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 Your Dead
Paul Weller Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
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.
The lyrics of Paul Weller's song "There Is No Drinking After You're Dead" are reflective and poetic, urging listeners to live life fully and appreciate every moment while they still can. The opening lines "Come taste the wine, come lose yourself" suggest the idea of indulging in life's pleasures while being mindful that time is fleeting, and one must appreciate every moment of it. The use of imagery in the lines "Dive and swim in the amber ocean, see all that you can in this new emotion" suggests the idea of being fully immersed in life's experiences, exploring them without any inhibitions.
The refrain "For there is no drinking after your dead" serves as a reminder of the finality of life and our mortality. It suggests that once we die, we cannot experience life's joys anymore and the futility of hoarding possessions, wealth and power for the future. The lines "And today is but a second, if tomorrow you may die, and empty pages glistening in Eternity's lie" further emphasize the fleeting nature of life and the concept that life does not last forever. The song concludes with a call to action, urging listeners to "light the candle and burn it well" and to love with their hearts and heads, suggesting that creating meaningful moments of joy and connection is what gives life its value.
Overall, Paul Weller's "There Is No Drinking After You're Dead" is a poignant reminder of our mortality and the importance of appreciating every moment of life while we can.
Line by Line Meaning
Come taste the wine
Experience life to the fullest
Come lose yourself
Allow yourself to fully immerse in the experience
Taste this time
Savor each moment as if it were your last
But keep it well
Retain the lessons learned and memories made
Only love it all
Embrace all aspects of life
With heart and head
Approach life with both passion and rationality
For there is no drinking,
There is no going back or second chances in life
After your dead.
Once you die, you cannot relive life
Dive and swim
Explore and discover new experiences
In the amber ocean
In the vastness of life
See all that you can
Take in everything that life has to offer
In this new emotion,
In this current moment
And embrace it now
Fully accept and enjoy the experience
Before it's skin sheds
Before the moment passes and cannot be relived
Stand back to back
Reflect on and examine yourself
With yourself again
Contemplate your own being
As your spin and reel
As you navigate through life
Like a new found friend,
As if experiencing life for the first time
And have it all
Enjoy every moment
With heart and hands,
Through passion and action
For there is no love making,
There is no reliving past experiences
After your dead.
Once you die, you cannot relive life
And today is but a second
Time passes quickly
If tomorrow you may die
Life is fragile and unpredictable
And empty pages glistening
Future possibilities and opportunities
In Eternity's lie
The unknown of the future
And time is buy an essence
Time is valuable and fleeting
Encased upon the wall
Immovable and unstoppable
That brings our day of reckoning,
Our inevitable death
Much closer to us all.
Death is always a present reality
Light the candle
Illuminate life
And burn it well
Make the most of life
For only time knows
Time is the only true measure of life
What it cannot yet tell,
The future is unknown
Only love it all
Embrace all aspects of life
With heart and head
Approach life with both passion and rationality
For there is no drinking,
There is no going back or second chances in life
After your dead.
Once you die, you cannot relive life
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: PAUL JOHN WELLER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind