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 Café 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 — 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 – Die Bösen, die Bullen, meine Frau und ich.
Who Will Buy
The Style Council Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Such a sky you never did see
Who will tie it up with a ribbon
And put it in a box for me
So I could see it at my leisure
Whenever things go wrong
And keep it as a treasure
To last my whole life long
Who will buy this wonderful feeling
I'm so high I swear I could fly
Me oh my I don't want to lose it
So what am I to do
To keep this sky so blue
There must be someone who will buy
So I could see things at my leisure
Whenever things go wrong
And keep it as a treasure
To last my whole life long
Who will buy this wonderful feeling
I'm so high I swear I could fly
Me oh my I don't want to lose it
So what am I to do
To keep this sky so blue
There must be someone who will buy
The lyrics to The Style Council's song "Who Will Buy" are essentially a plea to preserve the beauty and sensation of a perfect moment. The first verse describes a morning with a breathtakingly beautiful sky, and the singer asks for it to be preserved so that they can "see it at [their] leisure" and "keep it as a treasure" for the rest of their life. The second verse then transitions to describing a feeling of intoxicating happiness and exaltation, which the singer also begs to preserve. The repeated chorus emphasizes the singer's desperate need for someone to "buy" these experiences so that they can be kept safe and close at hand.
This song can be interpreted as a commentary on the fleeting nature of beauty and happiness in our lives. The singer recognizes the ephemeral quality of these experiences and wants to cling to them desperately, knowing that they will inevitably pass. The use of the word "buy" also suggests a sense of commodification - the idea that we must trade something of value in order to hold onto something wonderful. The wistful tone of the music and lyrics emphasizes the melancholy that comes with this recognition of transience.
Overall, "Who Will Buy" is a poignant meditation on the human desire to hold onto something good, even when we know it won't last. It speaks to the bittersweet nature of life and the need for us to find ways to preserve the moments that make it all worthwhile.
Line by Line Meaning
Who will buy this wonderful morning
Who will appreciate and cherish this beautiful morning?
Such a sky you never did see
A gorgeous sky like this has never been seen before.
Who will tie it up with a ribbon
Who will beautifully package and present this morning sky as a gift?
And put it in a box for me
So that I can keep it and look at it whenever I need to be reminded of its beauty
So I could see it at my leisure
So that I can view and enjoy it whenever I want
Whenever things go wrong
During difficult or challenging times
And keep it as a treasure
Keep this beautiful moment as something valuable and special
To last my whole life long
To cherish and remember for the rest of my life
Who will buy this wonderful feeling
Who will understand and appreciate this amazing feeling?
I'm so high I swear I could fly
I feel incredibly elated and happy, almost like I could fly
Me oh my I don't want to lose it
I am afraid of losing this wonderful feeling
So what am I to do
What can I do to hold onto this happiness?
To keep this sky so blue
To ensure that this beautiful moment remains unchanged
There must be someone who will buy
There must be someone who will truly appreciate and treasure this moment
Lyrics © OBO APRA/AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@macaix
I was half in mind, I was half in need
And as the rain came down
I dropped to my knees and I prayed
I said, "Oh heavenly thing, please cleanse my soul
I've seen all on offer and I'm not impressed at all"
I was halfway home, I was half insane
And every shop window I looked in just looked the same
I said, "Now send me a sign to save my life
'Cause at this moment in time there is nothing certain in
These days of mine"
You see it's a frightening thing when it dawns upon you
That I know as much as the day I was born
And though I wasn't asked, I might as well stay
And promise myself each and every day
That when you're knocked on your back and your life's a flop
And when you're down on the bottom there's nothing else
But to shout to the top
Well we're gonna shout to the top
We're gonna shout to the top
We're gonna shout to the top
Hey, we're gonna shout to the top
You see it's a frightening thing when it dawns upon you
That I know as much as the day I was born
And though I wasn't asked, I might as well stay
And promise myself each and every day
We're gonna shout to the top (shout)
We're gonna shout to the top (shout)
We're gonna shout to the top (shout)
We're gonna shout to the top (shout)
We're gonna shout to the top (shout)
We're gonna shout to the top (shout)
So when you're knocked on your back and your life's a flop
And when you're down on the bottom there's nothing else
But to shout to the top (shout)
Well, we're gonna shout to the top (shout)
We're gonna shout to the top (shout)
We're gonna shout to the top (shout)
And when you're knocked on your back and your life's a flop
And when you're down on the bottom there's nothing else
But to shout to the top (shout)
We're gonna shout to the top (shout)
We're gonna shout to the top (shout)
We're gonna shout to the top (shout)
Hey, yeah, shout to the top (shout)
We're gonna shout to the top (shout)
We're gonna shout to the top (shout)
Shout to the top (shout)
Shout to the top (shout)
We're gonna shout to the top (shout)
We're gonna shout to the top (shout)
We're gonna shout to the top (shout)
Shout to the top (shout)
Shout to the top (shout)
We're gonna shout to the top (shout)
Shout to the top (shout)
Shout to the top (shout)
Shout to the top (shout)
Shout to the top (shout)
@teddypowers693
This has to be one of the best Style Council songs. Paul Weller's ability to change the genre of music from the Jam to the Style Council and still keep up the standard is a tribute to his genius. They certainly don't write tunes like this anymore.
@robertmunoz7543
Actually this style was popping up on ast two jam albums!🤔
Jman
@guismo.99.y
Exactement...la plus belle vie d'une chanson ❤
@gardenlover9663
This song has a different meaning for me. My brother was diagnosed with cancer in 1999. He lived for way longer than he was "supposed to". A few years ago, he was feeling really low. This song was my theme song for him. We both love The Style Council. I sent it to him. He appreciated it. He passed on September 6th.
@DebbieTDP
🙌🏻❣️
@christinewinton4776
That is beautiful, sad but beautiful Garden Lover xxx
@andykippen2387
Sorry for your loss
@gardenlover9663
@Andy Kippen Thank you. How kind you are. I am okay. I just remember how much I love him.
@nicolageorge1433
@Garden Lover* So sorry for your loss 🕊 I lost my mum & big brother to cancer & we sang all our favourite songs mum was carpenters & my brother E.L.O hall & oates & his fav was Christopher Cross Sailing we played it at his funeral..Sending blessings your brother had good taste in music .🙏🏼🧡
@mdoctor69
Another incredible gem of a song from one of the most underrated bands of all time! Love the unique arrangement, the layers of vocals, the swanky vibe and big energy this number delivers!