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
I Bet You Call
Will Young Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Why else would you need drink on a Wednesday afternoon?
Hate to say I saw the warning signals from the start
Each round he'd be the first to reach the bottom of the glass
Just wait a peek, he really ripped you open
You're not a different person, you'll meet somebody else but
I bet you can't help yourself
I'm putting all my money on
You think you're free
I think you're still locked up
I bet you call
I bet you don't help yourself
I know you're drunk on wasted love
Hit on a boy and still you get chocked up
Sure it hurts
You just broke up
You've gotta hope it's not hopeless
He stands on tables for the whole damn room to watch
You hide behind the layer while he just takes them off
That's why you wanted him, that's why I'm not surprised
That's why my money's on going back a hundred times
Just wait a peek, he really ripped you open
You're not a different person, you'll meet somebody else but
I bet you call
I bet you can't help yourself
I'm putting all my money on
You think you're free
I think you're still locked up
I bet you call
I bet you don't help yourself
I know you're drunk on wasted love
Hit on a boy and still you get chocked up
Sure it hurts
You just broke up
You've gotta hope it's not hopeless
I bet you call ohh
Putting all my money on
I bet you call
I bet you call ohh
I know you're drunk on wasted love
Hit on a boy and still you get chocked up
I bet you call
I bet you can't help yourself
I'm putting all my money on
You think you're free
I think you're still locked up
I bet you call
I bet you don't help yourself
I know you're drunk on wasted love
Hit on a boy and still you get chocked up
Sure it hurts
You just broke up
You've gotta hope it's not hopeless
The lyrics of "I Bet You Call" by Will Young depict a situation where the singer is observing someone who is caught up in a destructive relationship. The lines "Don't have to say nothing I already knew" and "Why else would you need drink on a Wednesday afternoon?" suggest that the singer can see through the facade and knows that something is wrong. The person in question is using alcohol as a coping mechanism, indicating that they are likely struggling emotionally.
The next line, "Hate to say I saw the warning signals from the start," implies that the singer had an inkling about the potential issues in the relationship. Additionally, the reference to the person being the first to finish their drink in every round implies that they are relying heavily on alcohol to numb their pain.
The chorus of the song, "I bet you call, I bet you can't help yourself," suggests that despite the negative situation, the person is likely to reach out to their former partner or engage in self-destructive behavior. The singer places their bet, metaphorically speaking, on the person's inability to break free from the cycle of their own emotional turmoil.
The lines "You're not a different person, you'll meet somebody else but" indicate that the singer realizes that finding a new person may not solve the underlying issues. They are aware that the person needs to address their own emotional struggles rather than relying on someone else to make them feel better.
The second verse further explores the dynamics of the relationship. The metaphor of "He stands on tables for the whole damn room to watch" suggests that the former partner seeks attention and validation from others. The line "That's why you wanted him, that's why I'm not surprised" indicates that the person was initially attracted to the excitement and thrill that this behavior brought, adding to the predictability of the situation.
The chorus repeats, emphasizing the singer's belief in the person's eventual return to their former partner or destructive patterns. The line "You think you're free, I think you're still locked up" suggests that the person may believe they have moved on, but the singer sees them as still trapped in their own emotional turmoil.
Overall, the lyrics of "I Bet You Call" portray a situation of a person who is struggling to break free from a toxic relationship and is likely to continue seeking solace in self-destructive patterns. The singer is observant of these patterns and expresses their hope for the person to find a way out of their cycle of wasted love.
Line by Line Meaning
Don't have to say nothing I already knew
There is no need for you to explain anything because I already knew the truth
Why else would you need drink on a Wednesday afternoon?
The reason you needed to drink on a Wednesday afternoon is because of the situation we are in
Hate to say I saw the warning signals from the start
I don't like admitting it, but I noticed the signs of trouble right from the beginning
Each round he'd be the first to reach the bottom of the glass
With each drink, he would always finish his glass before anyone else
Just wait a peek, he really ripped you open
Just observe closely, he truly broke your heart and exposed your vulnerabilities
You're not a different person, you'll meet somebody else but
You may think you will become someone new, but in reality, you will meet someone similar to him
I bet you call
I strongly believe that you will reach out to him
I bet you can't help yourself
I am confident that you won't be able to resist contacting him
I'm putting all my money on
I am fully betting on the fact that
You think you're free
You believe that you have moved on and are no longer restrained
I think you're still locked up
I think you are still emotionally imprisoned and unable to fully move on
I know you're drunk on wasted love
I am aware that you are intoxicated by a love that has gone to waste
Hit on a boy and still you get choked up
Even when you flirt with other guys, you still get emotional and choked up
Sure it hurts
Undoubtedly, it is painful
You just broke up
You have only recently ended your relationship
You've gotta hope it's not hopeless
You have to believe that there is still hope and it is not a lost cause
He stands on tables for the whole damn room to watch
He seeks attention by standing on tables, wanting everyone in the room to see him
You hide behind the layer while he just takes them off
You conceal your true self, while he openly reveals his true intentions
That's why you wanted him, that's why I'm not surprised
That is why you were attracted to him, and I am not shocked by it
That's why my money's on going back a hundred times
That is why I firmly believe that you will repeatedly go back to him
I bet you call ohh
I am certain that you will call him
Putting all my money on
I am fully confident and committed to
I know you're drunk on wasted love
I am aware that you are emotionally intoxicated by a love that has gone to waste
I bet you call
I am convinced that you will reach out to him
Sure it hurts
Undoubtedly, it is painful
You just broke up
You have only recently ended your relationship
You've gotta hope it's not hopeless
You have to believe that there is still hope and it is not a lost cause
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Francis Anthony White, Gavin Jones, Johan Gustafson
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind