Paul Weller (born 25 May 1958) is an English singer / songwriter, leader of… Read Full Bio ↴Paul Weller (born 25 May 1958) is an English singer / songwriter, leader of two successful bands: The Jam and The Style Council. In England, he is recognised as something of a national institution yet, because much of his songwriting is rooted in English culture, he has remained essentially a national rather than an international star.

Weller's eleventh studio album, Sonik Kicks, was released on 19 March 2012. The Green Songfacts reports that it was recorded in Weller’s own Black Barn Studios in Ripley, Surrey, with co-producer Simon Dine and engineer Charles Rees.

Born John William Weller in Stanley Road, Woking, he was also a central figure in the Mod revival. As the leader of the Jam, Paul Weller fronted the most popular British band of the punk era, influencing legions of English rockers that ranged from his mod-revival contemporaries to the Smiths in the '80s and Oasis in the '90s. During the final days of the Jam, he developed a fascination with Motown and soul, which led him to form the sophisti-pop group the Style Council in 1983. As the Style Council's career progressed, Weller's interest in soul developed into an infatuation with jazz-pop and house music, which eventually led to gradual erosion of his audience — by 1990, he couldn't get a record contract in the UK, where he had previously been worshipped as a demi-god. As a solo artist, Weller returned to soul music as an inspiration, cutting it with the progressive, hippie tendencies of Traffic. Weller's solo records were more organic and rootsier than the Style Council, which helped him regain his popularity within Britain. By the mid-'90s, he had released three successful albums which were both critically-acclaimed and massively popular in England, where contemporary bands like Ocean Colour Scene were citing him as an influence. Just as importantly, many observers, while occasionally criticizing the trad-rock nature of his music, acknowledged that Weller was one of the few rock veterans that had managed to stay vital within the second decade of his career.

Ain
Paul Weller Lyrics

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Ain't no love in the heart of the city,
Ain't no love in the heart of town.
Ain't no love, sure 'nough is a pity,
Ain't no love 'cos you ain't around
Baby, since you been around.

Ain't no love in the heart of the city,
Ain't no love in the heart of town.

Ain't no love, sure 'nough is a pity,
Ain't no love 'cos you ain't around.

Every place that I go, well, it seems so strange.
Without you, baby, baby, things have changed.
Now that you re gone y'know the sun don't shine
From the city hall to the county line.

Ain't no love in the heart of the city,
Ain't no love in the heart of town.
Ain't no love, sure 'nough is a pity,
Ain't no love 'cos you ain't around.

Every place that I go, well, it seems so strange.
Without you, baby, baby, things have changed.
Now that you re gone y'know the sun don't shine
From the city hall, woman, to the county line.

And that's why ain't no love in the heart of the city,
There ain't no love in the heart of town.
There ain't no love, sure 'nough is a pity,
Ain't no love 'cos you ain't around.

There ain't no love in the heart of the city,
There ain't no love in the heart of town.
Ain't no love, sure 'nough is a pity,

Ain't no love 'cos you ain't around
'cos you ain't around.

Overall Meaning

Paul Weller's "Ain't No Love in the Heart of the City" is a blues-influenced song that explores the theme of heartbreak and the emptiness that follows the loss of love. The lyrics lament the lack of love in the city and town, emphasizing the absence of the loved one. The chorus repeats the phrase "Ain't no love in the heart of the city" several times, adding a sense of despair to the song. The verse talks about how everything seems strange and different without the lover, and the sun doesn't shine anymore. The song's image of the heartless city and empty town evokes a sense of loneliness and sadness, which complements the theme of heartbreak.

Weller's vocals add a roughness and depth to the melancholic melody, emphasizing the desperation and sadness of the lyrics. The guitar riffs and backing vocals add a soulful edge to the song, creating a striking contrast between the roughness of the vocals and the smoothness of the instrumentals. Overall, "Ain't No Love in the Heart of the City" is a timeless blues classic that captures the pain and emptiness that comes with heartbreak.

Line by Line Meaning

Ain't no love in the heart of the city,
There is no love in the urban areas, where people tend to feel more alone and disconnected.

Ain't no love in the heart of town.
Even in small towns, people still feel a lack of love and affection.

Ain't no love, sure 'nough is a pity,
It is truly a shame that there is no love present in people's lives.

Ain't no love 'cos you ain't around
The main reason for the absence of love is the absence of a specific person.

Baby, since you been around.
Since this individual has been gone, it's been noticeable that love is not present.

Every place that I go, well, it seems so strange.
Without this person, the singer feels disconnected and disassociated from the places they go.

Without you, baby, baby, things have changed.
The presence of this person made things better, but now that they are gone, things have changed.

Now that you re gone y'know the sun don't shine
The absence of this person has had a profound impact on the artist's overall happiness.

From the city hall to the county line.
This person's absence has affected the artist's mood and experience of life, from the most official buildings to the countryside.

And that's why ain't no love in the heart of the city,
The absence of this person and the resulting feelings of loneliness contribute to the overall lack of love in urban areas.

There ain't no love in the heart of town.
Small towns are not immune to the lack of love and affection present without this person.

Ain't no love 'cos you ain't around.
Once again, the specific reason for the lack of love is the absence of this individual.

There ain't no love, sure 'nough is a pity,
It is a true shame that love is not present, and this fact is emphasized yet again.

Ain't no love 'cos you ain't around
The song finishes off with a repetition of the primary reason for the absence of love: the specific individual being gone.

Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Dan Walsh, Michael Alan Price

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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