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
Free My Mind
Will Young Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I didn't get to your mind
You'll see another part of me
Go ahead, I'll work around
You didn't, didn't get what you need
It's over now
I've been down, right down on my knees too many times
Everything has to end
A distant memory
Everything has to change
But you take a part of me
I see anew, mistakes I've made
I'll hold on to life and start again
Everything has to end
A distant memory
Everything has to change
But you take a part of me
The first verse of this song speaks to the idea of being taught to run. In other words, the singer has been trained to avoid their problems or to escape difficult situations. This could refer to a number of different coping mechanisms, such as using substances, avoiding emotional connections, or simply shutting down in the face of conflict. The second line seems to indicate that the singer hasn't been able to get through to the person they're addressing - perhaps a loved one or friend - and as a result, the singer feels unseen and unheard. The final line of the verse suggests that there is another aspect of the singer that has yet to be recognized or appreciated.
The second verse starts with the command "Go ahead," which could be interpreted as a challenge to the person who the singer was previously addressing. This might mean that the singer is ready to move on from the relationship or interaction that they were having. The second line implies that the person the singer was talking to didn't receive something they needed from the singer, leaving the relationship feeling unfulfilled. The third line, "It's over now," reinforces the idea that the singer is done with this particular situation.
The chorus of the song repeats the idea that "everything has to end" and "everything has to change." These universal truths are difficult to escape, and the singer seems to be acknowledging that while also recognizing the importance of memory and the way that even when things do end or change, they still leave a mark on us. The final line of the chorus, "But you take a part of me," suggests that the person the singer was previously addressing will continue to have an impact on them, even if they are no longer actively involved in each other's lives.
Line by Line Meaning
Free my mind, taught to run
I want to release myself from the restrictions that were placed on me and be able to run free.
I didn't get to your mind
I didn't understand what you were thinking or feeling.
You'll see another part of me
You will get to know a different side of me.
Go ahead, I'll work around
You can go your own way and I will find a way to manage without you.
You didn't, didn't get what you need
You didn't receive what you were looking for or hoping for.
It's over now
The relationship or situation has come to an end.
Stop trying to apologize, no one else to blame
It's unnecessary to continue apologizing, as there's no one else to blame but ourselves.
I've been down, right down on my knees too many times
I have experienced a lot of difficult times and have felt completely defeated.
Everything has to end
All things come to a close eventually.
A distant memory
The past will eventually become a faint and distant memory.
Everything has to change
Change is inevitable and unavoidable.
But you take a part of me
Even though things are changing, a part of me will always remain the same and be tied to you.
I see anew, mistakes I've made
I am starting to see things from a fresh perspective and recognize the errors I have made in the past.
I'll hold on to life and start again
I will cling to the promise of a new beginning and live life to the fullest.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Songtrust Ave, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: WILL YOUNG, STEWART JACKSON, DAN BROWN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind