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.
Always There to Fool You
Paul Weller Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Try an' find myself again
At least a part I left somewhere
Buried under a hedgerow near
A lazy bridge on a hot afternoon
Water glistening while it plays a tune
Cloudburst on a rainy day
Uh huh oh yeah, uh huh oh yeah
Always there to confuse and fool you
And in my mind I saw the place
As each memory returned to trace
Dear Reminders of who I am
The very roots upon which I stand
And there they were for all to see
My long, lost, used-to-be's
And all the dreams I had to dream
Were really something, not make believe
A lazy tree by a wishing well
I wish now that I could tell
If all the dreams I used to dream
Are really something, not make believe!
In "Always There to Fool You" by Paul Weller, the lyrics describe a journey of self-discovery and the rediscovery of lost memories. The singer takes a trip down Boundary Lane to find a part of themselves that they left behind buried under a hedgerow. As they walk, they come across a lazy bridge on a hot afternoon and a calming body of water that wipes all their sleep away. The lyrics "always there to confuse and fool you" suggests the singer's internal conflict of feeling lost and trying to find themselves.
The singer then reflects on the memories that return and the reminders of who they are, tracing back their roots to the very beginning. The long-lost used-to-be's highlight their forgotten past, while dreams that were once deemed as make believe, now seem attainable. The lyrics "a lazy tree by a wishing well, I wish now that I could tell, if all the dreams I used to dream are really something, not make believe" convey the singer's wishful thinking and the desire to hold on to their dreams.
Overall, the song conveys a sense of nostalgia and the search for one's identity. The imagery of a hot afternoon, water, and a wishing well complements the dreamlike quality of the song, and the chorus adds an element of confusion that signifies the constant struggle of one's self-professed identity.
Line by Line Meaning
I took a trip down boundary lane
I went on a journey to rediscover myself
Try an' find myself again
I'm attempting to uncover my true self
At least a part I left somewhere
I misplaced a fragment of myself somewhere along the way
Buried under a hedgerow near
It's hidden beneath the hedgerows in close proximity
A lazy bridge on a hot afternoon
An idle bridge on a scorching afternoon
Water glistening while it plays a tune
As water sparkles, it also produces harmonious sounds
Cloudburst on a rainy day
A stormy day with heavy rainfall
Wiping all my sleep away
It purges all of my sleep, keeping me awake
Uh huh oh yeah, uh huh oh yeah
A vocalization of affirmation and agreement
Always there to confuse and fool you
Life can be complex with unpredictable twists and turns
And in my mind, I saw the place
Within my mind, I observed the location
As each memory returned to trace
As memories resurface and come into focus
Dear Reminders of who I am
These are cherished memories that remind me of my identity
The very roots upon which I stand
These memories are the foundation upon which I stand
And there they were for all to see
The memories were plainly visible
My long, lost, used-to-be's
Representing my past self that no longer exists
And all the dreams I had to dream
All the aspirations I wished to achieve
Were really something, not make-believe
They were real aspirations not mere fantasies
A lazy tree by a wishing well
A leisurely tree located beside a wishing well
I wish now that I could tell
I wish I could narrate
If all the dreams I used to dream
Whether all my past aspirations were real
Are really something, not make-believe!
They were actual aspirations and not just imagination
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: PAUL JOHN WELLER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind