Steven Desmond "Steve" Brookstein (born 10 November 1968 in London) is an E… Read Full Bio ↴Steven Desmond "Steve" Brookstein (born 10 November 1968 in London) is an English jazz and soul singer, who rose to fame in the UK in 2004 after winning the first series of The X Factor with 6 million votes.

After winning The X Factor, Steve Brookstein was immediately signed to the Sony BMG record label through which he released his first single, a cover of "Against All Odds" on 20 December 2004. The song debuted on the UK Singles Chart at number 2 and then rose to the number 1 spot on 2 January 2005, and stayed there for one week. In Ireland, the song peaked at number 11. The music video for the song was a montage of clips from his time on The X Factor, from his initial audition to his final performance after being declared the winner.

Brookstein released his debut album Heart & Soul on 9 May 2005 through Sony BMG, five months after his first single reached number one. The album was an immediate success, also debuting on the UK charts at number one and going on to sell approximately 250,000 copies. Although Brookstein continued to perform tracks from his album on television shows, a second single failed to materialise. In August 2005 it was announced that Sony BMG had dropped him from their line-up only eight months after his X Factor victory and despite the success of his debut single and album. Brookstein maintains that the decision to 'drop' him reportedly came after he was offered a second album and to come back on the show, which he declined as it was to be another album of covers and he preferred a mix of old and new.

After being released from his contract by Sony BMG, Brookstein spent the next year writing his own material and forming his own record label. On 2 October 2006, he released his second single (and first from his upcoming album), Fighting Butterflies, independently. Although accompanied and promoted by a music video, the song failed to crack the UK Top 75. Undeterred, Brookstein released his second album, 40,000 Things, on 9 October 2006. However, the album also failed to chart.

From September to November 2006, Brookstein embarked on a nationwide tour of small venues in order to promote his new album. Many of the shows were sold out, but several had to be cancelled due to low ticket sales.

In June 2007, Brookstein appeared on the P&O Portsmouth to Bilbao ship for cruisers, alongside X Factor series 2 alumni Chico and Journey South In September 2007, Brookstein embarked on his Great American Soul Book tour, and in October he recorded and contributed the track "Head Over Heels" for Ian Levine's Disco 2008 album. In 2008, he played 'the father' in a touring production of the award-winning musical Our House.

In 2009 he was working on producing his wife Eileen Hunter's jazz album and performing at smaller venues. He also recorded a cover of Promised Land with the Boogie Pimps which was a best seller for the label, Liberty Records.

Since his 2004 X-Factor win and subsequent fall from grace, Steve has spent much of his time bitterly, publicly and vociferously criticising Simon Cowell, The "X-Factor" phenomenon and the media generally, via his website and twitter feed.

Against All Odds
Steve Brookstein Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

How can I just let you walk away,
just let you leave without a trace
When I stand here taking every breath
with you, ooh-ooh
You're the only one
who really knew me at all
How can you just walk away from me,
when all I can do is watch you leave

Cos we've shared the laughter and the pain
and even shared the tears
You're the only one
who really knew me at all

So take a look at me now,
oh there's just an empty space
And there's nothing left here to remind me,
just the memory of your face
Ooh take a look at me now,
well there's just an empty space
And you coming back to me is against all odds
and that's what I've got to face

I wish I could just make you turn around,
turn around and see me cry
There's so much I need to say to you,
so many reasons why
You're the only one
who really knew me at all

So take a look at me now,
well there's just an empty space
And there's nothing left here to remind me,
just the memory of your face
Now take a look at me now,

cos there's just an empty space
But to wait for you,
is all I can do and that's what I've got to face

Take a good look at me now,
cos I'll still be standing here
And you coming back to me is against all odds
It's the chance I've gotta take

Take a look at me now

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Steve Brookstein's Against All Odds beautifully express the heart-wrenching pain of losing someone you love and desperately wanting them back. The first two verses convey the singer's disbelief at their lover's departure and the deep connection they had. The singer is clinging onto their memories and also the hope that the one they love might return. The chorus emphasizes the vacuum that has been created after the lover has left, highlighting the "empty space" that is left behind, and the subsequent lyric emphasizes the daunting reality of the lover's return being against the odds.

The third and fourth verses reveal the singer's desire to communicate their feelings and tell their lover why they need to come back. However, there is no chance for that talk anymore, yet the only thing that remains is the shadow of their face in the singer's mind. Finally, the chorus again repeats the longing to be with their lover despite the odds.

Overall, this song is a poignant representation of love, loss, and desperation. It speaks to the experience of those who have experienced similar situations and resonates deeply with the audience.

Line by Line Meaning

How can I just let you walk away, Just let you leave without a trace? When I stand here taking every breath with you, ooh ooh You're the only one who really knew me at all
I can't let you go without a word because you're the only person who truly understands me, and it's unbearable to think of you leaving me behind and moving on.

How can you just walk away from me When all I can do is watch you leave? 'Cause we've shared the laughter and the pain And even shared the tears You're the only one who really knew me at all
It's not fair that you're leaving when we've been through so much together, and you've been the only one who has truly known and understood me.

So take a look at me now Well there's just an empty space And there's nothing left here to remind me Just the memory of your face Take a look at me now
My life is empty now that you're gone, and all I have left are memories of you that continue to remind me of what I've lost.

Well there's just an empty space And you coming back to me is against the odds And that's what I've got to face, oh
It's unlikely that you'll come back to me, and I have to accept that harsh reality and try to move on from the pain of losing you.

I wish I could just make you turn around Turn around and see me cry There's so much I need to say to you So many reasons why You're the only one who really knew me at all
I wish you could see how much you mean to me and how deeply your absence has affected me. There are so many things I want to tell you and reasons why you're the only person who truly knew me.

Take a look at me now Well there's just an empty space And there's nothing left here to remind me Just the memory of your face Take a look at me now
Even now, after all this time, my life is still empty without you, and all I have left is the memory of your face and what we once had.

Well there's just an empty space But to wait for you is all I can do And that's what I've got to face
Even though waiting for you isn't ideal or even realistic, it's all I can do because I'm still holding on to the hope that you'll come back, even if it goes against the odds.

Take a good look at me now 'Cause I'll still be standing here And you coming back to me is against the odds And it's what I've got to face Take a look at me now
I may be hurting, but I'm still standing, and I have to face the fact that you may never come back to me, even if it's what I still hope for and hold onto despite the odds.

Lyrics © CONCORD MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Tratore
Written by: Phillip David Charles Collins

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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