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.
Leafy Mysteries
Paul Weller Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And the silence of the eve
And in the shady tree's I swing
& in the dappled orchards heat
Where I lie & wait
Wait for the breeze
To carry me
No time just somewhere else
With a face I can recognize
-I forget sometimes
That's always been here
And all these leafy mysteries
& the changing of the seas
& all the secrets of the tide
Just open up the world I find-
So small to me
When there's so much to see ?
So much to be ?
day up & the grasses hiss
Get up! Like sweet lips they kiss
See now that you're part of it
I forget sometimes
That's always been here
And these leafy mysteries
Have always been & always will
& in the shady trees I swing
& in the dappled orchard's heat
-where I lie & wait
Wait for the breeze
To hunger me-
Wait for the trees
To breathe in to me
The lyrics of Paul Weller's "Leafy Mysteries" convey the sense of finding solace in moments of quiet and contemplation spent amidst nature. The first stanza of the song describes the peacefulness of being surrounded by trees on a quiet evening. The singer swings on a shady tree and lies down in a dappled orchard, waiting for the breeze to transport him to a place where he can lose himself. The second verse reiterates this theme of finding oneself in the natural environment; the lyrics mention the changing of the seas and secrets of the tide as forces that open up the world to the singer.
The lyrics suggest that in a world full of chaos, it is possible to find peace and tranquility by immersing oneself in nature. The song appears to be an ode to the idea that nature offers a sanctuary from the world, where one can find one's true self. The line "I forget sometimes that's always been here" suggests that the singer has always been drawn to nature as a source of comfort and inspiration, but occasionally forgets its power.
Line by Line Meaning
And these leafy mysteries
Referring to the wonders and secrets of nature found in the forests and trees
And the silence of the eve
The stillness and calm that comes with nighttime
And in the shady tree's I swing
Reclining and resting in a tree's shade
& in the dappled orchards heat
Lying in the sun-dappled shade of an orchard
Where I lie & wait
Patiently waiting for something to happen
Wait for the breeze
Anticipating the refreshing touch of the wind
To carry me
To transport one's thoughts and senses to another place or time
To a place I can lose myself
Seeking a location where it is possible to escape from reality and lose oneself in thought
No time just somewhere else
Looking for an alternative reality without the constraints of time
With a face I can recognize
Searching for familiarity in an otherwise unfamiliar place
-I forget sometimes
Losing oneself in the wonders of nature and, as a result, may forget the entire experience
That's always been here
Reminding oneself that these natural wonders have always existed
And all these leafy mysteries
Emphasizing the captivating beauty of nature and its secrets
& the changing of the seas
Referring to the dynamic nature of the oceans and their constant transformation
& all the secrets of the tide
Alluding to the hidden and mysterious movements of the tide
Just open up the world I find-
Implies that these natural phenomena open up a world of possibilities and beauty
So small to me
Despite the vastness of nature, it pales in comparison to the grandeur of the universe
When there's so much to see ?
Despite the beauty and wonders of nature, there is an infinity of possibilities to experience
So much to be ?
Asking the rhetorical question, 'why settle for smallness when there is so much to become?'
day up & the grasses hiss
Referring to the sounds of wind blowing through the grasses during daylight
Get up! Like sweet lips they kiss
Nature greeting and beckoning to the artist to embrace its beauty
See now that you're part of it
Realizing and accepting one's place in the natural world
-I forget sometimes
Despite being a part of nature, it is easy to lose oneself in thought and forget reality
That's always been here
Nature and its beauty is always present for one to enjoy
And these leafy mysteries
Restates the ethereal enigma of nature
Have always been & always will
Natural beauty is eternal and will always continue beyond one's lifetime
-where I lie & wait
Returning to the patient waiting and accepting oneself as a part of nature
Wait for the breeze
Anticipating and savoring the experience of the wind
To hunger me-
Longing to be encapsulated by nature
Wait for the trees
Awaiting nature's response
To breathe in to me
Being one with nature and experiencing its beauty through respiration
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: PAUL JOHN WELLER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind