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.

Blink
Paul Weller Lyrics

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Can nobody love you
Like I love you, yeah
Can nobody need you
Like I need you, yeah

While you got your head in the clouds
And talking so loud
Can't you see past the stages

It's only when you finally arrive
That you recognize
You been going through changes

Oh changes

Can nobody kiss you
Like I miss you, yeah
Can nobody tame you
Ain't no chains to hold you

While you got your head in the clouds
And talking so loud
Can't you read past the pages
It's only when you finally arrive
That you recognize
You been going through changes

Oh changes
Ah changes
Oh changes
Ah changes

While you got your head in the clouds
And talking so loud
Can't you see past the stages
It's only when you finally arrive
That you recognize
You been going through changes

Oh changes
Ah changes
Oh changes
Oh

Blink! And you just might miss it
Blink! And you just might miss it

Blink! And you just might miss it
Blink! And you just might miss it

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Paul Weller's song "Blink and You'll Miss It" appear to be about the singer's deep love and longing for someone who is going through changes and big life transitions. The repeated refrain of "can nobody love you like I love you" and "can nobody need you like I need you" suggests that the singer believes their connection with this person is uniquely strong and important. Meanwhile, the lines "you got your head in the clouds" and "talking so loud" imply that the person they are addressing is distracted or preoccupied with something else, perhaps even a newfound sense of fame or success.

However, the turning point in the song seems to be when the singer sings, "it's only when you finally arrive, that you recognize you've been going through changes." This suggests that while the person they love and miss may seem distant or uninterested, they are actually experiencing something significant and difficult. In the final refrain, the urgent repetition of "blink!" suggests that the singer is aware of how fleeting life can be, and how important it is to seize opportunities before they pass.

Overall, "Blink and You'll Miss It" appears to be a heartfelt and emotional plea for connection and understanding, in the face of change, distraction, and the passing of time.

Line by Line Meaning

Can nobody love you
No one can love you like I do

Like I love you, yeah
My love for you is beyond measure

Can nobody need you
No one can ever need you as much as I do

Like I need you, yeah
My need for you is insatiable

While you got your head in the clouds
While you are lost, dreaming and not paying attention

And talking so loud
And making noise without purpose

Can't you see past the stages
Can't you see beyond the immediate scene

It's only when you finally arrive
You will only understand when you get there

That you recognize
That you will realize

You been going through changes
You have been going through transformations

Oh changes
The constant evolution that you are experiencing