William Robert Young (born January 20, 1979), is a British singer and actor… Read Full Bio ↴William Robert Young (born January 20, 1979), is a British singer and actor. He catapulted to fame after winning the inaugural UK Pop Idol contest in 2002.

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

The Way We Were
Will Young Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Raindrops, non stop
Made for blind spots
Just don't forget about us
Street lights, red eyes
One chance, crunch time
Ain't no way I'm giving you up

There's nothing I can say

Don't throw it all away
Just remember the way we were
Just remember the way we were
I'm taking it on faith
It's a thousand miles away
Just remember the way we were
Just remember the way we were

Before I broke the truth
I told you all those lies
And I could blame it on my youth
But baby I'ma change for you
Both confused
I'ma give you time
To find a way to heal those wounds
But baby I'ma change for you

Oh oh oh, oh oh oh
Just remember the way we were
Just remember the way we were
Oh oh oh, oh oh oh
Just remember the way we were
Just remember the way we were

Old feels, still real
So high, no pills
That's what I think when I think about us
Somehow lost that
Derail, off track
Ain't no way that I'm giving you up

There's nothing I can say
Don't throw it all away
Just remember the way we were
Just remember the way we were
I'm taking it on faith
It's a thousand miles away
Just remember the way we were
Just remember the way we were

Before I broke the truth
I told you all those lies
And I could blame it on my youth
But baby I'ma change for you
Both confused
I'ma give you time
To find a way to heal those wounds
But baby I'ma change for you

Oh oh oh, oh oh oh
Just remember the way we were
Just remember the way we were
Oh oh oh, oh oh oh
Just remember the way we were
Just remember the way we were

Oh oh oh, oh oh oh
Just remember the way we were
Just remember the way we were
Oh oh oh, oh oh oh

Just remember the way we were
Just remember the way we were

Overall Meaning

In these lyrics, Will Young reflects on a past relationship that was filled with both joy and pain. The raindrops represent the hardships and blind spots in the relationship, reminding us to not forget about the love they shared despite the difficulties. The street lights and red eyes suggest late nights and intense emotions, and the lyrics express a determination to not give up on the relationship.

The chorus emphasizes the importance of remembering the way they were, urging the other person to not throw away all the memories and experiences they shared. Taking it on faith and acknowledging the distance between them, the singer implores the other person to hold onto the memories of their past connection.

The lines "Before I broke the truth, I told you all those lies" reveal that the singer has made mistakes and has been dishonest in the past. They could blame it on their youth, but they are willing to change for the sake of the relationship. Both parties are described as confused, and the singer promises to give the other person time to heal from any wounds caused by their past actions.

The repetition of the chorus emphasizes the longing to remember the way they were and hints at a desire to reconcile and go back to the love they once shared. The mention of old feelings still being real reflects the lingering emotions and the acknowledgement that their love was genuine and intense. Despite getting off track and derailing, the singer affirms that they will not give up on the other person.

Overall, these lyrics depict a heartfelt plea for the other person to hold onto the memories of their past love, while expressing a willingness to change and heal for the sake of the relationship. It reflects the bittersweet longing to go back to the way things were but also a determination to move forward and mend what has been broken.

Line by Line Meaning

Raindrops, non stop
The troubles and challenges keep coming relentlessly.

Made for blind spots
Intended to hide the truths and realities that we ignore or overlook.

Just don't forget about us
Please remember the significance and value of our relationship.

Street lights, red eyes
In the midst of darkness and sadness, our paths crossed.

One chance, crunch time
We only have a limited opportunity, a critical moment to make things right.

Ain't no way I'm giving you up
I am determined not to let go of you.

There's nothing I can say
Words alone cannot fix the situation.

Don't throw it all away
Please don't discard everything we have built together.

Just remember the way we were
Recall the memories and emotions we shared in the past.

I'm taking it on faith
I am trusting that things will work out, despite the uncertainty.

It's a thousand miles away
The solution seems distant and challenging to reach.

Before I broke the truth
Prior to revealing my dishonesty or betrayal.

I told you all those lies
I deceived you with false information and promises.

And I could blame it on my youth
Although I was young and immature, it doesn't justify my actions.

But baby I'ma change for you
I am committed to transforming myself for our relationship.

Both confused
Both of us are uncertain and unsure about the situation.

I'ma give you time
I will provide you with the space and opportunity to heal.

To find a way to heal those wounds
To discover a path towards resolving the pain and hurt.

Oh oh oh, oh oh oh
Repetition of these sounds expresses nostalgia and longing.

Just remember the way we were
Keep in mind the special bond we once had.

Old feels, still real
The emotions and connection we shared in the past remain genuine and significant.

So high, no pills
The euphoria and happiness we experienced were natural and not artificially induced.

That's what I think when I think about us
When reflecting on our relationship, these are the thoughts that come to mind.

Somehow lost that
Unfortunately, we have somehow misplaced or let go of that special connection.

Derail, off track
We have veered off course and deviated from our original path.

Ain't no way that I'm giving you up
I am absolutely determined not to let go of you.