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
Friday's Child
Will Young Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Just working on a feeling
Waiting for the sun to shine on what
We do believe in
In every man
I hear the cry of someone else
A drowning man reaching out
But no-one hears
Without a reason
And he says
[Chorus]
Monday's got a beautiful baby
And Wednesday's child can never win
Little Saturday will work till he's crazy
But Friday's child was born to give
Now what about all the unborn people that will suffer
At the hands of Mr. Right
Who cares about no other
I see a mother who lets her children use her up
I know a father to sacrifices his wayward son
I wonder
What you give that someone else is needing nothing
Next to nothing
[Chorus]
The lyrics to Will Young’s song “Friday’s Child” are reflective and introspective, discussing the challenges of living a purposeful life and the importance of empathy and kindness. The song speaks to the societal pressure to live life in a way that prioritizes tangible achievements, rather than focusing on the feelings and emotions that drive us. The opening lines suggest that we have been conditioned to “live our lives just working on a feeling,” and waiting for validation from others before we can believe in ourselves. The lyrics paint a picture of a world in which people are struggling to be heard, with “a drowning man reaching out” but not being seen or responded to by others.
The chorus of the song is particularly impactful, as it contrasts the different days of the week and the people who embody them: “Monday’s got a beautiful baby, and Wednesday’s child can never win. Little Saturday will work till he’s crazy, but Friday’s child was born to give.” The idea behind these lyrics is that society values certain days and certain types of people over others, with Monday being associated with new beginnings (such as the birth of a child), and Friday being associated with generosity and altruism. This raises the question of whether we should judge others based on factors outside of their control, or whether we should focus on cultivating kindness and compassion in ourselves.
Overall, “Friday’s Child” is a powerful statement on the importance of living with intention and empathy, and the challenges of doing so in a world that values tangible achievements over emotional wellbeing.
Line by Line Meaning
We've been told to live our lives
We are constantly instructed on how to live our lives
Just working on a feeling
We make life-changing decisions based on our emotions
Waiting for the sun to shine on what
We anticipate a brighter future for what we believe in
We do believe in
We hold onto our convictions no matter what
In every man
We are all the same in some way
I hear the cry of someone else
I can empathize with other people's struggles
A drowning man reaching out
People in need are struggling to survive
But no-one hears
Unfortunately, not everyone is listening or paying attention
I know a man living out his life
I am familiar with someone who is going through life aimlessly
Without a reason
They have no purpose or goals
And he says
He expressed himself with these words
Monday's got a beautiful baby
Mondays symbolizes something positive for someone
And Wednesday's child can never win
Wednesdays symbolize constant struggle
Little Saturday will work till he's crazy
Saturdays symbolize excessive work and stress
But Friday's child was born to give
Fridays symbolize a higher purpose of serving others selflessly
Now what about all the unborn people that will suffer
What about the future generations that will go through hardships
At the hands of Mr. Right
Due to the detrimental actions of individuals who believe they are morally superior
Who cares about no other
Who neglects the well-being of others
I see a mother who lets her children use her up
A mother who is being taken advantage of by her own children
I know a father to sacrifices his wayward son
A father who is willing to go above and beyond for his son, despite his mistakes
I wonder
I am curious about something
What you give that someone else is needing nothing
The act of giving can be just as fulfilling as receiving, especially for someone who has everything
Next to nothing
Almost nothing
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: DINA TAYLOR, STEPHEN WILLIAM LEE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Aman Vig
We've been told to live our lives
Just working on a feeling
Waiting for the sun to shine on what
We do believe in
In every man
I hear the cry of someone else
A drowning man reaching out
But no-one hears
I know a man living out his life
Without a reason
And he says
Monday's got a beautiful baby
And Wednesday's child can never win
Little Saturday will work till he's crazy
But Friday's child was born to give
Now what about all the unborn people that will suffer
At the hands of Mr. Right
Who cares about no other
I see a mother who lets her children use her up
I know a father to sacrifices his wayward son
I wonder
What you give that someone else is needing nothing
Next to nothing
Monday's got a beautiful baby
And Wednesday's child can never win
Little Saturday will work till he's crazy
But Friday's child was born to give
Lunar Skyye
I'd imagine "It's never too late".
Hes an adult, learning how to swim.
Friday = late in the week
Child = youth. Starting out.
Fridays child would imply starting at an older age. Just a guess
DebsLuvsMusic
I absolutely adore Will's music and songs......SO SO CLASSY!!!!! This has to be one of my favourite from this guy. Why are all of his videos so so good.....I'm always GLUED to them. They all seem to tell a story.
Private will young
Hi thanks for being a good fan of mine your comments attracted me to you keep supporting me while I bring more entertainment your way.❤️❤️❤️
Liam Holmes
quite a classy and elegant song by one of the best ever singers.
Clare
Absolutely nailed this for me. I love 70s disco/funk/soul and this contained every element. I could listen to this on repeat for hours. You did a fantastic job here Will
sunny days
Great voice.
David S
This track and videos are still belters. Love the Andy Cato mix but this version has everything. Cool strings, funky guitar and nice beats. Love the synchronised vocals while swimming - bet that took a few takes!
Jan Raven
Absolutely love this song.
john Baldock
Best Will Young Song EVER!! XXXXXXX
Nick Conway
na gonna leave right now is proper
mjandbrownfan14
heard this song while i was buying some gifts and cards for people and fell in love with this song in the store haha. so relaxing. made me wonder if any of the people i was shopping for was born on a friday