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.

Won't Last a Day Without You
Steve Brookstein Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Day after day, I must face a world of strangers where I don't belong
I'm not that strong
It's nice to know that there's someone I can turn to who will always care
You're always there

When there's no gettin' over that rainbow
When my smallest of dreams won't come true
I can take all the madness the world has to give

But I won't last a day without you

So many times when the city seems to be without a friendly face
A lonely place
It's nice to know that you'll be there if I need you and you'll always smile
It's all worthwhile

When there's no gettin' over that rainbow
When my smallest of dreams won't come true
I can take all the madness the world has to give
But I won't last a day without you

Touch me and I end up singin'
Trouble seems to up and disappear
You touch me with the love you're bringing
I can't really lose when you're near
When you're near, my love

If all my friends have forgotten half their promises, they're not unkind
Just hard to find
One look at you and I know that I Could learn to live without the rest
I've found the best, hoh

When there's no gettin' over that rainbow
When my smallest of dreams won't come true
I can take all the madness the world has to give

But I won't last a day without you

Without you
Won't last a day without you

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Steve Brookstein's song "Won't Last a Day Without You" speak about the longing for someone who provides comfort and support in a world of strangers. The singer admits his vulnerability and acknowledges that he is not strong enough to face the challenges of life alone. He expresses gratitude for the person who is always by his side and makes him feel loved and cared for. The lyrics imply that this person is the singer's romantic partner, as they refer to the physical touch of their loved one as bringing comfort and making troubles disappear.

The song's chorus is an assertion that the singer can tolerate the difficulties of the world, but not without the love and support of their partner. The metaphor of the rainbow and dreams not coming true may symbolize the challenges and disappointments of everyday life, while the love of another person is the hope and beauty that makes it all worthwhile.

Overall, the lyrics to "Won't Last a Day Without You" are a poignant expression of the value of human connection and the transformative power of love in the face of adversity.

Line by Line Meaning

Day after day, I must face a world of strangers where I don't belong
Every single day, I am faced with unfamiliar faces and situations that make me feel out of place.

I'm not that strong
I am not strong enough to handle everything on my own.

It's nice to know that there's someone I can turn to who will always care
It's comforting to have someone in my life who will always be there for me no matter what.

You're always there
You are that person who is always there for me.

When there's no gettin' over that rainbow
When there is no way to achieve what I long for.

When my smallest of dreams won't come true
When even my smallest desires do not come to fruition.

I can take all the madness the world has to give
I can handle all the craziness that the world throws my way.

But I won't last a day without you
But I cannot go on for even a day without you by my side.

So many times when the city seems to be without a friendly face
Often, it feels like there is no one around who is kind or approachable in the city.

A lonely place
It can feel like a lonely and isolating environment.

It's nice to know that you'll be there if I need you and you'll always smile
I find it reassuring that you will be there to support me when I need you and that you always project a positive attitude.

It's all worthwhile
Having you in my life makes everything better and makes it all worth it.

Touch me and I end up singin'
Your touch has a profound effect on me and can even make me burst into song.

Trouble seems to up and disappear
When you are around, any trouble or difficulties I am experiencing seem to melt away.

You touch me with the love you're bringing
Your loving touch has a powerful impact on me.

I can't really lose when you're near
When I am close to you, I don't feel like I can fail at anything.

When you're near, my love
When you are close to me, I feel loved and cared for.

If all my friends have forgotten half their promises, they're not unkind
If my friends forget some of the promises they have made, it doesn't mean they are cruel or unfeeling.

Just hard to find
They might just be difficult to track down sometimes.

One look at you and I know that I Could learn to live without the rest
One glance in your direction and I realize that I could do without all the other people in my life as long as I have you.

I've found the best, hoh
I have found the best person for me.

Without you
In your absence.

Won't last a day without you
I cannot go a single day without you.

Writer(s): Roger S. Nichols, Paul H. Williams

Contributed by Harper S. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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