“Wherever I Lay My Heart (That’s My Home)” by Paul Young
The title of this song (“Wherever I Lay My Heart (That’s My Home)”) alludes to the singer being what some refer to as a ‘rolling stone’. That is to say that he is the transient type – one who does not settle down. And within the context of a song like this, that also means that he’s a lady’s man. Indeed the addressees would be one or more romantic interests of his. He is telling one lady, whom he has apparently been involved with but is now leaving, that he is “not worth” her crying over. He is seemingly telling another, who has dumped her boyfriend to be with him, that doing so was a big mistake.
And it may be yet another lady he is advising not to go around boasting about having locked him down, because the opposite is rather true. In other words, via the titular metaphor he is warning these ladies outright about his aforementioned romantic nature. But by the looks of things he is so effective a lady’s man that they do not get the point.
“Wherever I Lay My Hat (That’s My Home)” was written by the following:
- Barrett Strong
- Norman Whitfield (1940-2008)
- The legendary soul singer Marvin Gaye (1939-1984)
In fact the Prince of Soul recorded it first, back in 1964. And it was actually Paul Young’s own idea to cover the tune.
Young’s version came out some 20 years later, on 16 February 1983. Via CBS Records, it was issued as the second single from Young’s debut album, No Parlez.
And it proved to be quite successful, topping the UK Singles Chart and replicating the feat in Ireland, in addition to going gold in the UK. It also appeared on the Hot 100 and on music charts in a few other countries. Indeed it proved successful enough to make Paul Young into a music star as well establish the track’s bassist, Pino Palladino, as a career musician.
