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/
Tender Trap
Paul Young Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
In a daze in the afternoon you creep into my inside.
When alone all the things I do are the actions of a man possessed
With the thought of a girl like you to satisfy my loneliness.
When I'm lost in your world and I can't let go
I'm in a tender trap.
And when you show the law no escape for sure
Na-na-na na-na-na na-na-na-na-na.
Yes, I'm caught in the tender trap.
If I said what was on my mind would you smile at me or turn away?
Just one touch can electrify and your only choice will be to stay.
Let us hide for a day or two and think of all the things we'd share.
All there'll be is just me and you and nobody else would give a care.
When I'm lost in your world and I can't let go
I'm in a tender trap.
And when you show the law no escape for sure
I'm in a tender trap.
Na-na-na na-na-na na-na-na-na-na.
Oh, I'm caught in the tender trap.
Yeh, I'm caught in the tender trap.
When I'm lost in your world and I can't let go
I'm in a tender trap.
And when you show the law no escape for sure
I'm in a tender trap.
Na-na-na na-na-na na-na-na-na-na.
I'm caught in the tender trap.
Na-na-na na-na-na na-na-na-na-na
Yes, I'm caught in a tender trap.
Na-na-na na-na-na na-na-na-na-na
And I can't let go, I'm caught in a tender trap
Na-na-na na-na-na na-na-na-na-na
I will never let you go, I'm in a tender trap.
The lyrics to "Tender Trap" by Paul Young speak of the powerful grip that love has over the singer. The song starts by describing how the thought of the person he loves dominates his mind in the morning, and how she creeps into his thoughts in the afternoon. The lyrics suggest that the singer is so smitten that he feels like he is possessed when he is alone and thinking of her. The chorus describes how the singer is caught in a tender trap that he can't escape from, even though he doesn't want to anyway. The song ends on a hopeful note, with the singer wanting to spend more time with the person he loves, free from the cares of the world.
One interesting fact about "Tender Trap" is that it was released as a single in 1986, and appeared on the album "The Secret of Association". The song was a modest hit, reaching #18 on the UK Singles Chart, but was much more successful in Canada, where it reached #5 on the charts. Interestingly, the song was originally written by the American songwriter Jimmy Jam, who is best known for his work with Janet Jackson, Boyz II Men, and Mariah Carey. The music video for "Tender Trap" features Paul Young singing and walking around on a black-and-white checkered floor, with footage of a woman dancing interspersed throughout the video.
Another interesting fact about "Tender Trap" is that it was one of several hits that Paul Young had in the 1980s. Young was a member of the English pop group Q-Tips in the late 1970s, and became a solo artist in the early 1980s. Some of his other hit songs include "Every Time You Go Away", "Love of the Common People", and "Wherever I Lay My Hat (That's My Home)". Young was known for his distinctive voice and his ability to mix pop, soul, and R&B styles in his music.
Chords:
Verse: Em, Bm, C, Am, D, G
Chorus: G, Bm, C, D
Line by Line Meaning
When I wake in the morning time you're the only thing that lights my mind.
You're always on my mind, especially when I wake up, and I can't help but think of you.
In a daze in the afternoon you creep into my inside.
Even when I try to focus on other things, you still manage to occupy my thoughts and feelings.
When alone all the things I do are the actions of a man possessed
With the thought of a girl like you to satisfy my loneliness.
When I'm alone, everything I do is driven by the desire to be with someone like you and rid myself of this feeling of loneliness.
If I said what was on my mind would you smile at me or turn away?
I'm hesitant to express my true thoughts and feelings to you because I fear the possibility of rejection.
Just one touch can electrify and your only choice will be to stay.
Your touch has a powerful effect on me, and I don't think I could resist staying by your side once I feel it.
Let us hide for a day or two and think of all the things we'd share.
I want to spend time alone with you, away from the world, and imagine all the possibilities of our future together.
All there'll be is just me and you and nobody else would give a care.
In our little world, it will be just you and me, and we won't have to worry about anyone else's opinions or judgments.
When I'm lost in your world and I can't let go
I'm in a tender trap.
When I'm fully immersed in my feelings for you, I feel trapped in a way that is both thrilling and scary at the same time.
And when you show the law no escape for sure
I'm in a tender trap.
When you show me your love and commitment, I know there's no turning back, and I feel even more trapped in my feelings for you.
Na-na-na na-na-na na-na-na-na-na.
Yes, I'm caught in the tender trap.
I can't help but feel trapped and inextricably connected to you, no matter how hard I try to resist.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: IAN KEWLEY, PAUL YOUNG
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind