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
Lie Next to Me
Will Young Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You seem so happy this time around
Don't wanna ask too much of you
I'll just get drunk and let you down
Now you really know what I'm like
Things can never be the same
You've seen all my wrongs and my rights
There is nothing left to say
Would you lie
Would you lie
Would you lie, next to me
'Cause I'm outta control
I can't let go
Would you lie, next to me
Since you went I can get lonely
I'll spare you all the details
Took something from me that's the way it goes
It sent me slightly off the rails
Some people don't work well together
It's nice to see you again
I know you're leaving, you said you're leaving
Before you go
Would you lie
Would you lie
Would you lie, next to me
'Cause I'm outta control
I can't let go
Would you lie, next to me
We gotta little lass down the road
I'll stop myself from falling again
And I know it's not long til you go
But while you're here
Would you lie
Would you lie
Would you lie, next to me
'Cause I'm outta control
I can't let go
Would you lie, next to me
Would you lie
Would you lie
Would you lie, next to me
'Cause I'm outta control
I can't let go
Would you lie, next to me
See you got all that you wanted
Mmmmmm
The lyrics of Will Young's song Lie Next to Me delve into themes of desperation, loneliness, and the aftermath of a failed relationship. The song opens with the singer observing the contentment of his former partner now that they have everything they wanted. Though he longs to ask for more, he recognizes that he will only disappoint her and chooses to numb his pain through alcohol. He acknowledges that she now knows him thoroughly, including his flaws and strengths, and that there is nothing left to say.
The chorus of the song begs pleadingly for his former partner to lie next to him despite the irreparable damage that has been done between them. He confesses that he is out of control and cannot let go of his feelings for her. The second verse explains how he is left feeling after their separation, and that it has taken a toll on him. He acknowledges that some people are just not compatible, but expresses hope that they continue to reconnect in the future. The bridge of the song refers to a child they have together and how he will do everything in his power not to fall for his former partner again before she leaves.
Overall, the song paints a poignant picture of a man who is deeply affected by a failed relationship and is desperately seeking to reconnect with his former partner regardless of the damage. The song's lyrics are emotionally charged and relatable to anyone who has experienced heartbreak and the intense desire to reconnect with an ex-lover.
Line by Line Meaning
I see you've got all that you wanted
I noticed that you've achieved everything you've ever desired
You seem so happy this time around
It appears that you're very content with your current situation
Don't wanna ask too much of you
I don't want to place unreasonable expectations on you
I'll just get drunk and let you down
I'll resort to alcohol to cope with my disappointment in myself and inevitably disappoint you
Now you really know what I'm like
You are now fully aware of my true nature
Things can never be the same
We can never revert back to the way things were before
You've seen all my wrongs and my rights
You've witnessed both my flaws and my positive qualities
There is nothing left to say
We have nothing further to discuss
Would you lie
Can you pretend
'Cause I'm outta control
Because I'm unable to manage my emotions and actions
I can't let go
I'm unable to move on from you
'Cause I'm outta control
My behavior is erratic and unpredictable
Since you went I can get lonely
I've been experiencing feelings of loneliness since you left
I'll spare you all the details
I won't burden you with the specifics of my loneliness
Took something from me that's the way it goes
You took something from me and unfortunately, that's just the way life is
It sent me slightly off the rails
It caused me to become temporarily unstable
Some people don't work well together
Certain individuals are not compatible
It's nice to see you again
It's pleasant to have the opportunity to see you once more
I know you're leaving, you said you're leaving
I'm aware that you'll be departing soon as you've already informed me
Before you go
Before you depart
We gotta little lass down the road
We have a young girl nearby
I'll stop myself from falling again
I'll make an effort to prevent myself from becoming emotionally attached to you once again
And I know it's not long til you go
I'm aware that you'll be departing soon
But while you're here
During the time that you're close by
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: JAMES ELIOT, JEMIMA STILWELL, STEFAN STORM, WILL YOUNG
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind