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/
Why Does a Man Have to Be Strong
Paul Young Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Here I go again, wishing the ground would swallow me whole.
If I can't give you a good reason, then it's me who must be wrong,
But I'd cry if I stood for (this) treason so why does a man have to be strong?
Even though I try to get by oh why, why does a man have to be strong?
There I go again, finding the words to apologize.
I've got to get these tears I'm crying out of my eyes
'Cause when you tell me that you need me, but you can never find me there
Is it true what I hear, or just another storyline?
There's one thing I know; it won't be the only time
You'd think I was made of iron with all the things you put me through
But girl I tell you I'm not lying when I say that you can hurt me too
Why is it I have to be strong?
The lyrics of Paul Young's song Why Does A Man Have To Be Strong expresses the idea that being strong all the time can be difficult for a man, especially when it comes to relationships. The opening line shows someone expressing their frustration and being at their limit, while the singer wishes he could disappear. Though he tries to make excuses for his behavior, he knows that he is wrong, but he can't help feeling hurt. He wonders why he can't show his emotions and be vulnerable, asking why he has to be strong.
In the second verse, the singer is trying to apologize and is feeling emotional. He wants to hide his tears since he wants to appear strong. The bridge talks about how sometimes it's challenging to distinguish whether what he's hearing is honest or someone's attempt to manipulate him. The chorus repeats the question again, reflecting the difficulties that many men face in relationships where they are expected to be beacons of strength.
The song conveys a struggle that many men continue to grapple with regarding stereotypical gender roles and emotions. Being a 'real man,' you're supposed to be tough and resilient, but being in relationships requires being vulnerable at times. The song narrates a man who's attempting to navigate trying to be emotional and strong—matters of identity and deep emotional inner turmoil. These lyrics resonate with a broader message of emotional fragility, particularly among men, that ending stereotypes is less about replacing what is wrong with other stereotypes but making allowance for everyone to experience a full range of feelings freely.
Line by Line Meaning
There you go again, saying you can't take any more;
You keep complaining that you can't handle things anymore;
Here I go again, wishing the ground would swallow me whole.
I feel so ashamed and embarrassed that I want to disappear from the situation completely.
If I can't give you a good reason, then it's me who must be wrong,
If I can't explain myself properly, then it is my fault;
But I'd cry if I stood for (this) treason so why does a man have to be strong?
I would feel devastated if I betrayed you, so why do I have to be emotionally strong all the time?
Even though I try to get by oh why, why does a man have to be strong?
I try my best to manage my emotions, but why do I have to constantly appear strong and composed?
There I go again, finding the words to apologize.
I feel the need to apologize again for my mistakes.
I've got to get these tears I'm crying out of my eyes
I need to hide my tears from you because I don't want to appear weak.
'Cause when you tell me that you need me, but you can never find me there
When you express your need for me, but I am unable to be there for you.
I bet you think I find it easy or that I don't even really care
You probably assume that I don't care or that it is effortless for me.
Is it true what I hear, or just another storyline?
I am unsure if your words are genuine or just a charade.
There's one thing I know; it won't be the only time
I know this won't be the only instance in which I will have to appear strong and unaffected.
You'd think I was made of iron with all the things you put me through
You treat me as if I'm indestructible and can handle anything.
But girl I tell you I'm not lying when I say that you can hurt me too
I want you to know that your actions can also wound me.
Why is it I have to be strong?
I am questioning why I have to always be emotionally strong.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: IAN KEWLEY, PAUL YOUNG
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Sickboi's Adventures
Seen Paul Young live three times each time was amazing. Love his music, such an incredible vocal range.
Rosangela Bandeira
Alegria regada a uma arte incomparável é a tradução desse vídeo clipe 🇧🇷🇬🇧
mmariamm
LINDA MUSICA ,ADOREI !
Soninha Marron
Minha vida perde todo o sentido sem essas musicas maravilhosas deste cantor incomparável.!
Soninha Mendes
Magnífico,completo, perfeito.Nestes dias difíceis e tristes ,você é o meu acalento, suas canções me confortam a mente e o meu coração.💖❤😍💛💛
Darla Levercom
I love this song! I love the arrangement!
Lynnie Heal
Very talented musician #PaulYoung
Susanne Tapley
"Everytime You Go Away" brings me back to when I was 16 and had my first serious boyfriend. I can't believe I felt strong feelings like that when I was just a teenager!! : ¤ Incredible! Beautiful song.* : )
Soninha Marron
Estou viciada nas músicas deste cantor.Que bençao de Deus é essa voz e este talento incomparável,precisamos de mais cantores de verdade como este.
Irene Lim
It's a beautiful song , I love it