Young was born in Wokingham, Berkshire, UK, with a non-identical twin, Rupert. He was educated at Horris Hill preparatory school and Wellington College.
He then attended the University of Exeter where he read Politics. At university, some of Young's old haunts included Timepiece, The Old Firehouse, and Harry's, where he used to work. In September 2001, he became a student at the Arts Educational School in Chiswick, London, starting a three-year course in musical theatre with a scholarship.
In February 2002, Young came to national prominence by singing in and winning the ITV singing contest/reality tv show Pop Idol.
Contrary to popular belief, Will was not a surprise winner when beating Gareth Gates in the final show; in fact, he gained the most votes nearly every week throughout the entire finals. A lot of 'casual' viewers of Pop Idol may have been surprised at Will's victory because Gareth had got a lot of publicity (partly) due to his stutter, perhaps creating the illusion that he was more likely to win than Will.
Young's first single was a double A-side featuring Westlife's song "Evergreen" and "Anything Is Possible", a new song written for the winner of the show by Cathy Dennis. This became the fastest-selling debut in UK chart history selling 403,027 copies on its day of release. It went on to sell over 1.4 million copies and in the official list of the all-time best-selling singles in the UK issued later that year, it appeared 12th. Will subsequently made headlines by revealing he was gay. He went on to win the Brits Best Breakthrough Act Award and a plethora of other awards, including most recently Best Artist in the Digital Music Awards October 2004. Early singles of note include "Light My Fire" (done José Feliciano style), "Leave Right Now", and "Friday's Child". The latter is the title of his second album, which was largely self-penned, went five-times platinum, also receiving awards and critical acclaim.
Young received his second Brit Award in February 2005 for his co-written single "Your Game". Following sell out theatre and arena tours in 2004, he toured again at outside festival venues in Summer 2005. On July 6, 2005, he performed at Edinburgh 50,000 - The Final Push, the final concert of Live 8, where he did a duet with James Brown on "Papa's Got A Brand New Bag". His third album, Keep On was released in November 2005, together with the first single from same, "Switch It On".
On 29 September 2008, Young's fourth album, Let It Go, was released, and peaked at #2 in the UK albums chart. It was preceded by the single "Changes" on 15 September, which peaked at #10. His next single "Grace" was released on 1 December 2008, and peaked at #33 on the UK Singles Chart. Will's third single taken from the album will be "Let It Go", was released on 2 March 2009 in the UK, and peaked at #58 on the UK Singles Chart. The fourth and final single was "Tell Me the Worst", and was released on July 5, 2009 only in the UK. It served as a club promo, and featured some Fred Falke remixes.
A greatest hits collection, The Hits, was released on the 16th of November 2009. contains twelve songs from Young's first four studio albums, and two new tracks. The first is new single "Hopes & Fears", and the second is a ballad called "If It Hadn't Been for Love". The album will be released as a standard edition and a deluxe edition, which will include a DVD of all the music videos.
Songfacts reports that Jealousy, the first single from Young’s fifth studio album Echoes is a dance pop track produced by Richard X (Sugababes, Annie). The song will be released on August 21, 2011.
Young has been nominated for Ten BRIT Awards [4 x Best British Male - 4 X Best British single - Best pop Act- Best Breakthrough] . In May 2006, he was voted the UK's favourite artist ever in a poll conducted by commercial radio. In May 2007, he was voted the UK's favourite artist of all time for the second consecutive year.
Young has also broadened his repertoire by launching an acting career, taking a role in the BBC film, Mrs. Henderson Presents, starring Judi Dench and Bob Hoskins, with Will playing the character of 'Bertie'. The film went on release in the UK on 25 November 2005, and received excellent reviews, not least for Young's performance as actor and singer in the movie. It includes a scene in which he appears naked.
Will Young supports the charity Women's Aid, about which he wrote: "I am proud to put my name beside this cause and hope that I may be able to help more people affected by the terrors of domestic violence as well as help to create a wider awareness within our society."
Will also supports Mencap and Positive Action Southwest (PASW) for which he performed at his first solo concert in July 2003 at Killerton Hall, Exeter.
Official Website: http://www.willyoung.co.uk/global/home
All the Songs
Will Young Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Everything's good and I haven't felt this in so long
I get on the phone
My friends tell me they saw you dancing last night and I burn up
I might be alright
But I know you're dancing with somebody else to our song
Beginning to cry
That I'm not the one in your arms, just feels so wrong
Only takes a spark to light this flame
Lose my breath, my body starts to shake
Just don't know if there's more I can take
I'm close to breaking (breaking, breaking)
Can't escape, from these chains
All the songs remind me of you
All this pain, when will it end?
All the songs remind me of you
(Deep in my heart, deep in my heart)
All the songs remind me of you
(Deep in my heart, deep in my heart)
All the songs remind me of you
Everyday (everyday)
It feels dangerous driving along with the radio on (with the radio on, with the radio on)
I'm living in fear (living in fear)
All of my heart, all of my joy, wrapped up in these songs
(Wrapped up in these songs, wrapped up in these songs)
Can't escape, from these chains
All the songs remind me of you
All this pain, when will it end?
All the songs remind me of you
Remind me of you
Remind me of you (of you, of you)
(Deep in my heart, deep in my heart)
All the songs remind me of you
(Deep in my heart, deep in my heart)
All the songs remind me of you
Everyday step I walk away
Leads me back to you (you)
All these songs playing in my mind
Leads me back to you (back to you, woah)
Only takes a spark to light this flame
Lose my breath, my body starts to shake
I just don't know if there's more I can take
I'm close to breaking (breaking, breaking)
(Deep in my heart, deep in my heart)
All the songs remind me of you
(Deep in my heart, deep in my heart)
All the songs remind me of you
Only takes a spark to light this flame
Lose my breath, my body starts to shake
I just don't know if there's more I can take
I'm close to breaking
Breaking, breaking, breaking, breaking
Breaking, breaking, breaking, breaking
Breaking, breaking, breaking, breaking
Breaking, breaking
The lyrics of Will Young's song "All the Songs" depict the pain and heartache caused by a breakup. The singer begins by acknowledging the positive feelings they had been experiencing until they find out that their ex-partner was seen dancing with someone else to a song that holds significance in their relationship. This revelation brings forth a flood of emotions, leading the singer to cry and feel the weight of not being in their ex's arms anymore.
The chorus highlights the intense emotional impact that music can have on a person, serving as a constant reminder of their lost love. The lyrics mention feeling a spark within, which ignites a flame of pain and causes physical sensations such as breathlessness and trembling. The singer expresses uncertainty about how much more they can endure before they reach a breaking point.
The following verse reveals that music becomes an everyday source of distress for the singer. Simply driving with the radio on becomes a perilous task as each song reminds them of their ex-partner, enveloping their heart and joy. The lyrics portray living in fear and being consumed by the memories and emotions that the songs evoke.
The second chorus reinforces the idea that all songs continue to remind the singer of their lost love, and they ask when the pain will end. The lyrics express how deeply rooted these songs are in the singer's heart, constantly resurfacing the memories and emotions associated with their ex-partner.
The bridge illustrates the struggle of trying to move on. The singer recognizes that every step they take away from their ex only leads them back to thoughts of them. The songs playing in their mind continually bring them back to their past relationship, further intensifying their longing and pain.
The final repetition of the chorus emphasizes the overpowering nature of the emotions this breakup has caused, with the singer feeling on the verge of breaking. The repetition of the word "breaking" underscores the desperation and fragility of their emotional state.
Overall, "All the Songs" portrays a deeply vulnerable and heartbroken perspective, depicting the power of music to evoke memories and emotions tied to a lost love and the overwhelming difficulty of moving on.
Line by Line Meaning
Walking along
I am strolling, feeling content and happy.
Everything's good and I haven't felt this in so long
Everything is going well and it has been a long time since I felt this way.
I get on the phone
I pick up the phone to make a call.
My friends tell me they saw you dancing last night and I burn up
My friends inform me that they saw you dancing with someone else last night, and it fills me with intense jealousy and anger.
I might be alright
I might appear fine on the surface.
But I know you're dancing with somebody else to our song
However, deep down, I know you are dancing with someone else to the song that has significance for us.
Beginning to cry
I start to cry.
That I'm not the one in your arms, just feels so wrong
The fact that I am not the one you are holding in your arms feels incredibly wrong and painful.
Only takes a spark to light this flame
It only requires a small trigger to ignite this intense emotional fire within me.
Lose my breath, my body starts to shake
I find myself breathless, and my body starts trembling with the overwhelming emotions.
Just don't know if there's more I can take
I genuinely don't know if I can handle any more of this emotional turmoil.
I'm close to breaking (breaking, breaking)
I am on the verge of falling apart.
Can't escape, from these chains
I feel trapped and unable to break free from the emotional burden.
All the songs remind me of you
Every song I hear serves as a painful reminder of you.
All this pain, when will it end?
The pain I am experiencing feels endless and I wonder when it will finally subside.
Everyday (everyday)
Each day without fail.
It feels dangerous driving along with the radio on (with the radio on, with the radio on)
It feels risky to drive with the radio playing because every song that comes on reminds me of you.
I'm living in fear (living in fear)
I exist in a constant state of fear, dreading the reminders of you that come through the songs.
All of my heart, all of my joy, wrapped up in these songs
All the love and happiness I have ever felt is intertwined with these songs.
Everyday step I walk away
Every step I take in an attempt to move on.
Leads me back to you (you)
Ultimately leads me back to thoughts of you.
All these songs playing in my mind
All these songs keep playing repeatedly in my mind.
Breaking, breaking, breaking, breaking
Symbolizing the breaking down of my emotional state.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Will Young, Jim Eliot, Mima Stilwell
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
loopcaesar
LYRICS
Walking along
Everything's good and I haven't felt this in so long
I get on the phone
My friends tell me they saw you dancing last night and I burn up
I might be alright
But I know you're dancing with somebody else to our song
Beginning to cry
That I'm not the one in your arms, just feels so wrong
Only takes a spark to light this flame
Lose my breath, my body starts to shake
Just don't know if there's more I can take
I'm close to breaking (breaking, breaking)
Can't escape, from these chains
All the songs remind me of you
All this pain, when will it end?
All the songs remind me of you
(Deep in my heart, deep in my heart)
All the songs remind me of you
(Deep in my heart, deep in my heart)
All the songs remind me of you
Everyday (everyday)
It feels dangerous driving along with the radio on (with the radio on, with the radio on)
I'm living in fear (living in fear)
All of my heart, all of my joy, wrapped up in these songs
(Wrapped up in these songs, wrapped up in these songs)
Can't escape, from these chains
All the songs remind me of you
All this pain, when will it end?
All the songs remind me of you
Remind me of you
Remind me of you (of you, of you)
(Deep in my heart, deep in my heart)
All the songs remind me of you
(Deep in my heart, deep in my heart)
All the songs remind me of you
Everyday step I walk away
Leads me back to you (you)
All these songs playing in my mind
Leads me back to you (back to you, woah)
Only takes a spark to light this flame
Lose my breath, my body starts to shake
I just don't know if there's more I can take
I'm close to breaking (breaking, breaking)
All the songs remind me of you
(Deep in my heart, deep in my heart)
All the songs remind me of you
Only takes a spark to light this flame
Lose my breath, my body starts to shake
I just don't know if there's more I can take
I'm close to breaking
Breaking, breaking, breaking, breaking
Breaking, breaking, breaking, breaking
Breaking, breaking, breaking, breaking
Breaking, breaking
The Tattooed Guy
Will Young is definitely UNDERRATED!!! His music is absolutely incredible!
WarriorPrinces333
Agree~ 🦋~💖🎈✈ 💞💕
DebsLuvsMusic
Here Here!!!
Tom Ripley
I'm staggered that Will has never made it big in the States or become a huge name like Sam Smith internationally. I think there has always been a huge problem with his management. His voice is so unique and instantly identifiable and IMHO far more pleasant on the ear than Sam Smith's. It's frustrating seeing his music go largely unnoticed by the wider public.
Sandra Cox
The truth is he hasn’t wanted it nothing to do with his management.
WarriorPrinces333
Agree~~~🦋~💖🎈✈ 💞💕
Alison Morgan
It's always been his choice not to push for global success. He simply isn't that bothered about it....plus I don't think his mental health would hold up to the stress. There's no doubt in my mind though , if he'd wanted it , he could've had it 😊
Tuvshintugs Battulga
No matter how underrated he is, he always will be a pure class!!!
MOON
Jesus Christ, WHAT A COME BACK, whos got this ON REPEAT!!! 😍❤️❤️❤️
WarriorPrinces333
🦋~💖🎈✈ 💞💕