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.

All the Pictures on the Wall
Paul Weller Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

And all the pictures on the wall
Serve only to remind you of it all
The wasted days we could have lived
Now we're left with nothing left to give
There was a time I really loved you
But when that was I just can't say
As all the memories merge into one
As each day becomes each day

The clock hands ticking on the wall
Are just reminders of it all
The wasted days we could have lived
Now we're left with nothing left to give

We used to meet each others' eyes
And that's all we'd have to say
Now we don't talk that much at all
The further our eyes seem to stray

And in a funny kind of way
This empty room was full one day
Full of love that we once shared, now it all looks so bare

The silent walls whose cracks I feel,
But is there room to let the hatred heal?

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Paul Weller's song All the Pictures on the Wall describe the feelings of regret and loss, as well as the passage of time and its effects on a once-loving relationship. The first two lines, "And all the pictures on the wall / Serve only to remind you of it all," set the tone for the entire song. The pictures on the wall are a constant reminder of what once was, but is now lost. The next two lines, "The wasted days we could have lived / Now we're left with nothing left to give," speak to the missed opportunities and the sense of emptiness that now exists.

The next verse describes the fading memories of the past, "There was a time I really loved you / But when that was I just can't say / As all the memories merge into one / As each day becomes each day." This last line speaks to the monotony and lack of excitement that now exists in the relationship. The clock hands ticking on the wall are another reminder of the time that has passed and the love that has faded. The final verse acknowledges the changes in the relationship, "We used to meet each others' eyes / And that's all we'd have to say / Now we don't talk that much at all / The further our eyes seem to stray." The once-familiar connection has been lost.

The chorus, "The wasted days we could have lived / Now we're left with nothing left to give," is repeated throughout the song, emphasizing the feeling of loss and missed opportunities. In the final lines, "The silent walls whose cracks I feel, / But is there room to let the hatred heal?" there is a glimmer of hope that the relationship can be repaired, but the future remains uncertain.

Line by Line Meaning

And all the pictures on the wall
The images hanging on the wall

Serve only to remind you of it all
Merely act as memories of the past

The wasted days we could have lived
All the moments we missed out on together

Now we're left with nothing left to give
Our relationship is over, and there's no more to offer

The clock hands ticking on the wall
The sound of time moving forward

Are just reminders of it all
They only serve to remind us of what's been lost

We used to meet each others' eyes
We once could communicate non-verbally

And that's all we'd have to say
We could understand each other without words

Now we don't talk that much at all
Now, we barely talk to each other

The further our eyes seem to stray
We are growing emotionally more distant

And in a funny kind of way
In a peculiar sense