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.
White Sky
Paul Weller Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Kinda mixes my soul
On the king's highway
I didn't know where to go
If you're ever feeling lost
Never thought I was
Can the king fall again?
Under a white sky
White sky
White sky
White sky, coming down on me
Was it something in the [?]
I tried to loosen my name
When I came to watch the sky
I tried to walk across the road
If you're ever feeling lost
Never thought I was
Can the king fall again?
I sure would love him to sing
Under a white sky
White sky
White sky
White sky, coming down on me
Coming down on me
Coming down on me
Coming down on me
Coming down on me
Coming down on me
Coming down on me
Coming down on me
(Coming down on me)
Coming down on me
Under a white sky
(Coming down on me)
White sky
(Coming down on me)
White sky
(Coming down on me)
White sky, coming down on me
Under a white sky
White sky
White sky
White sky, coming down on me
The lyrics of Paul Weller's "White Sky" are open to interpretation, but it seems to convey a sense of confusion and loss. The first verse talks about a "sheet upon the sky" that is confusing the singer's soul while on the "king's highway," which suggests a metaphor for life's journey. The next verse speaks of feeling lost and hoping that the "king" can fall again so he can sing, which could mean that the singer is seeking guidance from some higher power.
The chorus repeats the phrase "white sky" four times in a row, conveying a sense of overwhelmingness and the feeling of being overpowered by something beyond one's control. There is a sense of surrender in the repetition of the phrase, as if the singer is acknowledging the futility of fighting against it. The second verse again refers to the confusion and sense of being lost, with the singer trying to "loosen my name" and "walk across the road" but seeming unable to find his way.
Taken as a whole, "White Sky" seems to be about the search for meaning and direction in life, with the metaphor of the king serving as a symbol of guidance and purpose. The repetitive chorus underscores the feeling of being overwhelmed by life's uncertainties, while the verses suggest a struggling attempt to find clarity and purpose.
Line by Line Meaning
There's a sheet upon the sky
There are clouds in the sky
Kinda mixes my soul
The sight of the clouds makes me feel emotional
On the king's highway
On a road that is well-traveled
I didn't know where to go
I was lost and unsure of my direction
If you're ever feeling lost
If you ever feel unsure of yourself
Never thought I was
I never expected to feel this way
Can the king fall again?
Can someone who was once successful fail again?
I sure would love him to sing
I wish he would share his talent with the world again
Under a white sky
Beneath the clouds
White sky
Cloudy weather
White sky
Cloudy weather
White sky, coming down on me
The clouds seem to surround me
Was it something in the [?]
Did something happen to make me feel this way?
I tried to loosen my name
I tried to detach from my identity
When I came to watch the sky
When I stopped to appreciate nature
I tried to walk across the road
I tried to continue on my journey
Coming down on me
The clouds seem to be closing in on me
Coming down on me
The clouds seem to be closing in on me
Coming down on me
The clouds seem to be closing in on me
Coming down on me
The clouds seem to be closing in on me
Under a white sky
Beneath the clouds
White sky
Cloudy weather
White sky
Cloudy weather
White sky, coming down on me
The clouds seem to surround me
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: BRIAN ROBERT DOUGANS, GARRY COBAIN, MICHAEL EDWARD ROWE, PAUL JOHN WELLER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@M1CKEYHD
There's a sheet upon the sky
Kinda mixes my soul
On the king's highway
I didn't know where to go
If you're ever feeling lost
Never thought I was
Can the king fall again?
I sure would love him to sing
Under a white sky
White sky
White sky
White sky, coming down on me
Was it something in the road
I tried to loosen my load
When I came to watch the sun
I tried to walk across the road
If you're ever feeling lost
Never thought I was
Can the king fall again?
I sure would love him to sing
Under a white sky
White sky
White sky
White sky, coming down on me
Coming down on me
Coming down on me
Coming down on me
Coming down on me
Coming down on me
Coming down on me
Coming down on me
(Coming down on me)
Coming down on me
Under a white sky
(Coming down on me)
White sky
(Coming down on me)
White sky
(Coming down on me)
White sky, coming down on me
Under a white sky
White sky
White sky
White sky, coming down on me
@kennyrichardson7472
If you want the jam, listen to the jam. If you want the style council, listen to them. If you want wild wood, listen to it. PW has already made those tunes. Everybody moans about repeats. Do you want to watch last weeks match or next weeks? I love the repeats and I also love the way he keeps moving. As Ali said 'if you ae the same person at 50 as you were at 20, you've wasted 30 years of your life'. Love the music, love the video. In my world you can smoke and play whatever sounds you like. In the other one you can watch x-factor and go to tribute band gigs.
@davidembleton5480
Spot on Kenny!
@bradhill1099
+Kenny Richardson Thank you, and well stated Kenny...
@micheleangelo9273
+Kenny Richardson No truer words have ever been written on youtube!!!
@Pdboard
Mr. Weller is Mr. Weller. A great artist always
@TheMisterMonkeyman
Well said. I wholeheartedly agree. Peace.
@AJ_D1
Just saw him perform last night at a small venue. He opened with this song and blew the roof off the building. Fantastic show
@PVACraftGlue
Love everything Paul Weller related, he's already made his hits and his catchy sing songs, let him do his thing.
@bradhill1099
Highly versatile isn't he. Champion artist. Chicago American checking in.
@bradhill1099
I can't stand the way people bash Weller, or always make comparisons to other artists work....He is an artist unto himself, and one hell of an artist at that....The Jam has long since passed....Move on already....His music is a hell of a lot better than most things coming out in The U.S. these days....Saw him in Chicago on June 17th, 2015 , and it was a terrific show....Front row with 3 encore...Tremendous artist...So there...!!!!