Simply RedJust Like You

‘Just Like You’ is the third single from Simply Red’s thirteenth studio album Time, released on April 27th 2023, ahead of the album release a month later. Time was released on Warner, who released Simply Red’s first seven studio albums, and was a return to the label after almost 10 years away.

‘Just Like You’ was originally conceived as an instrumental track. Mick wanted something which could heavily feature the rest of the band and their talents, particularly when performed live. He started writing with only the bass line, which underpins the tracks, and built from there. This instrumental track eventually became ‘Just Like You Part 2’, before Mick went on to add lyrics and create ‘Just Like You’.

Mick wrote the lyrics for the track during the covid lockdown, when, with time to think, he started asking questions like “who am I actually? What makes me tick?”. This personal questioning is apparent in the lyrics of ‘Just Like You’, which look at what is important to him in life and love.