“It’s that old story of the greedy old king who doesn’t really see how we subjects are suffering, or care, until one day all that he’s built up crumbles around him.”Paul Weller (1189)

“The starting place for most religions, however it’s phrased is ‘thou shalt not kill’ which sounds like a pretty good place to start really. Who am I to knock other people’s faith, I wouldn’t do that, and I think whatever makes people happy or gets them through their lives is obviously a good thing. But the way it’s used or abused and manipulated by the people in control I think is the antithesis of what it’s meant to be about.”Paul Weller (1189)

“I was thinking of a spiritual revolution of some kind that’s born out of love and kindness and compassion for each other as opposed to more bloodletting. I can’t really see any signs of that in the world at the moment. There doesn’t seem to be one place of hope. We haven’t got any great world leaders, we haven’t got a Mandela, we haven’t got a Dr. King, people like that. But I think if the world is going to change, it has to come from the people, it has to come from us. And I’m waiting for that sign, some kind of unified feeling among people. It’s bleak times, quite scary times really. I think the album addresses that, hopefully it gives people a positive feeling.”Paul Weller (1257)

“That was supposed to be a song of hope in an otherwise very, very increasingly bleak world. In some cultures the cranes returning are seen as a sign of good fortune. I was also thinking, when I see cranes in London, mechanical cranes, normally it’s a sign of people putting money back in and building’s starting to happen again – some kind of rebirth anyhow.”Paul Weller (1257)

“One side of it is just this kid from outside the city, but then I was also thinking about a lot of immigrants and migrant workers, people coming over who are on the fringes of society, kept out and yet they’re still part of this infrastructure. I’m not sure, I dip in between the two really. I wasn’t sure what it should end up being so I’ve left it fairly ambiguous for people to make their own minds up.”Paul Weller (1257)

“It’s really a song about me and my songwriting, it’s more really a statement on myself, trying to achieve this impossible idea that what you do is worthwhile or what you’re doing is great and good work which you have to believe while you’re doing it but there are some times when you reflect on it and think, “Is it worth it? Am I doing the right thing? Is it just a waste of time?” So it has some of that I suppose. Some little doubt in the process and, at the same time, celebrating the process as well.”Paul Weller (1257)

“‘Glad Times’ is about when you’re married with kids, especially, it’s easy to pass each other, isn’t it? Everything’s practical, and then when you do get a bit of downtime, you just want to be on your own… read a book, watch TV, not talk to anyone, not be asked questions. Very complicated things, aren’t they, relationships? Multifaceted.”Paul Weller (1305)

“‘Failed’ was written after a row. I’m sure there must be many fathers who sometimes think: “Am I fucking this up? Am I a good father? Am I a good partner? Am I a good person? Have I done the best I could do?” All of those questions…”Paul Weller (1305)

“[Is his take on the Black Lives Matter movement. He wrote it immediately after seeing the murder of George Floyd – Ed] I can only say that anyone, regardless of race or colour, should be horrified by what happened, and is still happening, and that has happened for centuries. When’s it going to stop? As a human being, to see your fellow human beings suffering is fucking wrong.”Paul Weller (1305)