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/
Tomb of Memories
Paul Young Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Sometimes words never come his way
Strong enough to transact something physical.
All the ways that a head can find
To evolve a picture from a state of mind.
You never seems to mean the same to every guy. something physical
Words are no substitute when it seems if we're locked in a room
That's a tomb of memories.
The hurt it don't stop
The hurt it don't stop
The hurt it don't stop memories
Simple words from a simple man
Can see more than the learning head.
They turn emotion into something physical, yeh. something physical
Words can be found and twisted round.
Words are no substitute when it seems if we're locked in a room
That's a tomb of memories.
The hurt it don't stop
The hurt it don't stop
The hurt it don't stop
The hurt it don't stop
The hurt it don't stop memories
The hurt it don't stop
The hurt it don't stop
The lyrics of Paul Young's song, Tomb Of Memories, explore the limitations of language to express one's emotions and connect with others. The opening lines suggest that sometimes, even when a person has strong feelings to convey, they may struggle to find the right words or to express themselves physically. The use of the phrase "something physical" in both the opening and closing verses adds weight to this idea - words can only do so much, and sometimes actions speak louder than words.
The second verse delves deeper into the complexities of communication, highlighting that each person's experiences and perspectives can influence the meaning of the words they use. This idea is reflected in the line "You never seems to mean the same to every guy." Words can be "twisted round" and manipulated to convey different meanings, and in certain situations, it may be impossible to fully articulate what one is feeling.
The repeated refrain of "The hurt it don't stop" drives home the central theme of the song - the lingering pain of lost love or broken relationships that are trapped within the "tomb of memories." The use of the word "tomb" casts a somewhat bleak shadow over the notion of memories - they may be cherished and nostalgic, but they can also be haunting and painful, especially when one is unable to fully express themselves or reconcile with the past.
Line by Line Meaning
When a man had a thing to say
Sometimes a man can't find the right words to express himself.
Sometimes words never come his way
It's difficult to articulate what's inside one's head.
Strong enough to transact something physical.
However, actions can speak louder than words.
All the ways that a head can find
There are various ways our thoughts manifest.
To evolve a picture from a state of mind.
We can create and interpret images based on our thoughts and emotions.
You never seems to mean the same to every guy.
Individual perspectives differ greatly.
Words can be found and twisted round.
Words can be manipulated and misconstrued.
Words are no substitute when it seems if we're locked in a room
In some situations, words can't fix things.
That's a tomb of memories.
Past experiences can haunt us, especially in difficult situations.
The hurt it don't stop
Pain can linger and feel unending.
Simple words from a simple man
Sometimes simple words can have a powerful impact.
Can see more than the learning head.
Intelligence doesn't necessarily equate to emotional depth or understanding.
They turn emotion into something physical, yeh.
Words can embody and give strength to our emotions.
The hurt it don't stop memories
Memories can facilitate or intensify pain.
The hurt it don't stop
Again, pain can persist despite our efforts to overcome it.
The hurt it don't stop
Repeated for emphasis.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: IAN KEWLEY, PAUL YOUNG
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Serkan Okar
Paul Young had one of the best vocals, wonderful, raspy voice, very unique. Love his music.
Stoyan
not a pure voice,but pretty good..and good person too
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Richard Cooper
I agree also the other paul young from manchester 🇬🇧 sad cafe/mike and the mechanics had a great voice too who sadly died in July of 2000 from a heart attack😥.
Isabel
One of my favorite songs from Paul 😍
Waller Franci ramos Pereira
Me encantei por sua voz,por seu carisma 😍
Annalisa Tramarin
I love two vocalists, to me the best ones, Morten Harket and Paul Young. They've got special voices which make you feel the melody and the lyrics of their songs really deep in your minds. They're unique artists singing only true music for true listeners.
Waller Franci ramos Pereira
Concordo