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.
Bull Rush
Paul Weller Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
That sent me tumbling down into a deep despair
Lost and dazed so i had no real recollection
Until the rain cleared the air
When you wake to find that everything has left you
And the clothes you wear belong to someone else
See your shadow chasing off towards the shore line
Drifting into emptiness
There are bullrushes outside my window
And their leaves whisper words in the wind
Tomorrow i'll walk to the harbour
And catch the first boat that's coming in
Like a child too small to reach the front door handle
Or maybe just too scared to know what i would find
Now i feel i'm strong enough to take the slow ride
Not knowing when i will arrive
I do believe i'm going home
'cause i don't call this place my own
I'm missing what i had
Happy times and sad
More than i ever thought could be
The lyrics of Paul Weller’s song, “Bull-Rush,” tell a story of a person who is going through a difficult time, feeling lost and alone. The singer describes a moment when they fell into a deep despair and lost all memory of what had happened. When the rain clears the air, the singer sees their shadow chasing off towards the shoreline, giving the sense of drifting into emptiness. The singer’s feeling of emptiness challenges their sense of home, and they acknowledge that they don't call their current place home anymore. The lyrics suggest that the singer wants to leave this place behind and go back to their own home, which they miss, with all its happy times and sad moments.
The symbolism of the bullrushes, the leaves that whisper words in the wind, and the harbor all convey a sense of longing in the lyrics. The bullrushes outside the singer’s window may represent the feeling of being trapped or stuck, and the leaves whispering words in the wind could be interpreted as either comforting or unsettling. The harbor, which the singer is walking to the next day, is symbolic of escape and new beginnings. The lyrics suggest that the singer is hopeful about their future, and it's a slow journey of growth and self-discovery.
Line by Line Meaning
In a momentary lapse of my condition
In a temporary loss of control of my physical and emotional state
That sent me tumbling down into a deep despair
That led me to fall into a severe state of sadness and hopelessness
Lost and dazed so i had no real recollection
Feeling confused and disoriented, with no clear memory of what was happening
Until the rain cleared the air
Until something unexpected happened that made things more clear or manageable
When you wake to find that everything has left you
Realizing that everything you thought was yours is now gone
And the clothes you wear belong to someone else
Feeling like you are no longer yourself, wearing someone else's clothes metaphorically expresses how you do not recognize yourself anymore
See your shadow chasing off towards the shore line
Observing a part of yourself that you cannot control or contain, and it is drifting away from you towards an unknown place
Drifting into emptiness
Losing yourself completely, and falling into a void where you feel empty inside
There are bullrushes outside my window
Observing something in your surroundings that appears unassuming and ordinary
And their leaves whisper words in the wind
Hearing something unexpectedly through the natural world around you
Tomorrow i'll walk to the harbour
Planning to go on a journey, hoping that it will bring you closer to something meaningful
And catch the first boat that's coming in
Being hopeful for an opportunity that may come your way soon, and being ready to embrace it
Like a child too small to reach the front door handle
Feeling powerless, as though you cannot access the things that you want
Or maybe just too scared to know what i would find
Feeling uncertain about what you might discover, and being terrified by the prospect
Now i feel i'm strong enough to take the slow ride
Feeling more resilient, and better equipped to handle the challenges ahead of you
Not knowing when i will arrive
Enjoying the ambiguity of where you will go and when you will get there, and welcoming whatever happens to you on this journey
I do believe i'm going home
Feeling an urge to return to a place where you feel safe and comfortable, physically and emotionally
'cause i don't call this place my own
Feeling out of place somewhere and not feeling like you belong
I'm missing what i had
Longing for the past, and feeling remorseful for the things you lost
Happy times and sad
Remembering both the good and the bad times in your life
More than i ever thought could be
Reflecting on how much you care about the moments and experiences you have lived through
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: PAUL JOHN WELLER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
The Fakey Cake Maker
I LOOOOOVE this album, it's like he used it to get the Style Council out his system. Late Jam stuff and early Weller stuff is basically the Style Council. Loved all of Weller's incarnations. xx
lynn T
Takes me back 15 20 years. These early albums are complete classic, & distinctive. I love this
Keith Robson
I love The Jam and Style Council. This album is near enough faultless. I still love it after all these years. It was the springboard he needed to relaunch his career. It’s just a shame that in my opinion pretty much everything else he’s done since has been shite. I don’t know why he got scared of being jazzy and soulful.
Gaz Twizz
This album is a perfect recording. A masterpiece. 22 Dreams too.
Shane Glackin
I believe one of, if not his best solo album!
Tim Arnold
Yep probably. Love Heliocentric as well personally. Much more introspective and pessimistic. Tracks to our lives, well mine anyway.
Kevin Luis
I agree It’s one of his best solo albums along with Wild Wood, Stanley Road, Wake Up The Nation
Derek Pugh
One of my favourite tracks. 😎👍🎸🎶
EM176
What a track. Such great lyrics too.
Brizz Ceee
Still listening to this album 2020 ✌🏻😷✌🏻