The band showed a diversity of musical styles. Singles "Speak Like a Child" (with its loud soul-influenced style), the extended funk of "Money-Go-Round", and the haunting synth-ballad "Long Hot Summer" all featured Talbot on keyboards and organ. Near the end of 1983, these songs were compiled on Introducing The Style Council, a mini-album initially released in Japan, the Netherlands, and the United States only. The Dutch version was heavily imported to the United Kingdom.
In 1984, the single "My Ever-Changing Moods", backed with the Hammond organ instrumental "Mick's Company", reached #29 on the Billboard Hot 100 in the United States. The song remains Weller's greatest success on the American charts (including his efforts in The Jam and as a solo artist), while the group reached the peak of its success in the United Kingdom with the 1985 album Our Favourite Shop.
To Weller's fans, the decision to split up The Jam at the height of their commercial success was met with considerable controversy[citation needed]. Weller deliberately distanced himself from The Jam's sound and style, with his use of new musical arrangements and instruments in a much slicker, more heavily produced style. In the place of the Bruce Foxton-Rick Buckler rhythm section were drum and bass parts done entirely on synthesisers.
Structurally, many of the band's early singles were not far removed from The Jam's latter-day soul-pop efforts such as "Town Called Malice" and "Beat Surrender", but they were often criticised as overproduced, despite Weller's impressive songwriting[citation needed]. Also, many observers saw even the early albums as indulgent and overly experimental; Trouser Press called CafΓ© Bleu "too schizophrenic to be a good album".
The Style Council took a more overtly political approach than The Jam in their lyrics, with tracks such as "Walls Come Tumbling Down", "The Lodgers", and "Come To Milton Keynes" being deliberate attacks on 'middle England' and Thatcherite principles prevalent in the Eighties. Weller was also instrumental in the formation of Red Wedge with Billy Bragg. However, he later said that this began to detract from the music: "We were involved with a lot of political things going on at that time. I think after a while that overshadowed the music a bit"
In 1986, the band released a live album, Home and Abroad, and, in 1987, the album The Cost of Loving was launched, followed later in the year by the upbeat non-album single "Wanted", which reached #20 in the United Kingdom. However, Confessions of a Pop Group, released a year later, sold poorly. This led to their record label Polydor rejecting their final album (Modernism: A New Decade), which was heavily influenced by the contemporary house scene. A greatest hits album, appropriately called The Singular Adventures of The Style Council, was released internationally in 1989; it included the non-album single "Promised Land", which had reached #27 in the United Kingdom earlier that year.
In 1989 members of The Style Council went under the name of King Truman to release a single on Acid Jazz titled "Like A Gun". This was unbeknown to Polydor and the single was pulled from the shops only 3 days prior to release. Acid Jazz founder Eddie Piller said "The pair offered to make a single for my new label, which I'd just started with Radio 1 DJ Gilles Peterson as a side project. Mick and Paul took pseudonyms Truman King and Elliott Arnold." [1]
The Style Council broke up in 1989. The cover of "Promised Land" (originally by Joe Smooth) was the only release which surfaced from the Modernism sessions at the time; however, the entire album was released in 1998, both independently and in a 5-CD box set, The Complete Adventures Of The Style Council. After the split, Weller embarked on a successful solo career (still featuring Steve White on drums, who had left The Style Council by the time Confessions of a Pop Group was released, having only played on a few of its tracks). Talbot and White released two albums as Talbot/White β United States of Mind (1995) and Off The Beaten Track (1996). More recently, Mick Talbot and Steve White have formed The Players with Damon Minchella and Aziz Ibrahim.
All of The Style Council's UK releases (including singles, 12" maxis, albums, compact discs and re-issues thereof) featured the work of graphic designer Simon Halfon, who often collaborated with Weller to hone his ideas into a graphic form. Weller and Halfon began working together at the end of The Jam's career, and continue to work together to this day on Weller's solo material.
Since 2007, the song "Walls Come Tumbling Down" has been used as the theme song for the German TV series Dr. Psycho β Die BΓΆsen, die Bullen, meine Frau und ich.
Walls Come Tumbling Down
The Style Council Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You don't have to sit back and relax
You can actually try changing it
I know we've always been taught to rely
Upon those in authority
But you never know until you try
How things just might be
Are you gonna try to make this work
Or spend your days down in the dirt
You see things can change
Yes and walls can come tumbling down
Governments crack and systems fall
'Cause unity is powerful
Lights go out, walls come tumbling down
Yes they do, yes they do, yes they do, yes they do, hey)
The competition is a color TV
We're on still pause with the video machine
That keep you slave to the H.P.
Until the unity is threatened by
Those who have and who have not
Those who are with and those who are without
And dangle jobs like a donkey's carrot
Until you don't know where you are
Are you gonna get to realize
The class war's real and not mythologized
And like Jericho, you see walls can come tumbling down
Governments crack and systems fall
'Cause unity is powerful
Lights go out, walls come tumbling
(Down) You'll be to week to fight it
(Down) oh unless we're united
(Down) oh will you deny it?
Ooh
Are you gonna be threatened by
The public enemies No. 10
Those who play the power game
They take the profits, you take the blame
When they tell you there's no rise in pay
Are you gonna try and make this work
Or spend your days down in the dirt
You see things can change
Walls can come tumbling down
Governments crack and systems fall
'Cause unity is powerful
Lights go out, walls come tumbling down
Governments crack and systems fall
'Cause unity is powerful
Lights go out, walls come tumbling down
Governments crack and systems fall
'Cause unity is powerful
Lights go out, walls come tumbling down
Governments crack and systems fall
'Cause unity is powerful
Lights go out, walls come tumbling down
The Style Council's song "Walls Come Tumbling Down" is a call to action, urging listeners to not sit back and accept the status quo, but rather to come together to effect change. The lyrics encourage people to try to alter the system and not be passive consumers of information or products.
The opening lines tell listeners that they don't have to take the "crap" that is being fed to them and that they can change what they see around them. The song goes on to highlight how unity is powerful and can bring down governments and systems that keep people down. It is a call to recognize the class war that is taking place and to unify against those who control the power and profit at the expense of the majority.
The message of the song is one of hope and activism, and it strikes a chord with people who feel hopeless and frustrated with the status quo. By coming together and standing up for what is right, it is possible to bring down walls and create a better society built on unity and shared power.
Line by Line Meaning
You don't have to take this crap
You don't have to accept the current situation
You don't have to sit back and relax
You don't have to be passive
You can actually try changing it
You can take action to change things
I know we've always been taught to rely
We've been taught to depend on authority
Upon those in authority
We've been taught to depend on leaders
But you never know until you try
You won't know if you don't try
How things just might be
What the outcome might be
If we came together so strongly
If we united strongly
Are you gonna try to make this work
Will you make an effort to achieve change
Or spend your days down in the dirt
Or do nothing and accept the circumstances
You see things can change
Change is possible
Yes and walls can come tumbling down
Barriers can be broken down
Governments crack and systems fall
Governments and systems can be overthrown
'Cause unity is powerful
Because united action is effective
Lights go out, walls come tumbling down
Change can happen suddenly and dramatically
The competition is a color TV
Society is focused on consumerism
We're on still pause with the video machine
We're fixated on screens and technology
That keep you slave to the H.P.
That keep you enslaved to your job
Until the unity is threatened by
Until there are forces that threaten unity
Those who have and who have not
The disparity between the rich and poor
Those who are with and those who are without
Those who have power and those who don't
And dangle jobs like a donkey's carrot
And offer jobs as incentives
Until you don't know where you are
Until you lose your sense of direction
Are you gonna get to realize
Will you recognize
The class war's real and not mythologized
The conflict between the classes is real
And like Jericho, you see walls can come tumbling down
Just like the walls of Jericho fell, barriers can be broken down
Are you gonna be threatened by
Will you be intimidated by
The public enemies No. 10
The state's designated enemies
Those who play the power game
Those who seek power for their own gain
They take the profits, you take the blame
They benefit, while you suffer the consequences
When they tell you there's no rise in pay
When they say you won't get a raise
You see things can change
Change is possible
Walls can come tumbling down
Barriers can be broken down
Governments crack and systems fall
Governments and systems can be overthrown
'Cause unity is powerful
Because united action is effective
Lights go out, walls come tumbling down
Change can happen suddenly and dramatically
Governments crack and systems fall
Governments and systems can be overthrown
'Cause unity is powerful
Because united action is effective
Lights go out, walls come tumbling down
Change can happen suddenly and dramatically
Governments crack and systems fall
Governments and systems can be overthrown
'Cause unity is powerful
Because united action is effective
Lights go out, walls come tumbling down
Change can happen suddenly and dramatically
Lyrics Β© BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: PAUL JOHN WELLER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@user-is2jc3rb4d
You don't have
To take this crap
You don't have
To sit back and relax
You can actually try changin' it
I know we've always been taught to rely
Upon those in authority
But you never know until you try
How things just might be
If we came together so strongly
Are you gonna try to make this work?
Or spend your days down in the dirt
You see, things can change
Yes, walls can come tumbling down
Governments crack and systems fall
'Cause unity is powerful
Lights go out, walls come tumbling down
Yes they do, yes they do, yes they do
The competition is
A color TV
We're on still pause
With a video machine
That keep you slave to the H P
Until the unity is threatened by
Those who have and who have not
Those who are with and those who are without
And dangle jobs, like a donkey's carrot
Until you don't know where you are
Are you gonna get some realize
The class was real and not mythologized
And like Jericho
Yes, walls can come tumbling down
Governments crack and systems fall
'Cause unity is powerful
Lights go out, walls come tumbling down
We're tuning to fight it, well united, well united
Are you gonna be threatened by?
The public enemies, No 10
Those who play the power game
They take the profits, you take the blame
When they tell you there's no rise in pay
Are you gonna try an' make this work?
Or spend your days down in the dirt
You see, things can change
Walls can come tumbling down
Governments crack and systems fall
'Cause unity is powerful
Lights go out, walls come tumbling down
Governments crack and systems fall
Yes they do
'Cause unity is powerful
Lights go out, walls come tumbling down
Governments crack and systems fall
'Cause unity is powerful
Lights go out, walls come tumbling down
Governments crack and systems fall
'Cause unity is powerful
Lights go out, walls come tumbling down
@Yvonne_ozlife
So relevant today!
You don't have to take this crap
You don't have to sit back and relax
You can actually try changing it
I know we've always been taught to rely
Upon those in authority
But you never know until you try
How things just might be
If we came together so strongly
Are you gonna try to make this work
Or spend your days down in the dirt
You see things can change
Yes and walls can come tumbling down
Governments crack and systems fall
'Cause unity is powerful
Lights go out, walls come tumbling down
Yes they do, yes they do, yes they do, yes they do, hey)
The competition is a color TV
We're on still pause with the video machine
That keep you slave to the H.P.
Until the unity is threatened by
Those who have and who have not
Those who are with and those who are without
And dangle jobs like a donkey's carrot
Until you don't know where you are
Are you gonna get to realize
The class war's real and not mythologized
And like Jericho, you see walls can come tumbling down
Governments crack and systems fall
'Cause unity is powerful
Lights go out, walls come tumbling
(Down) You'll be to week to fight it
(Down) oh unless we're united
(Down) oh will you deny it?
Ooh
Are you gonna be threatened by
The public enemies No. 10
Those who play the power game
They take the profits, you take the blame
When they tell you there's no rise in pay
Are you gonna try and make this work
Or spend your days down in the dirt
You see things can change
Walls can come tumbling down
Governments crack and systems fall
'Cause unity is powerful
Lights go out, walls come tumbling down
Governments crack and systems fall
'Cause unity is powerful
Lights go out, walls come tumbling down
Governments crack and systems fall
'Cause unity is powerful
Lights go out, walls come tumbling down
Governments crack and systems fall
'Cause unity is powerful
Lights go out, walls come tumbling down
@nzstrawman
Weller wrote so many great songs and this one still holds true today. It's a real pity the world never made him a music superstar, he deserved it
@jameshallam182
Probably one of the most underrated singer/songwriters.
@attridge95
I think he gets his dues by those who know AND oh by the way , I agree his muSic( Jam and Style Council ) does indeed hold true today. Messages politically and socially relevant in 2021 as they were in 7Os 80s
@michaelcairns9857
agreed
@Icedmorgans
Poor mans steve marriot.
@jonathanhadley2555
@Paul Cairns One of Weller's many idols:-)
@adamd4738
How nice to discover such a portrait of Warsaw in the 80s :)
0:13, 0:55 - Kijowska Street
1:33, 2:31 - Palace of Culture and Science
1:46 - ZΔ bkowska / Markowska Streets (The tram no longer runs there)
1:52 - ZΔ bkowska / Targowa Street
2:01 - Plac WileΕski (The communist monument was demolished)
3:05 - Aleje Jerozolimskie / Krucza Streets
The interior where the concert takes place is the former "Akwarium" club, 49 Emilia Plater Street, Warsaw.
@BGlatz
czterech ΕpiΔ cych!!
@indos1
Thanks for the locations. Hope to visit Warsaw one day and check out some of those places
@user-nd2ij9oh1t
Emili plater