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.
The Circle
Paul Weller Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I'm gonna sing it to my friends
I got a song it ain't got no melody
I'm gonna sing it to my friends
Will it go round it circles
Will it fly high like a bird up in the sky
Will it go round it circles
I got a story it ain't got no moral
Let the bad guy win every once in a while
I got a story it ain't got no moral
Let the bad guy win every once in a while
Will it go round it circles
Will it fly high like a bird up in the sky
Will it go round it circles
Will it fly high like a bird up in the sky
I got a dance it ain't got no steps to it
I'm gonna let the music move me around
I got a dance it ain't got no steps to it
I'm gonna let the music move me around
Will it go round it circles
Will it fly high like a bird up in the sky
Will it go round it circles
Will it fly high like a bird up in the sky
The lyrics to Paul Weller and Jools Holland's "Will It Go Round in Circles" suggest a sense of freedom and abandon. The singer's song has no melody, but they will still sing it to their friends, possibly indicating a desire to connect through a shared experience rather than simply pleasing audiences. Similarly, the story they tell has no moral, suggesting an embrace of ambiguity and messiness rather than trying to impose a clear lesson. The invitation to let the bad guy win every once in a while might be interpreted as an acknowledgement that life rarely fits neatly into moral binary categories.
The final stanza of the song introduces the idea of a dance without steps, suggesting a willingness to let go of control and follow the "music." Like the rest of the song, the repeated refrain of "Will it go round in circles / Will it fly high like a bird up in the sky" echoes the idea of circularity and escapism.
Overall, the lyrics of "Will It Go Round in Circles" seem to celebrate a sense of playfulness and experimentation. There is a willingness to eschew conventional standards of musicality or storytelling in favor of a more open-ended approach. This may reflect the countercultural ethos of the late 1960s and early 1970s, as well as the influence of psychedelic music on popular culture at the time.
Line by Line Meaning
I got a song it ain't got no melody
I have a song without a traditional tune
I'm gonna sing it to my friends
I plan to perform it for my pals
Will it go round it circles
Can this be an enduring favorite?
Will it fly high like a bird up in the sky
Will it be embraced like a soaring bird?
I got a story it ain't got no moral
I have a narrative without a clear lesson
Let the bad guy win every once in a while
Occasionally, the villain can emerge triumphant
I got a dance it ain't got no steps to it
My movements won't be choreographed
I'm gonna let the music move me around
I'll let the groove take control
Will it go round it circles
Is this dance routine a timeless classic?
Will it fly high like a bird up in the sky
Will it be a hit and widely embraced?
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: BILLY PRESTON, BRUCE FISHER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Damon Nicholls
I agree - I love Simon's voice - but this too sounds magic - great song.
rich varone
I love this version!!!!!
DMakk
Awesome cover of such an awesome song,cant fault the modfather
Swantonbomb
Simon Fowler OCS knocks this song out the park everytime. OCS forever!...
Stephen Kelly
outstanding colossal songwriters
Keith WS
Woh, wait, what? How did I never hear this back in the day?
Heijoon Chyung
green circles forever baby!
simon hateley
weller is a god but simon fowler is the god of all gods ...keep the faith
n
@Lynn Jones I believe he speaks very highly of you!
Derek Pugh
@Lynn Jones why.?