Paul Weller (born 25 May 1958) is an English singer / songwriter, leader of… Read Full Bio ↴Paul Weller (born 25 May 1958) is an English singer / songwriter, leader of two successful bands: The Jam and The Style Council. In England, he is recognised as something of a national institution yet, because much of his songwriting is rooted in English culture, he has remained essentially a national rather than an international star.

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.

There's No Drinking After You're Dead
Paul Weller Lyrics

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Come taste the wine
Come lose yourself
Taste this time
But keep it well,
Only love it all
With heart and head
For there is no drinking,
After your dead.

Dive and swim
In the amber ocean
See all that you can
In this new emotion,
And embrace it now
Before it's skin sheds
For there is no drinking,
After your dead.

Stand back to back
With yourself again
As your spin and reel
Like a new found friend,
And have it all
With heart and hands,
For there is no love making,
After your dead.

And today is but a second
If tomorrow you may die
And empty pages glistening
In Eternity's lie
And time is buy an essence
Encased upon the wall
That brings our day of reckoning,
Much closer to us all.

Light the candle
And burn it well
For only time knows
What it cannot yet tell,
Only love it all
With heart and head

For there is no drinking,
After your dead.

Overall Meaning

Paul Weller's song "There's No Drinking After You're Dead" urges its listeners to experience life to the fullest before death, reminding us that we should not waste a single moment. The song starts with an invitation to surrender oneself to life, to let go and taste the wine, and to lose oneself in the present moment. However, it also emphasizes the importance of keeping it well and cherishing everything with both heart and head since time is fleeting and there is no second chance.

The second verse echoes the same theme of seizing the moment and experiencing everything in this "new emotion." The use of the metaphorical "amber ocean" encourages listeners to explore and enjoy everything life has to offer before it disappears. The verse warns us that time is limited, and before we know it, we will have missed our chance to experience all that life has to offer.

The final verse reminds us of the importance of self-love and living in the moment. It encourages us to stand back to back with ourselves once again and to embrace all that life has to offer while we still can. The last two stanzas remind us of the ticking time and that we should light the candle and burn it well, always loving everything with both heart and head since there is no second chance after death.

Line by Line Meaning

Come taste the wine
Experience life to the fullest

Come lose yourself
Let go of your inhibitions

Taste this time
Appreciate the present moment

But keep it well,
Enjoy in moderation

Only love it all
Accept everything life has to offer

With heart and head
Use both your emotions and intellect

For there is no drinking,
Life is finite

After your dead.
Death is inevitable

Dive and swim
Explore deeply

In the amber ocean
In the sea of life

See all that you can
Experience as much as possible