George Michael and Andrew Ridgeley met at Bushey Meads School in Watford, England. At first, they performed in a short-lived rock and roll band called The Executive. They then changed their name and signed with Innervision Records. Soon after a legal victory over Innervision, the duo was signed to CBS, Columbia Records in the United States and Canada and Epic Records for the rest of the world.
Further information: Artist development deal
Michael took on the majority of roles and responsibilities within the band— composer, singer, producer, and occasional instrumentalist— but the contribution of Ridgeley as the group's image specialist and spokesman was crucial to the band's initial success. Ridgeley convinced a reluctant George that Wham! needed to change their image and sound frequently, from the leather-clad moody singers of "Bad Boys" and "Young Guns (Go For It!)" to the more fashionable pop superstars of "Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go."
Still teenagers, they promoted themselves as hedonistic youngsters, proud to live a carefree life without work or commitment. This was reflected in their earliest singles. Such works as "Wham Rap! (Enjoy What You Do?)" have been seen as sarcasm advocating the other point of view.
The first record to be released by the band was "Wham Rap!". It was a double-A side with a Social Mix and Anti-social Mix. The record was banned for general release in the UK due to the profanity in the Anti-social Mix. In October 1982, their song "Young Guns (Go For It!)" was issued. The song was an appeal from one youthful lad to his friend to not throw his life away so early on marriage. It stalled outside the UK Top 40 but then Wham! got lucky when Top Of The Pops scheduled them. An important weekly BBC chart show on television, it had to look outside the Top 40 to fill a gap created by an act which had pulled out of recording. Nearest to the 40 mark and still climbing, Wham! was summoned, and a phenomenon immediately began.
The impact of Wham! on the public, especially teenage girls, was felt from the moment they finished their debut performance of "Young Guns (Go For It!)" on Top Of The Pops. Michael's appearance may have helped. He wore espadrilles, a suede jacket slit open, and rolled-up denim jeans. Ridgeley stood behind him, flanked by backing dancers D.C. Lee and Shirlie Holliman.
The performance was as much one of acting as it was of singing, with Michael playing the part of the pleading goodtime lad, and Ridgeley the guy who had been drawn into commitment. Afterwards, the song shot into the Top 40 at #24 and peaked at #3 in December. The following year (1983), D.C. Lee began her work with Paul Weller of The Style Council, and was replaced by Pepsi DeMacque. Holliman and DeMacque would later record music as Pepsi and Shirlie.
Wham! followed up "Young Guns (Go For It!)" with the reissue "Wham Rap! (Enjoy What You Do)", a song about the joys of a leisurely life (the full version of which clocked in at almost seven minutes long); "Bad Boys", about a strained relationship between a rebellious teenage lad and his worried parents; and "Club Tropicana", a satire of the Club 18-30 scene. Each song came with a memorable music video.
By the end of 1983, Wham! was rivaling Duran Duran and Culture Club as Britain's biggest pop act. Notoriety and column inches were duly achieved with their antics of placing a shuttlecock down their shorts, and their first album Fantastic reached #1.
Around this time, Ridgeley become conscious of legal problems with their initial contract at Innervision. He mounted a legal challenge against the record company and its founder Mark Dean, who had initially signed them to the label, and George publicly stated they were financially mistreated [citation needed]. While the legal battle raged (perhaps to raise much-needed funds for the fight), Innervision released a medley of non-single album tracks from Fantastic, entitled Club Fantastic Megamix. Wham! publicly denounced the move, and urged fans not to buy it. After all the legal wrangling, Innervision admitted there were royalty discrepancies with Wham!'s contract, leading to the bankruptcy and dissolution of Innervision.
Driven by Ridgeley, the duo changed their image, and Wham! returned in May 1984 with an updated, cutting-edge pop image quickly copied by other pop bands. Andrew changed the band's look from "moody in leather jackets" to smiles and fashionable clothing, with an aim to promote themselves more as sex symbols rather than spokespeople for a disaffected generation.
Fittingly enough, these changes propelled the next single (a pop standard) to the top of the charts around the world. Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go, a song Michael wrote from a note left to him in his hotel room one night by Ridgeley. The note was mistakenly written by Ridgeley as "don't forget to wake me up up before you go go, George". Since he accidentally wrote the word "up" twice, Ridgeley decided to compound the error and write "go" twice. It became their first UK #1 and rose to the top in the USA), capped by a memorable video of the duo, plus the ubiquitous Pepsi and Shirlie, wearing Katharine Hamnett T-shirts with the slogans CHOOSE LIFE and GO GO.
These t-shirts became essential fashion items as Hamnett wrote herself into the pop culture lexicon, having simultaneously designed the FRANKIE SAY t-shirts for Frankie Goes to Hollywood.
Although some critics felt that Wham! represented bubblegum pop[citation needed], many were starting to appreciate Michael's proven ability as a songwriter and capable vocalist. (The following year, he would win the Ivor Novello Award for songwriting.) However, at the same time they bemoaned the status of Ridgeley, who had started to "play" a guitar during live shows (never on any recordings) but whose overall contribution was deemed to be lightweight[citation needed].
With some bizarre contradiction, the next single "Careless Whisper" was issued as a George Michael solo piece, yet unlike any Wham! single since "Wham Rap!," it was co-written by Ridgeley. The song quickly reached #1. In the autumn of 1984, Wham! came back as a duo with "Freedom", another chart-topper. In November, they released their second album, Make It Big, which coasted to #1 on the album charts. The band set off on another arena tour at the end of '84, and George told Smash Hits magazine at the time that he had written a song called "Stephen." The song had been composed for a friend who was struggling to cope with bereavment. While this song is still unreleased, those that were at the recording sessions decsribe it as a heartfelt story of the loss of a loved one[citation needed].
George contributed to the Band Aid project, with Michael providing vocals as the song usurped their own Christmas release, "Last Christmas"/"Everything She Wants", the former of which featured a video set in a ski resort.
The single became the highest-selling single ever to peak at #2 in the UK charts. As such, Wham! donated all their royalties to the Ethiopian famine appeal to coincide with the fundraising intentions of Band Aid, the song which beat them to the top spot. Band Aid's success meant that Michael had been at #1 within three different entities in 1984—as a solo artist, half of a duo, and part of a charity ensemble.
Michael desired to create music targeted to a more sophisticated audience than the duo's primarily teenage fanbase. Therefore, Michael and Ridgeley announced the breakup of Wham! in the spring of 1986, destined to take place after a farewell single and album, along with a historic grand finale concert at Wembley Stadium on June 28, 1986, called The Final. British pop group Five Star declined George's invitation to be the supporting act, saying they needed to concentrate on their own career at the time.
Freedom
Wham! Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
People saying that you're no good for me
Saw your lover with another and she's makin' a fool of you, oh
If you love me, baby, you'd deny it
But you laugh and tell me I should try it
Tell me I'm a baby, and I don't understand
But you know that I'll forgive you
'Cause baby, you could drag me to hell and back
Just as long as we're together
And you do
I don't want your freedom
I don't want to play around
I don't want nobody, baby
Part time love just brings me down
I don't need your freedom
Girl, all I want right now is you
Do, do, do
Whoa, oh, yeah
Do-do-do-do-do-do
Do-do-do-do-do-do
Like a prisoner who has his own key
But I can't escape until you love me
I just go from day to day knowing all about the other boys
You take my hand and tell me I'm a fool to give you all that I do
I bet you someday, baby, someone says the same to you
But you know that I'll forgive you
Just this once, twice, forever
'Cause baby, you could drag me to hell and back
Just as long as we're together
And you do, oh
I don't want your freedom
I don't want to play around
I don't want nobody, baby
Part time love just brings me down
I don't want your freedom
Girl, all I want right now is you
Do, do, do
Can't you see you're hurtin' me?
Whoa, oh, yeah
Do-do-do-do-do-do
Do-do-do-do-do-do
You hurt me, baby, hurt me, baby
Oh
Do-do-do, do, do, do, do
Do-do-do, do, do, do, do
Do-do-do, do, do, do, do
Do-do-do, do, do, do, do
You hurt me, baby, hurt me, baby
But you know that I'll forgive you
Just this once, twice, forever
'Cause baby, you could drag me to hell and back
Just as long as we're together
And you do, oh
I don't want your freedom
I don't need to play around
I don't want nobody, baby
Part time love just brings me down
I don't want your freedom
I don't want to play around
I don't want nobody, baby
Part time love just brings me down
I don't want your (I don't want your)
I don't want your (I don't want your)
I don't want your (I don't want your)
I don't want your (I don't want your)
Oh
The song "Freedom" by Wham! is a classic 80s pop hit that is all about being totally smitten with someone who might not have the same commitment to the relationship as the singer. This song tells the story of a person who hears rumors about their partner being unfaithful but is willing to look past it because they're so in love. The chorus repeats the line "I don't want your freedom," referring to the fact that the singer doesn't want their lover to be free to see other people. Instead, they want a committed relationship and all that comes with it, even if it means forgiving their partner for their mistakes. The verses also mention jealousy and insecurity on the singer's part, as they constantly worry about their partner leaving them for someone else.
The lyrics of "Freedom" are simple and straightforward, but they capture the feeling of being deeply in love with someone who might not reciprocate those feelings. The singer is willing to forgive and forget because they believe that the love they have is worth it, even if it means being hurt in the future. The chorus is catchy and memorable, with its repeated refrain of "I don't want your freedom." The song is ultimately a plea for commitment and devotion, offering the singer's unconditional love in return.
Line by Line Meaning
Every day I hear a different story
I am constantly hearing conflicting things about you from others
People saying that you're no good for me
Others believe you are not good for me
Saw your lover with another and she's makin' a fool of you, oh
I saw your lover with someone else and they were making a fool out of you
If you love me baby, you'd deny it
You would deny the claims that others are saying about you if you truly loved me
But you laugh and tell me I should try it
Instead of denying the claims, you laugh and tell me to try it for myself
Tell me I'm a baby, and I don't understand
You dismiss my concerns and belittle me by calling me a baby who doesn't understand
But you know that I'll forgive you
Despite your behavior, you know that I will always forgive you
Just this once, twice, forever
I will always forgive you no matter how many times you hurt me
'Cause baby, you could drag me to hell and back
I am willing to go through anything and everything with you because I love you
Just as long as we're together
As long as we are together, I am willing to endure anything
And you do
Despite everything, you continue to hurt me
I don't want your freedom
I do not want you to be free from our relationship
I don't want to play around
I do not want us to be non-committal or casual
I don't want nobody, baby
I do not want anyone else but you
Part time love just brings me down
Having a non-committal or casual relationship makes me feel depressed and unfulfilled
Girl, all I want right now is you
Despite everything, all I want is to be with you
Like a prisoner who has his own key
I am able to leave this relationship whenever I want, but I am choosing to stay
But I can't escape until you love me
Despite having the ability to leave, I am unable to do so until you reciprocate my love
I just go from day to day knowing all about the other boys
I have to live with the knowledge that you are with other people
You take my hand and tell me I'm a fool to give you all that I do
You try to convince me that I am foolish for giving you my all
I bet you someday, baby, someone says the same to you
I believe that someday, someone will treat you the same way you are treating me
Can't you see you're hurtin' me?
I am in pain because of the way you treat me
You hurt me baby, hurt me baby
Your actions cause me pain and hurt
I don't want your (I don't want your)
I do not want to accept the way you treat me anymore
I don't want your part-time love
I do not want you to be with me only part of the time
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: George Michael
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind