Weller's eleventh studio album, Sonik Kicks, was released on 19 March 2012. The Green Songfacts reports that it was recorded in Wellerβs 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 β 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.
Remember How We Started
Paul Weller Lyrics
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To drunk to care abut what might
You turned my head to kiss your lips
Time stood still as my heart skipped a beat
And if I could I'd take your hand
And lead you off back to the past
I know a trail, a secret mile
An' better to cry than never smile
I think we knew it was us for certain
An' just the thing that we hoped for
Was building up into something more
Oh I've been searching, searching
Trying to find the words to say
Oh I've been searching, searching
Trying to get back to the love we made, yesterday
Remember how we started on a summer's night
Too young to know about what might
And just as well
As we might not
Of ever started on this course at all
The lyrics of Paul Weller's "Remember How We Started" take the listener on a sweet journey back to the beginning of a love story. It starts with how the couple met one summer night in a carefree state of mind. They were already drunk as they bonded over their physical chemistry with a kiss that made time stop for a moment. The singer wishes he could go back in time and relive that moment, leading them away from their current reality.
The second verse talks about the certainty they felt at that moment, with the moonlight shining through the windowpane of a bedroom with flowered curtains. The line "An' just the thing that we hoped for, Was building up into something more" indicates that they both felt something more was going to happen afterward. The chorus then takes a nostalgic tone, with the singer reminiscing that he has been searching for words to express what he feels and how he wants to get back to the love they shared in the past.
The lyrics conclude with a realization that they might have never started the love story if they were more aware of the what-ifs of that moment. It feels like a bittersweet flashback of a love story that the singer cherishes and wishes to hold on to.
Line by Line Meaning
Remember how we started on a summer's night
Recalling the beginning of our love story, which happened on a warm summer's night
To drunk to care abut what might
Being intoxicated, we neglected the possible outcomes of our actions
You turned my head to kiss your lips
You made the romantic gesture of turning my head towards you and kissing my lips
Time stood still as my heart skipped a beat
The moment made me feel an intense emotion that made me forget about time and feel a sudden rush of love
And if I could I'd take your hand
If it were possible, I would take your hand and go back to the beginning of our love story
And lead you off back to the past
I wish to go back to the memories and moments that made us fall in love in the first place
I know a trail, a secret mile
I know of a path, a hidden way that we can take, where we can reminisce our memories
An' better to cry than never smile
It's better to have loved and lost than to never have loved at all
The moonlight shining through your flowered curtains
The moon's light shining through your floral curtains aided us in realizing that we belonged to each other
I think we knew it was us for certain
We had full and unwavering confidence that we were meant to be together
An' just the thing that we hoped for
It was everything that we had wanted and expected from our love story
Was building up into something more
Our love was evolving into something more than we initially expected
Oh I've been searching, searching
I have been looking and trying to find the words to express my feelings
Trying to find the words to say
Trying to articulate my thoughts and recapture the moments of pure love
Oh I've been searching, searching
I have been searching tirelessly
Trying to get back to the love we made, yesterday
Trying to relive the love we shared in the past, just like we did yesterday
Too young to know about what might
We were too young and inexperienced to know what the future holds for us
And just as well
Fortunately, it worked out for the best
As we might not
There was a possibility that we wouldn't be where we are today
Of ever started on this course at all
Our love story might have never even started, and our paths could have never crossed
Lyrics Β© Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: PAUL JOHN WELLER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind