emptiness, and the reference to a home that is now a "face without a soul" conveys a sense of something once meaningful that has been drained of all substance.
The chorus of the song is particularly poignant, as the singer reflects on whether any steps could have been taken to save the relationship. He questions whether he and his lover ever considered leaving when things started to go wrong, rather than persisting in trying to make things work until it was too late. In the final verse, the song takes a particularly bitter turn, with the singer contemplating the legal and practical implications of their separation, including who will take the children and who will keep the possessions they once shared.
Overall, "Steps To Go" is a powerful and emotionally charged song that speaks to the experience of many people who have gone through a break-up or divorce. The lyrics are both introspective and accusatory, expressing both regret for what has been lost and anger at the situation that led to it.
Line by Line Meaning
Whose is the silver statue
Who does the silver statue belong to?
Whose is 'I want you.'
Who does the statement 'I want you' belong to?
Who gets to keep the pictures
Who gets ownership of the pictures?
The ones we've both been through
The pictures that we both share memories of
Looking through any window
Observing from any vantage point
See an empty hole
Notice an absence or emptiness
What once was a home is now
The place where we used to live is now
A face without a soul
A lifeless and uninviting sight
Did we ever think of (taking) steps to go?
Did we ever contemplate leaving?
Here in the empty condo
In the deserted apartment
It never will be the same
The current situation will never revert to what it was
Who's gonna take the suitcase?
Who will take the luggage?
Who's gonna take the pain?
Who will bear the agony?
It's not for the want of trying
It's not because we didn't attempt hard enough
I think we tried it all
I believe we exhausted all our options
But you couldn't stop the wanting
But your desire couldn't be quenched
Until you had it all
Until you obtained all that you wanted
Did we ever think of (taking) steps to go?
Did we ever consider the prospect of departure?
There was just two of us, dear
Initially, it was only the two of us who were in a relationship
When we fell in love
When we initially developed romantic feelings towards each other
Now it's all legal numbers
Now it's only a legal matter involving numbers and regulations
What are you thinking of?
What is going through your mind?
Whoever takes the children
Whoever obtains custody of the children
Might as well take it all
Might as well acquire everything
I'm gonna leave my shadow
I will leave my silhouette
Leaning against the wall
Resting against the structure
Did we ever think of (taking) steps to go?
Did we ever think about leaving?
(Leaving just seven numbers
(Only leaving seven digits
Throwing down the glove
Challenging the other person to a contest
Where did you leave your keys dear?
Where did you leave your keys, my dear?
Where did you leave your love?)
Where did you misplace your love?
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
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