The band drew upon a variety of stylistic influences over the course of their career, including 1960s beat music, soul, rhythm and blues and psychedelic rock, as well as 1970s punk and new wave. The trio was known for its melodic pop songs, its distinctly English flavour and its mod image. The band launched the career of Paul Weller, who went on to form The Style Council and later had a successful solo career. Weller wrote and sang most of The Jamโs original compositions, and he played lead guitar, using a Rickenbacker. Bruce Foxton provided backing vocals and prominent basslines, which were the foundation of many of the bandโs songs, including the hits "Down in the Tube Station at Midnight", "The Eton Rifles", "Going Underground" and "Town Called Malice".
For artists called "Jam", please see http://www.last.fm/music/+noredirect/Jam.
Bricks and Mortar
The Jam Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Cracks in the pavement, reveal cravings for success
Why do we try to hide our past
By pulling down houses and build car parks
Windows and mirrors like a two-way glass
This is progress, nothing stands in its path
Yellow bulldozers, the donkey jackets and j.c.b's
While hundreds are homeless they're constructing a parking space
Why do they have to knock them down
And leave the site dormant for months on end?
Who has the right to make that choice?
A man whose home has cost forty grand
Tell me!
Bricks and mortar, bricks and mortar
Knock 'em down!
The Jam's song Bricks and Mortar depicts the changes in society through the lens of infrastructure, particularly the replacement of traditional buildings like houses with modern car parks. The first line, "Bricks and mortar, reflecting social change," sets the tone for the entire song. The singer resents the drive for success at the cost of ignoring and destroying the past. The line "Cracks in the pavement, reveal cravings for success" alludes to the philosophy that achieving success at any cost renders us inhumane and destroyed.
The singer then goes on to ponder why society tries to hide the memory of the past by knocking down old buildings and erecting car parks in their stead. They compare the current state of society's progress as a two-way street, where we can observe ourselves and our reflections in the mirrors and glass windows, but also help others out by looking out the window. The singer argues that this is progress, and nothing will stand in its path, not even the memories of the past.
The last few lines of the song criticize society's disregard for the homeless as they construct car parks instead of homes. The lines, "Why do they have to knock them down/ And leave the site dormant for months on end?/ Who has the right to make that choice?/ A man whose home has cost forty grand" make the listener question why people in power get to make a decision that affects society at large, while neglecting the people they should be serving.
Line by Line Meaning
Bricks and mortar, reflecting social change,
The physical structures of our society reflect the changes happening within it.
Cracks in the pavement, reveal cravings for success
The imperfections in society show our desire for progress and success.
Why do we try to hide our past
Why do we try to erase our history and ignore the impact it has on our present?
By pulling down houses and build car parks
We destroy historical homes to make room for modern conveniences like parking lots.
Windows and mirrors like a two-way glass
Our desire for progress allows us to see both our past and future simultaneously.
This is progress, nothing stands in its path
We believe progress is the ultimate goal and we will stop at nothing to achieve it.
Yellow bulldozers, the donkey jackets and j.c.b's
Construction workers use heavy machinery to destroy homes and build new structures.
While hundreds are homeless they're constructing a parking space
People are left without homes while developers focus on commercial projects.
Why do they have to knock them down
Why must they demolish historical homes to make room for parking lots and other modern conveniences?
And leave the site dormant for months on end?
Why do we leave the sites empty for long periods of time before beginning new construction?
Who has the right to make that choice?
Who gets to decide which historical structures are destroyed to make way for progress?
A man whose home has cost forty grand
The cost of replacing a home destroyed for progress is steep and unaffordable for many.
Tell me!
The singer demands answers for the destruction caused by progress.
Bricks and mortar, bricks and mortar
The physical structures of our society, both past and present.
Knock 'em down!
A call to action to continue the progress of destroying old structures for new.
Lyrics ยฉ Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: PAUL JOHN WELLER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@roysrodzinski6544
Nectar amongst the sewage of that time .
I remember it well
@duality5503
Superb track...high energy Mod/New wave.
@stoprejectingmynames
Paul. Frickin. Weller.
@rockingmods
1 dislike... Most be a rocker
@cormacwhite6442
This is acc quite a punky track tbf
@johngilliam6764
โ@@cormacwhite6442shut up
@craignags
OUTSTANDING LOL Good time
@wezatch
I just love it and i dont know why
@isotopia7681
Itโs probably the energy
@spindriftdrinker
This song actually sounds more like The Who than the actual Who ever did.