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 Modern World
Paul Weller Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
This is the modern world
What kind of a fool do you think I am?
You think I know nothing of the modern world?
All my life has been the same
I've learned to live by hate and pain
It's my inspiration drive
I've learned more than you'll ever know
That one day I would be on top
And I'd look down upon the map
The teachers who said I'd be nothing
This is the modern world that I've learnt about
This is the modern world, we don't need no one
To tell us what's right or wrong
I said oh, right or wrong
Say what you like, 'cause I don't care
I know where I am and going too
It's somewhere I won't preview
Don't have to explain myself to you
I don't give a damn about your review
This is the modern world that I've learnt about
This is the modern world, we don't need no one
To tell us what's right or wrong
Modern world, this is, this is, this is, this is
This is, this is, this is
Hey, we don't need no one
To tell us what's right or wrong
This is a modern world
This is the modern world
The lyrics to the song "The Modern World" by Paul Weller are a commentary on the changing times and the youth's disconnection with the ideas of those who came before them. The opening lines, "This is a modern world, this is the modern world," suggest a sense of detachment from the past and a focus on the present. Weller asserts his knowledge of the modern world, challenging anyone who thinks otherwise, claiming to have learned to live by hate and pain, which he views as his inspiration drive. He emphasizes his superiority, stating that he knows more than anyone else, as he's learned more than anyone else.
Weller's lyrics continue to express the rebellion and disregard for established authority. He declares that he doesn't care what others think, as he knows where he's going and doesn't owe anyone an explanation. He sees the modern world as a place of freedom, where individuals do not need to conform to anyone's standards nor are they expected to listen to anyone's rules. He concludes using the phrase "This is a modern world", repeating it as if to drive home the point of his message.
Overall, the lyrics of "The Modern World" reflect a sense of youthful rebellion and frustration with the world that they've inherited. Paul Weller expresses the views of many young people disillusioned with the present and uninterested in the past, looking for something new and exciting in their modern world.
Line by Line Meaning
This is a modern world
I am living in a world that is modern and contemporary
This is the modern world
My experience of the world is shaped by its modern qualities
What kind of a fool do you think I am?
Do you really believe that I am a fool?
You think I know nothing of the modern world?
Do you think that I have no knowledge or awareness of modern society?
All my life has been the same
My existence has been constant and unchanging
I've learned to live by hate and pain
I have had to adapt to a life filled with negative emotions
It's my inspiration drive
The adversity I have faced has inspired me to push forward and succeed
I've learned more than you'll ever know
I have acquired knowledge and experience that surpasses yours
Even at school I felt quite sure that one day I would be on top
I knew from a young age that I would eventually become successful and rise to the top
And I'd look down upon the map
I would have power and influence over a large area
The teachers who said I'd be nothing
The educators who predicted my failure and downfall
We don't need no one to tell us what's right or wrong
We are capable of determining our own sense of morality and values
I said oh, right or wrong
I declare that we are free to choose our own beliefs and actions
Say what you like, 'cause I don't care
You are welcome to express your opinions, but they are meaningless to me
I know where I am and going too
I have a clear sense of direction and purpose in life
It's somewhere I won't preview
I do not need to reveal my destination to anyone
Don't have to explain myself to you
I am not obliged to justify my decisions to you
I don't give a damn about your review
Your evaluation and judgment hold no significance to me
Modern world, this is, this is, this is, this is
This is the modern world, as it exists, currently
Hey, we don't need no one to tell us what's right or wrong
We are independent in our thought and action and do not require guidance from anyone else
This is a modern world
The world I am living in is modern and contemporary
This is the modern world
My experience of the world is shaped by its modern qualities
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group, Downtown Music Publishing, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Paul John Weller
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Liam Regan
Lyrics
Listen
Videos
Main results
This is the modern world
This is the modern world
What kind of fool do you think I am?
You think I know nothing of the modern world
All my life it's been the same
I've learnt to live by hate and pain
It's my inspiration drive
I've learnt more than you'll ever know
Even at school I felt quite sure
That one day I would be on top
And I'd look down upon the map
The teachers who said I'd be nothing
This is the modern world that I've learnt about
This is the modern world we don't need no one
To tell us what's right or wrong
This is the modern world
Say what you like 'cause I don't care
I know where I am and going to
It's somewhere I won't preview
Don't have to explain myself to you
I don't give two fucks about your review
This is the modern world that I've learnt about
This is the modern world we don't need no one
To tell us what's right or wrong
Modern word, this is, this is, this is
This is, this is, this is, this is
Hey, we don't need no one
To tell us what's right or wrong
This is the modern world
This is the modern world
M B.
I never ever get tired of this song , it always makes the little hairs on the back of my neck stand up when i hear it.
Alina Gryszkiewicz
Dobrze dobrana muzyka, która pomoże pozbyć się gniewu, uwolni od przygnębienia i da
impuls do działania.POLECAM:):)
Laura Newberry
Genius song writing my god what intelligence Love this band
Keith Skillen
The best band ever 😊
Chet Isanhart
Weller is an underrated guitar player.
Stuart Harrison
Never understood why this LP was/is so under-rated , just skip DontTellThem YoureSane and the rest is magic, loved it for 42 yrs now.
m0ts
One of the first albums I purchased. I don't mind 'DTTYS'. Cheers.
Stuart Harrison
@m0ts Have you seen the clip of Tonight At Noon live on US tv ? Love that song , and Weller's playing a teardrop .
m0ts
@Stuart Harrison I haven't as yet Stuart, thanks for the info I'll check it out. Cheers.
Nick Terrett
couldnt agree more..soundtrack to my youth..used to lift the repeat arm on my battered up(but loud) hand me down record player so that the LP would auto repeat without me even havin to get off my bed..Modern World nearly wore out😂..makes me smile just thinkin about those oh so different days.