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/
The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter
Paul Young Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
What it is that brought me here
On a winding trailing of loneliness
Across plains of disappointment
Across rivers of tears
Never slowing down, never giving time to rest
The heart is a lonely hunter
The heart is a lonely hunter
'Till you find the place your heart belongs
So many times I'd had enough
So many nights I'd given up
But now I see its aim was true
From the first time you touched my hand
I know the one my heart demands
And all the while, it was leading me to you
The heart is a lonely hunter
It's hunger drives you on and on
The heart is a lonely hunter
Till you find the place your heart belongs
You can feel your heart beat faster
And the tremble in your hands
And the thrill of getting closer
To the one your heart demands
The heart is a lonely hunter
It's hunger drives you on and on
The heart is a lonely hunter
'Till you find the place your heart belongs
And baby you're the place my heart belongs
Gotta find the place your heart belongs
In "The Heart Is A Lonely Hunter," Paul Young discusses the loneliness that is often experienced as people search for the place where they truly belong. He sings about how he traveled a winding trail of loneliness "across plains of disappointment" and "across rivers of tears." Despite feeling tired and never giving himself time to rest, his heart kept driving him to search for a place where it belonged. He repeats the phrase "the heart is a lonely hunter" to emphasize how it is the heart's hunger that continues to drive us forward in search of our true home.
The song switches direction when Young expresses how he found his true home when his heart led him to the person it was searching for. He admits that he had given up many times and was on the brink of losing hope; however, he suddenly realized that his heart's aim was always true, and the one it demands is the one he's been looking for. The heart's hunger, referred to earlier in the song, still drives him on, but this time it's towards a person – the one his heart belongs to. Young talks about the feeling of excitement and anticipation, as he gets closer to the one his heart desires.
Overall, "The Heart Is A Lonely Hunter" discusses the journey of people searching for a place where they belong. It highlights the loneliness they experience while searching, the persistence of the heart's hunger, and the joy of finally finding the place where they belong, which is often a person who fulfills them.
Line by Line Meaning
It's suddenly so clear
The realization of what brought me here has become apparent to me all of a sudden
What it is that brought me here
The reason or purpose for my presence in this moment and situation
On a winding trailing of loneliness
Through a path full of twists and turns, marked with feelings of solitude and isolation
Across plains of disappointment
Having traveled through flat landscapes marked by discouragement and sorrow
Across rivers of tears
Having crossed various emotional hurdles marked with tears, grief, and sadness
Never slowing down, never giving time to rest
Not having the chance or luxury to stop, relax, or take a break from the pursuit of something important
The heart is a lonely hunter
One's feelings or emotions towards someone is often pursued alone, just like a hunter seeks its prey
It's hunger drives you on and on
The strong desire or craving to fulfill a feeling keeps one motivated and moving forward
Till you find the place your heart belongs
Until you finally find the person, location or situation that makes you feel truly happy and fulfilled
So many times I'd had enough
Having reached the limit of my patience, tolerance, or endurance several times before
So many nights I'd given up
Surrendering to the situation or giving up hope for a positive outcome on many occasions
But now I see its aim was true
Looking back, I realize that the purpose and goal of the pursuit was accurate and successful
From the first time you touched my hand
Since the initial physical contact with the significant person in my life
I know the one my heart demands
I fully understand the person that my feelings or emotions crave and desire
And all the while, it was leading me to you
The entire process of loneliness and seeking was gradually and constantly directing me towards the person who makes me feel fulfilled
You can feel your heart beat faster
Sensing or experiencing the increase in the pace of heartbeats as an emotional response to an event or stimuli
And the tremble in your hands
Noticing the shaking in the hands, which can be a physical manifestation of intense emotions, nerves, or excitement
And the thrill of getting closer
The excitement felt when approaching or attaining the desired goal or person
And baby you're the place my heart belongs
Expressing to the significant person that their presence is the ultimate destination that fulfills one's emotions or feelings
Gotta find the place your heart belongs
Encouraging the listener to locate or discover the situation and person that provides the ultimate fulfillment of their emotions or feelings
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: DOUGLAS THOMAS JAMES, PAUL YOUNG
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind