Young Man's Game

Album: Hendra (2014)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • Ben Watt, who is the male half of Everything But the Girl, has been an established presence on London's Deep House circuit as a DJ since 1998. This song finds him coming reluctantly to terms with the fact that, at 51, he's become a bit too long in the tooth to spin club tunes all night long. He explained to The Hollywood Reporter: "The dance floor never seems to age, but you do. It's never difficult to party one last time, it's the recovery that's hard."

    "At times, I was playing three different countries over one weekend and I didn't want to fake it anymore," he continued. "It was a more honorable, graceful thing to withdraw. Even if I thought I had something left to offer musically, I couldn't give of myself completely because I wasn't enjoying the experience as much as I used to."

    "Ironically, when I played the song to (producer) Ewan (Pearson), he's 10 years younger than me and he recognized himself in it," Watt added. "If he's feeling that way, imagine how I feel."

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

Colin Hay

Colin HaySongwriter Interviews

Established as a redoubtable singer-songwriter, the Men At Work frontman explains how religion, sobriety and Jack Nicholson play into his songwriting.

Sub Pop Founder Bruce Pavitt On How To Create A Music Scene

Sub Pop Founder Bruce Pavitt On How To Create A Music SceneSong Writing

With $50 and a glue stick, Bruce Pavitt created Sub Pop, a fanzine-turned-label that gave the world Nirvana and grunge. He explains how motivated individuals can shift culture.

Narada Michael Walden - "Freeway of Love"

Narada Michael Walden - "Freeway of Love"They're Playing My Song

As a songwriter and producer, Narada had hits with Aretha Franklin, Whitney Houston, Mariah Carey and Starship. But what song does he feel had the greatest impact on his career?

Who's Johnny, And Why Does He Show Up In So Many Songs

Who's Johnny, And Why Does He Show Up In So Many SongsSong Writing

For songwriters, Johnny represents the American man. He has been angry, cool, magic, a rebel and, of course, marching home.

P.F. Sloan

P.F. SloanSongwriter Interviews

P.F. was a teenager writing hits and playing on tracks for Jan & Dean when he wrote a #1 hit that got him blackballed.

David Bowie Leads the Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Long-Haired Men

David Bowie Leads the Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Long-Haired MenSong Writing

Bowie's "activist" days of 1964 led to Ziggy Stardust.