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
Simple Philosophy
Will Young Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Oh, what a night, hungover again
My body still flows, yet I was on fire
I think I made a date but will I keep it
No, I bet I don't 'cause it goes on and on and on
And I never seem to learn
'Cause I'm happy being stuck in my ways
This life is just for living
Too many times I've heard the sweetest lies
They're always sweeter than the truth
I don't really wanna know, oh, let the sun through my window
Never let love leave you blind
It's my simple philosophy of life, life
If you opened up this can of worms
Here in my heart these lessons you'd learn
They would pour and pour and pour
So if I seem vague, I apologize
'Cause I don't wanna change for anyone
Oh, I've seen it all before and it always ends the same
Too many times I've heard the sweetest lies
They're always sweeter than the truth
I don't really wanna know, oh, let the sun through my window
Never let love leave you blind
It's my simple philosophy of life, life
Oh, yeah, that's my simple philosophy
I've heard the sweetest lies
They're always sweeter than the truth
I don't really wanna know, oh, let the sun through my window
Never let love leave you blind
Too many times I've heard the sweetest lies
They're always sweeter than the truth
(Good, sweetest lies)
I don't really wanna know, oh, let the sun through my window
Never let love leave you blind, never
It's my simple philosophy of life, life
It's my simple philosophy
It's my simple philosophy
Yeah, yeah, philosophy
Will Young's Simple Philosophy is a song about embracing life's simple pleasures, enjoying the moment and avoiding the drama that comes with toxic relationships. The opening lines of the song "Open my eyes, welcome the day. Oh, what a night, hungover again" describe the letting go an intense night and welcoming a new day. The next line, "my body still flows, yet I was on fire", suggests that the party continues in some way, but the singer may have forgotten what is next. He mentions having "plenty things to do", but that he is happy being "stuck in my ways". The underlying message is that life should be about living and enjoying the simple things without getting drawn into needless complexity.
In the chorus, the singer repeats the phrase "Too many times I've heard the sweetest lies. They're always sweeter than the truth", suggesting that he has learned through hard experience that people will often sugarcoat difficult truths in order to preserve their own interests. As a result, the singer chooses not to engage too deeply with others, preferring to keep his life simple and pleasurable. He urges listeners to "Never let love leave you blind", suggesting that people should be cautious about falling too deeply in love, lest they lose sight of their own boundaries and interests.
Overall, Simple Philosophy is a song about cherishing the simplicity that life has to offer, while recognizing the dangers of over-complication and dishonesty. The lyrics suggest that the most important thing in life is to stay true to oneself, and to avoid letting others lead us astray with false promises and emotional games.
Line by Line Meaning
Open my eyes, welcome the day
I wake up and embrace the new day with optimism and positivity.
Oh, what a night, hungover again
I had some fun last night but now I'm feeling the aftermath of drinking too much.
My body still flows, yet I was on fire
I feel good physically despite partying hard the night before.
I think I made a date but will I keep it
I made plans, but I'm not sure if I'll be able to follow through with them.
No, I bet I don't 'cause it goes on and on and on
I doubt that I will keep my plans because life keeps moving forward and new opportunities arise.
And I never seem to learn
I recognize that I have a pattern of not following through with commitments I make.
'Cause I'm happy being stuck in my ways
Even though I know I should change, I'm content with my current situation and habits.
I don't mean to sound a fool but I got plenty things to do
I have a lot of responsibilities and tasks to complete, even if I sometimes act foolishly.
This life is just for living
I believe that life is meant to be enjoyed and experienced to the fullest.
Too many times I've heard the sweetest lies
I have been told many false, but pleasing, statements in the past.
They're always sweeter than the truth
Lies often sound better than the truth because they can be crafted to be more appealing.
I don't really wanna know, oh, let the sun through my window
Sometimes, it's better not to know the truth, and just enjoy the beauty of the world around you.
Never let love leave you blind
Don't let love cause you to overlook important details or truths about someone or something.
It's my simple philosophy of life, life
My approach to life is straightforward and uncomplicated.
If you opened up this can of worms
If you delved deeply into my thoughts and emotions,
Here in my heart these lessons you'd learn
You would discover the insightful lessons I've gained from my experiences and feelings.
They would pour and pour and pour
I have a lot of knowledge and wisdom that I could share.
So if I seem vague, I apologize
If I'm not always clear in my communication, I'm sorry.
'Cause I don't wanna change for anyone
I don't want to alter who I am or change my outlook or actions to please others.
Oh, I've seen it all before and it always ends the same
I've experienced a lot in life, and I know how certain situations or scenarios turn out.
It's my simple philosophy
I have a basic framework of beliefs and values that guide my life.
Yeah, yeah, philosophy
I have a distinct perspective on life and the world, and I want to share it with others.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: WILL YOUNG, KAREN POOLE, PADDY BYRNE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind