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.
All I Wanna Do
Paul Weller Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
But draw upon your mind
I'm not out to lose you
You know I'm not that kind
All I wanna do is be with you
All I wanna do is be with you
I'm neither clever nor confused
I'm not looking to steal you
Don't want you feeling used
All I wanna do is be with you
All I wanna do is be with you
I've given dust, I feel the most
I twist and turn, turn
I'm lost and found
Can you give out?
Can you see them?
Remember
I'm not out to train you
Lead, you follow far behind
I'm not here to claim you
You know I'm not that kind
All I wanna do is be with you
All I wanna do is be with you
Be with you, be with you, be with you
All I wanna do is be with you
With you, be with you
In this song, Paul Weller is expressing his feelings towards a person he wants to be with. He wants to draw upon their mind and be with them without the need to convince or lose them, indicating he wants this person to make their own choices freely. He also states that he is not there to forgive or steal from this person nor is he looking to lead or claim them. He simply wants to be with them without making them feel used or far behind him.
Weller's repetition of “All I wanna do is be with you” highlights the importance of the person to him and the depth of his emotions towards them. He feels lost and found in his love for this person, hence the line “I'm lost and found.” This implies that he may have been searching for love and finally found it in this person.
The lines “Can you give out? Can you see them? Remember” is a bit mysterious but may be interpreted as Weller asking the person to let their guard down and allow him to see the real them. He asks them to remember something, but it's tough to determine what he's asking them to recall.
Overall, the song is a declaration of love without being overly demanding or needy. It's a subtle but touching expression of emotion that's open to interpretation but speaks volumes in its simplicity.
Line by Line Meaning
I'm not out to convince you
I have no intention of persuading you
But draw upon your mind
I would like to provoke some thought from you
I'm not out to lose you
I don't want you to leave me
You know I'm not that kind
I'm not that type of person
All I wanna do is be with you
I simply want to spend time with you
I'm not here to forgive you
I'm not offering forgiveness
I'm neither clever nor confused
I'm not particularly smart or confused either
I'm not looking to steal you
I don't want to take you away from anyone
Don't want you feeling used
I don't want you to feel taken advantage of
I've given dust, I feel the most
I've given everything I have and feel the strongest
I twist and turn, turn
I'm experiencing confusion and uncertainty
I'm lost and found
I'm searching for something that I've lost, but may have found it
Can you give out?
Are you able to share or offer anything?
Can you see them?
Are you able to perceive them?
Remember
Don't forget
I'm not out to train you
I don't want to instruct or teach you
Lead, you follow far behind
I'm not leading, and if I were, you'd be following me from a distance
I'm not here to claim you
I don't want to assert ownership over you
Be with you, be with you, be with you
I want to be with you, to be with you
All I wanna do is be with you
All I want is to be with you
With you, be with you
I want to be with you
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: PAUL JOHN WELLER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Mike Babb
My favorite version without question.. Paul is in the pocket vocally - the harmonies are perfect -- acoustic guitar & bass are so clean ... and, the audio/mix pulls it all together perfectly. JUST AMAZING.
Derek Pugh
No one does it better 😎👍🎶🎸
Mike Babb
Paul was in a zone during this session and the studio guys did a masterful job.
Evandro DeSouza
Amazing version.
Paul Exford
Just keeping this alive, at his best when producing like this.
tolka river
brilliant tune mr weller...
Maurice Fagan
Pure magic and effortless
Vanesa Tolosa
IN THE NAME OF THE MODFATHER, SON AND HOLY GHOST...
TaniaGeorge Kelly
So cool
Valerie Wu
❤💙💚💛💜