Aspects

Album: True Meanings (2018)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • In 2018, Paul Weller released True Meanings, an album that saw him swapping his usual rock swagger for something altogether more mellow. The track "Aspects" is a contemplative number where Weller reflects on life, change, and acceptance.
  • Weller wrote both "Aspects" and another True Meanings track, "What Would He Say?" on the same day.

    "My missus was out of the house, so it was just me and the kids," he told Mojo magazine. "I had both songs running through my head and I thought, I've got to get this down now. So I went to the toilet – the only place I could get any peace. Halfway through the demo on my phone, you can hear my daughter: daaad!"
  • The True Meanings album title was lifted from "Aspects."

    To find true meanings
    And patterns in things
    Symbols in making
    These moments exist


    "Towards the end of making the record we had a few other ideas, but that said it all to me," Weller told HMV. "It's a quote from a song called 'Aspects'. I liked it, these aren't all my own true meanings. People can find their own true meanings in the songs."
  • "Aspects" was released as a single on May 25, 2018, to coincide with Paul Weller's 60th birthday. It served as a reminder that he was still evolving and surprising.
  • "Aspects" is a regular highlight of Weller's live shows, particularly at his orchestral concerts. A performance with the London Metropolitan Orchestra during a Radio 2 special for his 60th birthday was later captured on the live album Other Aspects: Live at the Royal Festival Hall, released in 2019.

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

Corey Hart

Corey HartSongwriter Interviews

The Canadian superstar talks about his sudden rise to fame, and tells the stories behind his hits "Sunglasses At Night," "Boy In The Box" and "Never Surrender."

In The Cards

In The CardsSong Writing

Songwriters have used cards and card games to make sense of heartache, togetherness, and even Gonorrhea.

Grunge Bands Quiz

Grunge Bands QuizMusic Quiz

If the name Citizen Dick means anything to you, there's a chance you'll get some of these right.

Greg Lake of Emerson, Lake & Palmer

Greg Lake of Emerson, Lake & PalmerSongwriter Interviews

Greg talks about writing songs of "universal truth" for King Crimson and ELP, and tells us about his most memorable stage moment (it involves fireworks).

Mike Rutherford (Genesis, Mike + The Mechanics)

Mike Rutherford (Genesis, Mike + The Mechanics)Songwriter Interviews

Mike Rutherford talks about the "Silent Running" storyline and "Land Of Confusion" in the age of Trump.

Rock Revenge Songs

Rock Revenge SongsMusic Quiz

John Lennon, Paul Simon and Lynyrd Skynyrd are some of the artists who have written revenge songs. Do you know who they wrote them about?