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    Paul Young - Wherever I Lay My Hat (That's My Home) - UK 7'' Cover - Front
    1983 Number Ones Paul Young Singles

    Paul Young – Wherever I Lay My Hat (That’s My Home)

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    The Eighties Archive

    Song Number 0101
    Released in 1983, Paul Young’s soulful rendition of “Wherever I Lay My Hat (That’s My Home)” transformed a melancholic Motown track into a definitive anthem of the decade. Originally recorded by Marvin Gaye in 1962, the song had always possessed a poignant narrative about a transient wanderer, a man unable or unwilling to tether himself to one place or one person. However, where Gaye’s version moved with a standard, upbeat early-sixties rhythm that somewhat masked its inherent loneliness, Young slowed the tempo down, allowing the emotional weight of the lyrics to breathe. This deliberate pacing turned the song into a haunting, atmospheric masterpiece that resonated deeply with listeners, ultimately securing Young his first UK number one single.
    The brilliance of Young’s version lies heavily in its innovative instrumentation and arrangement. The track opens with one of the most recognizable basslines in pop history, played by Pino Palladino on a fretless bass. The sliding, melodic notes of the bass act almost as a second voice, mirroring the rootless, drifting nature of the song’s protagonist. This musical choice, combined with a stark, spacious production featuring sweeping synthesisers and a steady, echoing drum beat, creates a vast sonic landscape. It perfectly evokes the feeling of wide-open roads and empty hotel rooms. Against this backdrop, Young’s distinctive, gravelly vocals deliver a performance filled with raw vulnerability and a sense of resigned isolation.
    Lyrically, the song explores the mindset of a drifter who explicitly warns a romantic interest not to get too attached. The central metaphor, hanging up one’s hat, is a traditional symbol of settling down and finding sanctuary. By asserting that home is wherever the hat happens to land at any given moment, the narrator rejects the conventional ideas of domesticity and stability. He acknowledges his own flaws, admitting to being a sweet-talker who leaves a trail of broken hearts in his wake. Young sings these lines not with arrogant bravado, but with a palpable tinge of regret, suggesting that this freedom is as much a curse as it is a choice.
    The song’s enduring legacy is tied to how it captured the musical transition of the early 1980s. It bridged the gap between the slick, electronic production of the New Romantic era and the timeless emotional depth of classic soul, a genre often referred to as blue-eyed soul. By stripping away the frantic energy of the original and injecting a contemporary, moody sophistication, Paul Young did not just record a successful cover version; he completely reauthored the song for a new generation. More than four decades after its release, “Wherever I Lay My Hat (That’s My Home)” remains a powerful study of loneliness and independence, proving that home is not always a physical place, but sometimes just a state of mind on a lonely road.
    The song peaked at No. 01 in the UK charts on 23rd July 1983.
    Paul Young - Wherever I Lay My Hat (That's My Home) - Eighties Archive - Promo Image
    Paul Young - Wherever I Lay My Hat (That's My Home) - UK 7'' Cover - Front
    Paul Young - Wherever I Lay My Hat (That's My Home) - UK 7'' Cover (Front)
    Paul Young - Wherever I Lay My Hat (That's My Home) - UK 7'' Cover - Back
    Paul Young - Wherever I Lay My Hat (That's My Home) - UK 7'' Cover (Back)
    A-Side Wherever I Lay My Hat (That’s My Home) (4:54)
    (Marvin Gaye, Norman Whitfield, Barrett Strong)
    Produced By Laurie Latham
    B-Side Broken Man (3:54)
    (Paul Young, Ian Kewley)
    Produced By Laurie Latham
    UK Top 40 Chart Run [12 Weeks] – 25th June 1983 – 10th September 1983
    30
    12
    03
    02
    01
    01
    01
    02
    09
    20
    31
    36

    Officially Released Versions

    Wherever I Lay My Hat (That’s My Home) (Single Version) (4:54)
    Wherever I Lay My Hat (That’s My Home) (Edit) (4:12)
    Wherever I Lay My Hat (That’s My Home) (Extended Club Mix) (5:59)
    Wherever I Lay My Hat (That’s My Home) (Instrumental) (4:08)

    See ALL releases of ‘Wherever I Lay My Hat (That’s My Home)’ on Discogs.

    Lyrics

    Mmm, mmm, mmm
    Mmm, mmm, mmm

    By the look in your eye
    I can tell you’re gonna cry
    Is it over me?
    If it is
    Save your tears for
    I’m not worth it, you see

    For I’m the type of boy
    Who is always on the roam
    Wherever I lay my hat
    That’s my home
    I’m telling you, that’s my home

    You had romance
    Did you break it by chance over me?
    If it’s so
    I’d like for you to know
    That I’m not worth it, you see

    For I’m the type of boy
    Who is always on the roam, mmm
    Wherever I lay my hat
    That’s my home
    Mmm, that’s my home

    Oh
    You keep telling me
    You keep telling me I’m your man
    What do I have to do to make you understand?

    For I’m the type of guy
    Who gives girl the eye
    Everybody knows

    But I love them
    And I leave them
    Break their hearts
    And deceive them everywhere I go

    Don’t you know that I’m the type of man
    Who is always on the roam
    Ooh, la
    Na, na, na, na
    Wherever I lay my hat
    That’s my home
    Wherever I lay my hat, oh oh
    That’s my home

    Mmm, yeah
    That’s my home
    And I like it that way
    Mmm mmm

    Ooh
    Ah, na, na
    Na, na, na, na
    Na, na, na, na, na
    Ah, ha, ha
    Na, na, na, na
    Na, na, na, na

    You know
    I can’t make it all alone
    Sometimes it’s the way
    That’s the way
    I’m not saying
    I’m not saying
    I don’t love you
    Just gotta do what I want to do
    That’s what I want to do

    Written By Marvin Gaye, Norman Whitfield, Barrett Strong

    Paul Young - Wherever I Lay My Hat (That's My Home) - Promo Advert

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    Paul Young
    Wherever I Lay My Hat
    Paul Young - Wherever I Lay My Hat (That's My Home) - UK 7'' Cover - Front
    Paul Young - Wherever I Lay My Hat (That's My Home) - VIT Album

    Date Released

    27th May 1983

    Highest Chart Position

    No. 01

    Genre

    Electronic, Pop, Blue-Eyed Soul

    Date Of UK Top 40 Entry

    25th June 1983

    Record Label

    CBS RECORDS

    Catalogue Number

    A 3371

    Other Songs In Archive

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