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.
In the Car...
Paul Weller Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
In the car
Have I taken it too far
All shook up
Nowhere to go
Just me and my baby
All alone
I could spend my summer nights
Riding 'round the m25
In the car I live my life
Front or the back seat
I don't mind
In the car
In the car
Many miles, still so far
Ride the highways
Peace on my mind
'Round the countries
Side by side
I'm self contained
And the music's loud
No one can get in
And I don't wanna get out
Now I spend my summer's wise
Riding 'round the M25
In the car I live and die
Front ot the back seat
I don't mind
I'm gonna send a pic sometime
Just to show you what it's like
In the car I live my life
Don't wanna talk
Just wanna drive
The lyrics to "In the Car" by Paul Weller describe the freedom and solace that the singer finds in driving alone. The repetition of "in the car" emphasizes its importance in the singer's life, suggesting that it serves as a sanctuary from the outside world. The line "have I taken it too far" suggests that the singer may be questioning their reliance on driving, raising the possibility that it may have reached a point of unhealthy escape. However, the subsequent lines suggest that driving remains a resource for self-contained rejuvenation that is a vital part of the singer's life.
The chorus suggests that the singer finds driving to be both a release and a means of setting themselves apart from others. As they drive around alone, they can lose themselves in the wide open spaces of highways and country roads, free from the demands of the everyday world. The line "I'm self-contained and the music's loud" reinforces the idea that music and solitude work together to provide an escape from the pressures of life. On the other hand, the closing lines of the song, "don't wanna talk, just wanna drive," suggest that the singer may be using driving as a way to avoid emotionally engaging with others, or to put off facing difficult decisions or responsibilities.
Line by Line Meaning
In the car
The singer is currently in a car
In the car
The singer is emphasizing that they are in a car
Have I taken it too far
The singer is questioning if they have gone too far with their love for being in a car
All shook up
The artist is feeling anxious or nervous about something
Nowhere to go
The artist is feeling directionless or unsure of where to go next
Just me and my baby
The singer is alone with their car, which they refer to as their "baby"
All alone
The singer is emphasizing that they are alone
I could spend my summer nights
The artist is imagining spending their summer nights doing a particular activity
Riding 'round the m25
The artist is imagining driving around a specific highway
In the car I live my life
The artist enjoys spending a lot of time in their car
Front or the back seat
The singer does not have a preference for which seat they sit in
I don't mind
The artist does not have any strong feelings about the topic being discussed
Many miles, still so far
The singer has driven many miles, but still feels like they have a long way to go
Ride the highways
The singer enjoys driving on highways
Peace on my mind
The singer feels at peace while driving
'Round the countries
The artist is driving through multiple countries
Side by side
The artist is driving with someone else
I'm self contained
The singer does not need anyone else in their car to feel satisfied
And the music's loud
The singer is listening to their music at a high volume
No one can get in
The artist does not want anyone else in their car right now
And I don't wanna get out
The artist does not want to leave their car
Now I spend my summer's wise
The artist now spends their summers doing something they enjoy more than they used to
Riding 'round the M25
The singer is still imagining driving around a specific highway
In the car I live and die
The artist feels like their life is intertwined with their car
Front ot the back seat
The singer still does not have a preference for which seat they sit in
I don't mind
The singer still does not have any strong feelings about the topic being discussed
I'm gonna send a pic sometime
The singer plans to take a picture of themselves and their car
Just to show you what it's like
The artist wants to share what it's like to be in their car with someone else
Don't wanna talk
The artist does not feel like talking right now
Just wanna drive
The singer only wants to focus on driving right now
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: JAN NICHOLAS KYBERT, PAUL JOHN WELLER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind