Ward has six siblings, including a twin sister. Prior to his participation in The X Factor, Ward was in a band called Destiny with two women named Tracy Murphy and Tracey Lyle. They performed at pubs, clubs and weddings. Ward also reached the final thirty of Popstars: The Rivals.
During The X Factor competition, Ward was mentored by manager Louis Walsh. The Bookies' favourite to win the show, he defeated duo Journey South and singer Andy Abraham in the final, screened by ITV1, by a margin of 1.2% of the vote, out of a reputed 10.8 million phone votes cast by viewers (since the programme was watched by an audience averaging 9.2 million people, it is likely that some viewers cast multiple votes for all finalists).
His first single, "That's My Goal", was released in the UK on Wednesday, December 21, 2005 and became the Christmas number one in 2005. It sold 313,000 copies on its first day of sales, making it the third fastest selling single of all time (behind Elton John's "Candle in the Wind" and Will Young's "Evergreen", which sold 685,000 and 400,000 copies in their first days of sale respectively).
His second single was released on Monday 10 April 2006, and it reached #2 in the UK Singles Chart. His album was released on Monday April 17th, and it sold over 95,000 copies on the first two days of release. By the end of the week the album sold 201,266 copies at #1. The album sold 71,396 copies in its second week, and fell to Number 2.
Sony BMG released his debut album on 14 July 2006 in Taiwan and other Asian Countries. The self-titled album spawned 3 singles: That's My Goal, No Promises, and Stand By Me. Since release, it has gone platinum and peaked at number one in some countries.
After the completition of his successful debut tour, Ward's fourth single and first from his second album ("If That's OK with You") was given a release date of 20 August 2007, but was then delayed and became a double A-side single with "No U Hang Up". It was finally released on 24 September 2007, and charted at number two in the UK being held off by the Sugababes with "About you now". "No U Hang Up" and "If That's OK with You" charted separately in Ireland, the former reaching number eleven and the latter entering at number one.
Ward's second album, Breathless, was released on 26 November 2007, and after selling over 95,000 copies in its first week, debuted at number two on the UK Albums Chart, held off the top spot by his X Factor successor, Leona Lewis's, multi-platinum selling debut, Spirit. In Ireland, the album debuted at number one (removing Lewis's album from the top spot) a position it held for three weeks, and was later certified five times platinum.
The second single from Ward's album was announced as "Breathless", and was released on 19 November 2007. It peaked at number six in the UK and number two in Ireland. On November 10, Ward performed "Breathless" on the live results show of the fourth series of The X Factor, although the single was not available for download until the November 18, followed by a performance on The Paul O'Grady Show on November 19. In the UK the album has been certified platinum with sales of over 450,000.
In May 2008 Ward embarked on his month-long UK tour named The Breathless Tour 2008. He made his stage debut at London's O2 Arena and visited his home town Manchester at the MEN Arena. He also performed his complete show as a support act for Westlife's 2008 tour in front of a crowd of over 80,000 at Ireland's Croke Park. Ward also played on the opening night at the O2, Dublin, at the Cheerios Childline concert on 16 Dec 2008.
Ward started working on his third album in 2009 with producers RedOne and Taio Cruz. The album, titled Obsession, was released on 15 November 2010. The first single from the album - a cover version of Nickelback's 2008 single, "Gotta Be Somebody" - was released on 7 November 2010 and reached number 12 in the UK and number 10 in Ireland. On 9 June 2011, it was announced that Ward would star as Stacee Jaxx in the 80s-themed musical Rock of Ages at the Shaftesbury Theatre, London. Ward received nominations as London Newcomer of the Year for the prestigious Whatsonstage awards and Best Featured Actor at the BroadwayWorld Awards. He has since announced that he will be returning to the studio in October 2012, after his contract with Rock of Ages ends.
Unchained Melody
Shayne Ward Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I've hungered for your touch
A long lonely time
Time goes by so slowly
and time can do so much
Are you still mine?
I need your love
I need your love
Lonely rivers flow to the sea
To the sea
To the open arms of the sea
yeah
Lonely rivers sigh "Wait for me"
Wait for me
I'll be coming home
Wait for me
Oh my love, my darling
I've hungered,
Hungered for your touch
A long lonely time
And time goes by so slowly
And time can do so much
Are you still mine
I need your love, I,
I need your love
God speed your love to me
The lyrics of Shayne Ward's song Unchained Melody are very emotional and revolve around a longing for love and companionship. The song talks about the hunger and longing that one feels for the touch of their loved one, and how time can be both a friend and a foe. Throughout the song, the singer keeps asking whether their loved one still belongs to them, and how much they need their love. The phrase โGod speed your love to meโ is particularly telling, as it shows the desperation and longing of the singer to connect with their estranged partner.
The second verse of the song uses the metaphor of the river flowing to the sea to represent the singer's own journey towards their loved one. The river's open arms represent the possibility of being reunited with their partner, and the singer asks them to wait for him, symbolizing their hope for forgiveness and reconciliation. The line, โI'll be coming home, wait for meโ is both remorseful and hopeful, suggesting that the singer is willing to make amends for any past mistakes and is hopeful for a future together.
Overall, the lyrics of the song are very poignant and relatable, touching on themes of loneliness, longing, and hope. The song's timeless themes, combined with Shayne Ward's soulful voice, have made it a classic that continues to resonate with audiences today.
Line by Line Meaning
Oh my love, my darling
Addressing his beloved partner with endearment.
I've hungered for your touch
Expressing his desire and longing to have physical contact with his partner.
A long lonely time
Emphasizing the duration of loneliness experienced without his partner around.
Time goes by so slowly
Reflecting on how time seems to pass slowly without his partner's presence.
and time can do so much
Acknowledging that although time can feel slow, a lot can still happen and change over that time period.
Are you still mine?
Expressing uncertainty about the status of his relationship with his partner.
I need your love
Expressing that he desires his partner's love and companionship.
God speed your love to me
Asking for his partner's love and presence to come to him quickly.
Lonely rivers flow to the sea
Drawing a comparison between rivers that flow to the sea all alone and the singer's own loneliness.
To the sea
The destination of the lonely rivers, highlighting the similarity between them and the singer's loneliness.
To the open arms of the sea
Personifying the sea as a comforting figure with open arms, further emphasizing the singer's desire for companionship and love.
Lonely rivers sigh 'Wait for me'
Describing the lonely rivers as if they were longing for companionship as well, using their sighs to convey a similar message with the singer's own message.
Wait for me
Asking for his partner to wait for him to return home, similar to how he is waiting for his partner to come to him.
And time goes by so slowly
Reiterating the idea presented earlier that time can seem to take forever when you're waiting for someone or something.
And time can do so much
Reinforcing the concept that while time may feel slow, it can still bring about significant changes.
Are you still mine
Repeating the question from earlier, as the singer still desires to know the status of his relationship with his partner.
I need your love
Reiterating that the singer needs his partner's love and companionship to feel fulfilled and whole.
God speed your love to me
Closing out the song with the same request as before, desiring his partner's love and presence as soon as possible.
Contributed by Connor S. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@dianes.1385
IMHO, this is one of the most beautiful love songs ever written, and Shaneโs voice goes so far beyond doing it justice. Stellar, stunning, superb performance thatโs sung from the heart and soul. Absolutely beautiful โค
@tanyaduffy9463
I never knew Shayne ward sang Unchained Melody. Wow โค๏ธโค๏ธโค๏ธ. I am happy I subscribed to his channel.โค๏ธโค๏ธโค๏ธ
@kyshawnbrown9540
๐ฅ๐ฅ๐ฅ๐ฅ๐ฅ
@aliciaslyric5889
Beautiful โค๏ธ๐ต๏ธ
@ilhembargoug8152
All the best
@eriksongarcia3507
Shayne, you are my inspiration!!, You're the best!!
@TravelwithGoddy8
One love from Uganda๐บ๐ฌ
@ritz_cortez2789
Ooohhhh very nice ๐๐๐
@maryricci3888
Wonderfoul voice...much compliments!
@anasal10
My loooveee