Paul Weller Quotes

Powerful Paul Weller for Daily Growth

About Paul Weller

Paul Weller, born on May 25, 1958, in Woking, Surrey, England, is a legendary figure in British music. Known as "The Mod Father," Weller emerged as the principal songwriter and driving force behind the influential band The Jam from 1976 to 1982. After its dissolution, he embarked on a successful solo career with releases like the critically acclaimed 'Wildwood' (1993) and 'Stanley Road' (1995). Inspired by American R&B and British soul, Weller's music was deeply rooted in the Mod subculture, which emphasized modernist design, fashion, and a love for black American music. The Jam's hits like "Going Underground," "A Town Called Malice," and "Eton Rifles" encapsulated the spirit of youthful rebellion, social commentary, and Mod aesthetics that defined their sound. After The Jam's breakup, Weller formed The Style Council in 1983, exploring a more soulful and political direction with songs such as "Shout to the Top" and "My Ever-Changing Moods." The group disbanded in 1989, and Weller embarked on a solo career that has seen him continue to evolve his sound while maintaining a connection to his Mod roots. Throughout his career, Weller has remained an influential figure in British music, with his songs serving as a reflection of social and cultural changes. His enduring impact is evident in the countless artists he has inspired, from Oasis and Blur to The Arctic Monkeys and The Kooks. Today, Paul Weller continues to create and innovate, solidifying his place as one of the most important figures in British music history.

Interpretations of Popular Quotes

"Music is my language, it's my way of expressing myself."

In this quote, Paul Weller suggests that music serves as a powerful form of self-expression for him. He sees it as his unique method of communicating thoughts, emotions, and ideas. This perspective underscores the profound importance and versatility of music, as an art form capable not only of entertainment but also as a tool for deep personal expression and connection.

"Style is a reflection of your personality."

Paul Weller's quote emphasizes that one's style, whether in fashion, behavior, or creativity, serves as a visible manifestation of their inner character and personality. The way we present ourselves to the world reflects our values, interests, preferences, and experiences, making it an expression of who we are at our core. This insight underscores the importance of self-awareness and authenticity in shaping our personal style and making a lasting impression on others.

"I'd rather be hated for who I am, than loved for who I am not."

This quote emphasizes the importance of authenticity over conformity. Paul Weller asserts that it is better to be genuinely disliked for one's true character than to be liked while hiding or pretending to be someone else. It underscores the value of being honest and remaining true to oneself, even if it means facing rejection or criticism from others.

"The only thing constant in life is change."

This quote by Paul Weller underscores the inherent, ongoing nature of change in life. It suggests that the one constant element we can rely on is the unavoidable transformation and evolution that shapes our experiences. Embracing this concept encourages adaptability, resilience, and growth as individuals, acknowledging that change is an essential part of personal development and our journey through life.

"There's always room at the top, but you gotta keep climbing to get there."

The quote by Paul Weller emphasizes that success is not a fixed destination, but a continuous journey. It suggests that one must consistently strive for improvement and never stop learning or growing in order to reach higher levels of achievement. In other words, the path to success requires relentless effort and determination, as there are always new challenges and opportunities to be seized at the top, making it essential to keep climbing and progressing.

When I was a kid in Woking, every week you went to the football dance, and every week the top kids would be wearing something different. You were constantly trying to catch up with them - which you could never do because, by the time you'd saved up enough to buy the item, they'd moved on to something else. That's the whole Mod thing, I suppose.

- Paul Weller

Week, Saved, By The Time, Moved On

It's quite liberating to get to a certain age, 'cos you're not chasing number one hits or trying to be an international superstar. I've done all that. I'm not out to prove much more to anyone but myself really, to be an artist and see if there is a new undiscovered music out there for me to make.

- Paul Weller

Artist, Prove, Out, Liberating

You have to keep challenging yourself. I've always tried to do that, and I'm not saying I've always been successful. Maybe I've rewritten the same song; it's inevitable, but I've always been mindful of taking the writing somewhere else. You can't stick in your little comfort zone.

- Paul Weller

Been, Maybe, Your, Comfort Zone

I don't like the royal family, I don't like the establishment, I don't like the civil service.

- Paul Weller

Service, Like, Civil, Royal Family

I've not had Botox, no.

- Paul Weller

Had, Botox

The only time I ever really got into rap was back in the early '90s, and bands like A Tribe Called Quest, De La Soul, Gang Starr. Musically, they were really interesting. But when hip-hop acts start sampling Sting or Phil Collins, then I just don't get it at all.

- Paul Weller

Soul, Back, Bands, Tribe Called Quest

I'd heard a lot of Motown and Stax when I was a kid, but the more well-known end of it. On Jam tours, we had a DJ called Ady Croasdell who ran a '60s club. He turned me on to underground stuff and what people call northern soul. It just blew my mind.

- Paul Weller

Soul, DJ, Turned, Blew

I think, with age, you learn that it comes in bursts and you've got no control over it. I'm not one of those people who says, 'I've got to write a song every day.' I just store up ideas, and really I have to wait until it finds me; I know when I'm ready to write. It used to frustrate me, but it doesn't any more. It's just how it is.

- Paul Weller

Wait, Over It, I Think, Bursts

Led Zeppelin would never have reformed if he or Jimmy Page were bald.

- Paul Weller

Never, Led Zeppelin, Would, Reformed

Pop music was supposed to be a flash in the pan, but here we are 50 years later and it means something to us, and it always will do. It's incredibly important.

- Paul Weller

Here, Always, Means, Pan

When I'm dead, I wanna leave a body of work, like authors or great painters do. I don't wanna get ideas above my station, but why shouldn't this be comparable? Pop music was supposed to be a flash in the pan, but here we are 50 years later, and it means something to us, and it always will do. It's incredibly important.

- Paul Weller

Dead, Why, Here, Pan

I think people are just really disappointed, disappointed with Blair as well, who's just like Bush's lapdog. I think everyone's just disillusioned with politics in our country, and it must be the same in your country.

- Paul Weller

Politics, Think, Country, Disillusioned

In the '90s, I think I rediscovered my guitar. The Jam was obviously very guitar-based, but in the Style Council I just got really disillusioned with playing the guitar. The further it went on, the less and less I played, to a point where I couldn't pick it up any more.

- Paul Weller

I Think, Got, Very, Disillusioned

Of course I'm proud of what I've done, but I'm interested in what's next. I want to be relevant now, in 2012. I've done my bit for the past. I've only ever been about what's next, really, and I'll be that way until I keel over.

- Paul Weller

Next, Been, About, Keel

Right from the start with music, I was like, 'I'm just going to do this, and I don't care about anything else. There are certain things you have to give up, even at 13, 14: your Friday and Saturday nights, having a regular girl, lots of things like that. I look at Amy Winehouse, and I think perhaps she just don't want to do it that much.

- Paul Weller

Saturday, I Think, About, Friday

When I lived in a little flat in Pimlico in 1981, I'd write in the hallway. As you walked in, there was a tiny little recess type thing, hardly a hallway, really, and I'd sit there writing songs with my guitar.

- Paul Weller

Hallway, Type, Really, Hardly

There is a shy side to me that evaporates when I play on stage, and I like that. I think it's another facet of my character, and I need to do that.

- Paul Weller

Play, Think, Side, Evaporates

We can't stop a baby in Africa from starving to death... but we can afford enough technology and weaponry to blow the world up a million times over.

- Paul Weller

Over, Africa, Starving, Blow

I've bought clothes based on record covers. Particularly from the formative music that turned me onto it in the first place when I was a kid, with the Beatles and the Small Faces. A lot of those Sixties soul artists were in really sharp sharkskin or mohair suits, and Motown artists looked amazing.

- Paul Weller

Soul, Small, Turned, Sixties

Most people my age, their musical life ended in the '80s. They stick with what they know. But my tastes are much broader. And I don't want to stop learning.

- Paul Weller

Want, Tastes, Musical, Broader

I'm always looking for something. Not in an unhappy way. I just like to try different things. I don't want to be morbid, but I'm not getting any younger.

- Paul Weller

Always, Like, Younger, Morbid

I'd like to think I've left something in the world. Without in any way trying to be morbid, but life is very short, and I'd like to think I'd leave some body of work that would inspire other musicians long after I've gone.

- Paul Weller

Some, Other, Very, Morbid

No man should have cowboys boots in his wardrobe. That's fair enough, isn't it? Unless you're a cowboy, of course.

- Paul Weller

Enough, Cowboy, Fair, Boots

I want to hear as much music as I possibly can before I leave this mortal coil but it's impossible to hear it all because there's so much of it.

- Paul Weller

Impossible, Want, Before, Possibly

The Jam went through a phase of wearing satin jackets. But that was pre-getting signed and making it, when we were still playing the pubs and clubs - around '75. Shocking, really - what would you call them apart from 'horrible?' We'd wear these white zip-up bomber jackets with black kind of loon pants and black and white shoes.

- Paul Weller

Through, Pants, Bomber, Shocking

I get labelled as just being about one thing, but there's lots of layers to what I do. It's just lazy journalism, but people start to accept it. If people spent an hour in my car driving around London and listening to the stuff I listen to, they'd hear some interesting stuff.

- Paul Weller

Lazy, London, Some, Journalism

I'm so lucky, I'm just really grateful for what I've got around me - children and my wife and everything else.

- Paul Weller

Wife, Grateful, Lucky, Everything Else

When I told my mum I was going to play my first gig when I was 14, she couldn't believe it, cause I was painfully shy at that time. But I just done it, put my head down and got through it. And I suppose there's still a little bit of that, even though it's many years later and I've been doing it for a long time.

- Paul Weller

Play, Through, Been, Painfully

When I got into the Beatles, I must have only been about six or seven but old enough to take notice. We used to have an old radiogram which, for readers of a certain age, was like a big cabinet thing with a record player inside it.

- Paul Weller

Big, Been, About, Cabinet

I've always had self-belief, though my sensitive side has never been fully appreciated. For every 'Down in the Tube Station at Midnight,' I've written an 'English Rose.' People forget.

- Paul Weller

Always, Been, Side, Fully

I take my hat off to people like the Stones, but it's not for me. I couldn't do that. Jagger is brilliant and long may he rock. I couldn't make my career out of old songs; it would do my head in.

- Paul Weller

Long, Career, Out, Jagger

The Jam were a good band, however I feel that the Style Council were better. A lot of people I know will disagree with me. Some things we did with The Style Council were misinterpreted or over their heads.

- Paul Weller

Feel, Some, However, Good Band

People say you make your best work when you're in despair and all that, and at your lowest - but for me, I think happiness makes you positive, and I think that's a good creative place to write from.

- Paul Weller

Best, I Think, Your, Despair

If you're making music, you must want to turn other people on to it, whether you're number one in the charts or number 60. I don't know, that's a commercial thing, but just the fact that other people like you... there's no point in making music, otherwise. Otherwise, you might as well make it in your bedroom and leave it there.

- Paul Weller

Other, Commercial, Charts, Bedroom

'Ageism,' or whatever you want to call it, is a very English phenomenon. You don't get it too much in many other cultures. And no one says it about authors or poets or filmmakers. 'Oh, they're too old to make films or write books.'

- Paul Weller

Other, Ageism, Very, Authors

I hear an album so many times during the course of making it that when I've just finished it, I don't want to hear it again. After you've taken a little bit of time away from it, you can come back to it, which can be scary. I'm happy with 'Sonik Kicks,' man.

- Paul Weller

Happy, Back, Away, Kicks

When I'm dead, I wanna leave a body of work, like authors or great painters do.

- Paul Weller

Work, Leave, Like, Authors

In my old age, my mind gets more open, and I listen to so many different types of music and I guess that all reflects in my work.

- Paul Weller

Mind, Old, Types, Reflects

Music is the most natural thing in the world. When we go to a gig and we all like it and we share that experience, it's the same sense of communion as a sacred rite in Borneo or wherever it may be; it just gets dressed up different. Its good for the soul.

- Paul Weller

Soul, Gig, Communion, Wherever

The Zombies were really unique - they had elements of jazz and classical music in their songs and songwriting. They had a very, very different sound compared to a lot of their contemporaries at the time.

- Paul Weller

Songwriting, Jazz, Very, Classical Music

The first thing I bought that was really stylish was in 1969 when I was eleven. I saved up for a black, grey and white tie-dye grandad vest. It was too big - they weren't catering for kids my age - and hung off me, but I loved it.

- Paul Weller

White, Big, Saved, Catering

I get labelled as just being about one thing, but there's lots of layers to what I do.

- Paul Weller

Get, Lots, One Thing, Labelled

I think I come from a time when all the artists I grew up with and I loved always used to try and push the boundaries, and there doesn't seem so much of that, really.

- Paul Weller

Think, Always, I Think, Push

Coming from a little suburban town, I wasn't a hip city kid. I was quite the opposite, really. Songs like 'Saturday's Kids' rang a bell for kids all over the country. That song was about the kids I grew up with.

- Paul Weller

City, Country, Saturday, Rang

Everyone gets frustrated and aggressive, and I'd sooner take my aggression out on a guitar than on a person.

- Paul Weller

Everyone, Sooner, Frustrated, Aggressive

I'm sure there's a subconscious 'go for it' thing with turning 50. You want to do as much as possible and there are thoughts of how little time we have on the planet. For a lot of musicians in their 50s, the best days are behind them. I'd like to try and show that there is a future.

- Paul Weller

Musicians, Behind, Show, Little Time

I never saw myself as a spokesman for a generation. It was all a bit heavy for me. I saw myself as a songwriter and wrote for myself, which I still do, and I also wanted to communicate with my audience.

- Paul Weller

Generation, Still, Which, Songwriter

I never, ever wanted to be the Rolling Stones. Bless their hearts, but I don't necessarily want to go on doing the same old thing for the next 10, 20 years... I could see how easy it is to get into that rut, the whole touring mindset.

- Paul Weller

Doing, Next, Whole, Bless

I am aware of the words 'national treasure' being attached to me occasionally. It just makes me feel old.

- Paul Weller

Words, Old, Makes, Occasionally

I wear jeans and a T-shirt sometimes. I just like clothes - since the first time I can remember, like age ten or eleven; I was just obsessed with music and clothes. Just like a lot of people in England from my generation.

- Paul Weller

Sometimes, Jeans, Wear, Eleven

I've always liked my clothes, even before I could properly afford them. Clothes for me were never a cloak, a cover. They were how I chose to express myself.

- Paul Weller

Always, Could, Before, Chose

Getting to No. 1 makes everyone feel better; of course it does. But it's swings and roundabouts with these things. Sometimes you make a great record, and it clicks with people. And other times it passes them by; there's nothing you can do. It's still the same record.

- Paul Weller

Sometimes, Feel, Other, Clicks

I'm not big on rap, to be honest. I just don't get it. It's angry people shouting. I like a song, melodies, people singing.

- Paul Weller

Song, Big, Rap, To Be Honest

There were aspects of stardom I didn't like, which were of no consequence, really, but the positive things far outweighed the negative. By the time I came to write 'Setting Sons,' I felt my writing was more like prose, set to music.

- Paul Weller

By The Time, Aspects, Stardom

When I listen to a record, or when I'm making a record, I listen to everything. I listen to the drums, the bass, the voice, the arrangement. I listen to the whole piece as an ensemble. I don't only listen to the guitar player.

- Paul Weller

Voice, Making, Guitar Player, Player

Going to college was never an option. I was passionate about music, but how much talent I actually had was another matter.

- Paul Weller

College, Passionate, Going, Option

No one told Miles Davis or BB King to pack it in. John Lee Hooker played literally up to the day he died. Why should pop musicians be any different?

- Paul Weller

King, Musicians, Literally, None

I could write songs about politics, but I'm conscious of not writing songs that sound the same as the ones I wrote 30 years ago.

- Paul Weller

Politics, Sound, Could, Conscious

For me, the best thing I can do is play live. The best way for me to put over what I'm trying to do is to play live. Whether it's an acoustic show, electric or whatever... if I shine at all, that's where it all really happens - it just took me a while to rediscover that.

- Paul Weller

Play, Show, Best Way, Acoustic

Playing live is what it's all about for me. It's cathartic, it's emotional, it's about communing with people. The way you feel after a gig is a such a powerful thing.

- Paul Weller

Emotional, Gig, About, Cathartic

I come from a time when every kid dressed up. Everybody. If you didn't, you wouldn't be able to hang out. It was very tribal. There's nice things in that. It's culture; it's roots for me.

- Paul Weller

Hang, Everybody, Very, Nice Things

There have been records I've been really, really pleased with that haven't connected with people. But I felt good about them.

- Paul Weller

Records, Been, Felt, Pleased

I kept the first Rickenbacker I ever got, a little short-scale John Lennon-type model. And I've got a couple of 12-string models, which are really nice, and I've got a Pete Townshend model, which Pete gave me a few years ago. But that's about it.

- Paul Weller

Got, Couple, About, Years Ago

I think politicians are so far out of step with what people really want.

- Paul Weller

Think, I Think, Far, Politicians

I don't think about what I can't do or what I shouldn't be doing. I just think there are endless possibilities musically, really.

- Paul Weller

Doing, Think, Possibilities, Musically

I don't think about what I can't do or what I shouldn't be doing. I just think there are endless possibilities musically, really. And I'm very, very open to experimenting with different people and trying to find different methods of writing and making music.

- Paul Weller

Doing, Possibilities, Very, Musically

I had a total belief in The Style Council. I meant every word and felt every action.

- Paul Weller

Meant, Total, Felt, Council

Being a musician is a noble profession.

- Paul Weller

Noble, Profession, Being, Musician

I don't really wanna talk about politics, I'm not clever enough.

- Paul Weller

Politics, Clever, About, Wanna

When I listen to a record, or when I'm making a record, I listen to everything. I listen to the drums, the bass, the voice, the arrangement. I listen to the whole piece as an ensemble.

- Paul Weller

Voice, Making, Whole, Drums

I'm fine with being thought of as a guitar player, and if I can get any recognition or respect for doing that, that's a pretty good thing for me.

- Paul Weller

Thought, Doing, Pretty, Guitar

People say that if you're still angry at 52, you're not an angry young man, just a grumpy old git.

- Paul Weller

Young, Old, Still, Grumpy

I suppose I was much more serious-minded in the '70s and '80s.

- Paul Weller

More, Much, Serious-Minded, Suppose

I was such a massive fan of all the '60s pop bands, but if I had to single out one band, it would definitely be The Beatles.

- Paul Weller

Beatles, Had, Bands, Pop

Nothing wrong with pop!

- Paul Weller

Wrong, Nothing, Pop

I really enjoy playing America. I like the audiences there. It's the home of a lot of music I grew up with.

- Paul Weller

Enjoy, Like, Grew, Audiences

There are so many artists who get to my age that get comfortable and just stick in a groove, and I really don't want to do that.

- Paul Weller

Want, Many, Really, Groove

I'm very, very open to experimenting with different people and trying to find different methods of writing and making music.

- Paul Weller

Making, Very, Methods, Different People

All my children inspire me in life, and that always comes out in the writing.

- Paul Weller

Children, Writing, Always, Inspire

You can't live a lie. You have to follow your heart.

- Paul Weller

Lie, Follow Your Heart, Your, Heart

Playing music is a lifetime's work. And if you want to carry on with it, you have to try to better yourself. You have to see where the music can take you.

- Paul Weller

Work, Want, Lifetime, Carry

I want to see where and how far I can go as an artist. I look back and see what I've done, and I want to do as much as I can in my lifetime. I love doing it. If I didn't have that passion or love for it, I wouldn't do it.

- Paul Weller

Love, Doing, How Far, Lifetime

I was always taught as a kid that if there's anything you want in life, you've got to work towards it. I guess that sort of stayed with me, really. But also, for me, from the time I was, like, 10 years old, all I ever wanted to do was be in a band and make music.

- Paul Weller

Life, Kid, Got, Towards

It is nice to make a record and people like it, and it's encouraging.

- Paul Weller

Like, Record, Make, Encouraging

There was a time in my 40s where I thought, oh, it's all over - not just work, but I'm never going to feel young again, I'm always going to feel like I know what's going to happen, I'll know what to expect. Looking back I don't know if that was a midlife crisis, I don't know - but I don't feel that now. There's possibilities. It gets better.

- Paul Weller

Thought, Possibilities, Crisis

If you're into a certain band, you're into the way they dress.

- Paul Weller

Band, You, Certain, Dress

I didn't imagine getting to 50, let alone still be playing music. When I was 18, I thought it'd all be over by the time I was 21.

- Paul Weller

Over, Still, Imagine, By The Time

In all honesty, I don't know what one song can change.

- Paul Weller

Change, Song, Know, Honesty

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