Broken Stones

Album: Stanley Road (1995)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • Weller wrote this gospel-tinged track with the idea that humans are like "broken stones" trying to become whole again. He was inspired by a conversation he had with his young son at the beach.

    "He was asking me where all the pebbles came from," Weller told Daniel Rachel (The Art of Noise: Conversations with Great Songwriters). "I told him we were all part of one rock before and we all got smashed down in time and splintered and sent around the earth. I don't know if that's true or not, scientifically, but that was my explanation to him anyway. But even if it wasn't true, as a metaphor for us as a human race, human spirit, that we all come from one source and we just got splintered and sent round the world, there was sense of spirituality that we're all seeking to get back to that core again or get back home. So that spiritual element I married to the gospel accordion chords in it. It's like an old gospel or spiritual tune to me."

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

Brian Kehew: The Man Behind The Remasters

Brian Kehew: The Man Behind The RemastersSong Writing

Brian has unearthed outtakes by Fleetwood Mac, Aretha Franklin, Elvis Costello and hundreds of other artists for reissues. Here's how he does it.

Mike Scott of The Waterboys

Mike Scott of The WaterboysSongwriter Interviews

The stories behind "Whole Of The Moon" and "Red Army Blues," and why rock music has "outlived its era of innovation."

Ian Astbury of The Cult

Ian Astbury of The CultSongwriter Interviews

The Cult frontman tells who the "Fire Woman" is, and talks about performing with the new version of The Doors.

Jon Anderson

Jon AndersonSongwriter Interviews

Jon Anderson breaks down the Yes classic "Seen All Good People" and talks about his 1000 Hands album, which features Chick Corea, Rick Derringer, Ian Anderson, and many other luminaries.

Petula Clark

Petula ClarkSongwriter Interviews

Petula talks about her hits "Downtown" and "Don't Sleep In The Subway," and explains her Michael Jackson connection.

Dar Williams

Dar WilliamsSongwriter Interviews

A popular contemporary folk singer, Williams still remembers the sticky note that changed her life in college.