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.
Uh Huh Oh Yeh!
Paul Weller Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Try an' find myself again
At least a part I left somewhere
Buried under a hedgerow near
A lazy bridge on a hot afternoon
Water glistening while it plays a tune
Cloudburst on a rainy day
Uh huh oh yeah, uh huh oh yeah
Always there to confuse and fool you
And in my mind I saw the place
As each memory returned to trace
Dear Reminders of who I am
The very roots upon which I stand
And there they were for all to see
My long, lost, used-to-be's
And all the dreams I had to dream
Were really something, not make believe
A lazy tree by a wishing well
I wish now that I could tell
If all the dreams I used to dream
Are really something, not make believe
The opening lines of Paul Weller's song Uh Huh Oh Yeh! describe a journey of self-discovery that the singer undertakes by taking a trip down Boundary Lane. The purpose of the journey is to find a part of himself that he had lost and buried under a hedgerow somewhere. The reference to "Boundary Lane" could be both literal and metaphorical - it could be an actual road or a symbolic boundary that the singer had crossed in his life that led to his losing a part of himself.
The second verse describes the beauty of nature that the singer encounters on his journey. The lazy bridge that he sees on a hot afternoon with its glistening water and soothing tune is a metaphor for the peace he seeks in life. Even a cloudburst on a rainy day is something that wipes away all his sleep and awakens him to the beauty of life. However, the refrain "Uh huh oh yeah" suggests that despite the beauty and serenity around him, the singer is still not sure of himself and is easily confused and fooled.
The third verse talks about how the singer rediscovers himself as he looks back on his life and his memories. He sees himself as the sum total of his experiences and memories, as represented by the "long, lost, used-to-be's" and the dreams he had to dream. The lazy tree by a wishing well is also a metaphor for the dreams and wishes that the singer had as a young person. The final line of the song suggests that the singer is not entirely sure whether his dreams were real or just make-believe.
Line by Line Meaning
I took a trip down boundary lane
I went on a journey to find myself again
Try an' find myself again
I was seeking to rediscover who I am
At least a part I left somewhere
I felt like I had lost a part of myself
Buried under a hedgerow near
I had a sense that the part of me I lost was nearby
A lazy bridge on a hot afternoon
I stumbled upon a peaceful bridge on a warm day
Water glistening while it plays a tune
The water shimmered and created a soothing melody
Cloudburst on a rainy day
A sudden rainstorm washed away my fatigue
Wiping all my sleep away
It refreshed me and gave me a new perspective
Uh huh oh yeah, uh huh oh yeah
Life can be confusing and deceptive at times
Always there to confuse and fool you
It has a way of playing tricks and making things unclear
And in my mind I saw the place
I had a mental image of the location of my lost self
As each memory returned to trace
I recalled pieces of my past that led me to who I am
Dear Reminders of who I am
These memories were important benchmarks of my identity
The very roots upon which I stand
They formed the foundations of my character
And there they were for all to see
I was reminded of my past, visible to anyone curious enough
My long, lost, used-to-be's
The parts of my past that seemed to have disappeared
And all the dreams I had to dream
I began to feel hopeful about the future again
Were really something, not make believe
My hopes and dreams were valid aspirations, not just illusions
A lazy tree by a wishing well
I encountered a tranquil tree by a fountain of wishes
I wish now that I could tell
I wish I could be certain of which aspects of my life are real
If all the dreams I used to dream
I question the viability of the dreams I held in the past
Are really something, not make believe
I hope that these dreams are not just figments of my imagination
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: PAUL JOHN WELLER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@jamesschiavo4748
Paul,
I used to put this song on the jukebox in Drummonds in Richmond in 1992 when I got to the pub, so we could find each other.
Thanks mate. Still sounds brilliant
Peace !!
James
@jamesschiavo4748
So I could find my girlfriend - now my wife
@jamesschiavo4748
No glasses - fuck. Still sounds great
🍺
@IPman77
My favourite Weller track. It's just as funky now as when it came out.
@psibri1
Saw Mr. Weller when he released this, 3rd row center stage at The Greek Theater, my favorite musician ever, and was blown away. I would love to fulfill my bucket list by sitting with him for a bit and just talking and letting him know what an impact he has made on my life, since 1980.
@dang2443
Do you know how many times he has probably had that same conversation?
@sirpercivalthegood
What a song. Never will understand why he isnt huge in U.S. Chicago loves Paul. Come to Chicago please!!!
@shandywarhol4444
Yes. Kx
@shaneworrall1296
So much of his early solo stuff is timeless, horns, guitars, sax, just funky mod brilliance.
@blackmore4
Though I think the production here is a bit too polite. If there'd been a louder driven rhythm guitar and the arpeggios he plays had a more stinging sound, it would've been A1.