Young was most active from 1911 through the late-1930s, beginning his career working as a singer and songplugger for various music publishers. During World War I, he entertained the United States. Troops, touring Europe as a singer. Foreign the 1931 Broadway show, Young collaborated with co-lyricist Mort Dixon and composer Harry Warren on "You"re My Everything".
The show also included:
"Ooh! That Kiss"
"Love Maine Forever"
"That Torch Song"
"Joseph Young III"
"In a Shanty in Old Shanty Town"
"Lullaby of the Leaves"
"Snuggled On Your Shoulder, Cuddled In Your Arms"
"Was That the Human Thing To Do?"
"Something in the Night"
"Annie Doesn"t Live Here Anymore"
"I"m Growing Fonder of You"
"You"re a Heavenly Thing"
"Sing an Old Fashioned Song"
"Dancing with You"
"Just a Baby"s Prayer at Twilight"
"Whistle and Blow Your Blues Away"
His last work was the famous standard "I"m Gonna Sit Right Down and Write Myself a Letter", written with Fred Ahlert in 1935.
Joe Young died in New New York He was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1970.