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 Won't Dance
Will Young Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I won't dance, don't ask me
I won't dance madame with you
My heart won't let my feet do things that they should do
Mmmm
You know what, you're lovely
And oh what you do to me
I'm like an ocean wave that's bumped on the shore
I feel so absolutely stumped on the floor
When you dance, you're charming and you're gentle
Specially when you do that continental
And this feeling isn't purely mental
Cos heaven rest us, I'm not asbestos
And that's why I won't dance, why should I?
I won't dance, how could I?
I won't dance, merçi beaucoup
I know that music lead the way to romance
So if I hold you in arms I won't dance
(yeah I can't take it yeah yeah yeah yeah)
When you dance you're charming and you're gentle
Yeah specially when you do that continental
And this feeling isn't putely mental
For heaven rest us
I'm not asbestos
And that's why
I won't dance, why should I?
I won't dance, how could I?
I won't dance merci beaucoup
Yeah I know that music leads the way to romance (yes)
So if I hold you in my arms I won't dance
I won't dance
(yeah)
I won't dance
(yeah)
I won't dance
I won't dance
(repeat to fade)
The lyrics to Will Young's "I Won't Dance" express the dilemma of a person who is deeply attracted to someone they are dancing with, but unable to fully engage because of a fear of vulnerability. The repetition of the phrase "I won't dance, don't ask me" highlights the singer's resolve to resist the temptation of the dance floor, while the subsequent lines reveal how much they are drawn to their partner's charm and beauty. The metaphor of being "stumped on the floor" suggests a level of self-consciousness and hesitation that prevents the singer from fully enjoying the moment. The reference to the Continental, a popular ballroom dance of the 1930s, adds a historical dimension to the song's nostalgic mood, and underscores the idea that dance can be a powerful mode of intimacy and connection.
The lyrics also contain an element of humour and self-mockery, as the singer acknowledges their own reluctance to dance as a personal quirk rather than a universal truth. The line "heaven rest us, I'm not asbestos" is a clever pun that plays on the similarity between "asbestos" and "assuredness", suggesting that the singer is aware of their own lack of confidence and poise. The final lines, "So if I hold you in arms I won't dance / I won't dance", suggest that the singer may be willing to overcome their inhibitions if given enough assurance and encouragement, but that for the time being they are content to bask in the temporary thrill of the moment.
Line by Line Meaning
I won't dance, don't ask me
I refuse to dance with you, please do not ask again
I won't dance madame with you
I will not dance with you, it doesn't matter how charming you are
My heart won't let my feet do things that they should do
I cannot dance with you as my heart does not allow me to do so
You know what, you're lovely
You are beautiful and wonderful
And oh what you do to me
I am overcome by your charm
I'm like an ocean wave that's bumped on the shore
I am overwhelmed and disoriented by my feelings for you
I feel so absolutely stumped on the floor
I am stuck and unable to dance due to my emotions
When you dance, you're charming and you're gentle
You are graceful and kind when you dance
Specially when you do that continental
Especially when you do the Continental dance
And this feeling isn't purely mental
My emotions are not just in my head, they are very real
Cos heaven rest us, I'm not asbestos
I am not immune to your charm, it affects me deeply
And that's why I won't dance, why should I?
This is why I choose not to dance with you, it is easier to avoid the feelings that come with it
I won't dance, how could I?
It is impossible for me to dance with you even if I wanted to
I won't dance merci beaucoup
Thank you very much, but I cannot dance with you
Yeah I know that music leads the way to romance (yes)
I am aware that dancing can lead to romantic feelings
So if I hold you in my arms I won't dance
Even if we embrace, I will still not dance with you
I won't dance
I refuse to dance
Lyrics © RESERVOIR MEDIA MANAGEMENT INC
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
emilymcplugger
Love this version. What a finish.
Darren Johnston
Love this please bring back whole album
The Protagonist
Love this song
O S
and i love you
Ben Scarello
Omg i’ve been searching for this for years and gave up! Thank you so much for the upload! Amazing version