This song is def a twin to "Unfair" (a song she has been quoted as saying is about falling in love with someone who is already in a relationship) so it is presumably about the same person. Given the references to buying an apartment and not being able to see her love interest "after tonight," it's most likely that she's moving away and she'll "wait a day to break the bad news" (i.e. notifying him that she's leaving once she's already gone).
And, of course, the fact that she sees in him a fellow "idealist" and "dreamer" (terms commonly given to people with the INFP personality on the Myers–Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI)) portends that she'll always be left wondering if they would've been perfect together.
Meet me on the wastelands - later this day
We'll sit and talk and hold hands maybe
For there's not much else to do in this drab and colorless place
We'll sit amongst the rubber tires
Amongst the discarded bric-a-brac
People have no use for - amongst the smoldering embers of yesterday
And when or if the sun shines
Lighting our once beautiful features
We'll smile but only for seconds
For to be caught smiling is to acknowledge life
A brave but useless show of compassion
And that is forbidden in this drab and colorless world
Meet me on the wastelands - the ones behind
The old houses - the ones - left standing pre-war
The ones overshadowed by the monolith monstrosities
Councils call homes
And there amongst the shit - the dirty linen
The holy Coca-Cola tins - the punctured footballs
The ragged dolls - the rusting bicycles
We'll sit and probably hold hands
And watch the rain fall - watch it - watch it
Tumble and fall - tumble and falling
Like our lives - like our lives
Just like our lives
We'll talk about the old days
When the wasteland was release when we could play
And think - without feeling guilty
Meet me later but we'll have to hold hands
Tumble and fall - tumble and falling
Like our lives - like our lives
Exactly like our lives
We'll sit and talk and hold hands maybe
For there's not much else to do in this drab and colorless place
We'll sit amongst the rubber tires
Amongst the discarded bric-a-brac
People have no use for - amongst the smoldering embers of yesterday
And when or if the sun shines
Lighting our once beautiful features
We'll smile but only for seconds
For to be caught smiling is to acknowledge life
A brave but useless show of compassion
And that is forbidden in this drab and colorless world
Meet me on the wastelands - the ones behind
The old houses - the ones - left standing pre-war
The ones overshadowed by the monolith monstrosities
Councils call homes
And there amongst the shit - the dirty linen
The holy Coca-Cola tins - the punctured footballs
The ragged dolls - the rusting bicycles
We'll sit and probably hold hands
And watch the rain fall - watch it - watch it
Tumble and fall - tumble and falling
Like our lives - like our lives
Just like our lives
We'll talk about the old days
When the wasteland was release when we could play
And think - without feeling guilty
Meet me later but we'll have to hold hands
Tumble and fall - tumble and falling
Like our lives - like our lives
Exactly like our lives
Lyrics submitted by planetearth
Wasteland Lyrics as written by Paul John Weller
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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I think your first comment is closer to being accurate. The singer/song writers state "Millions of eyes can see, yet why am i so blind!? When the someone else is me, its unkind its unkind". I believe hes referring to the girl toying with him and using him. He wants something deeper with her, thats why he allows himself to be as a puppet (even though for her fun and games) as long as it makes her happy. But he knows deep down that she doesnt really want to be serious with him and thats what makes him.
Oh boy, I never knew this site existed until last night when I was listening to The Jam Extras and wondered what the lyrics to Pity Poor Alfie were. So I surfed the net and found this little paradise where not only can I get the lyrics, but I can also interact with like minded Paul Weller fans.
As for this song, well it's a classic. I used it as an example of a poem when I was at school.
"We’ll smile but only for seconds For to be caught smiling is to acknowledge life A brave but useless show of compassion And that is forbidden in this drab and colorless world"
Pure poetry.
i agree with jack.pop poetry at its extreme best,and hard to believe he was only 20 when he wrote this.
@endeavour I think I wrote a similar comment about another song by The Jam. The lyrics on Setting Songs are just astounding to me.
Reminds me of the area of Bradford where I grew up. I used to live in a terrace and just at the end of our road were a load of high-rises, or 'monolith monstrocities councils call homes' as Weller describes them.
The song I think was part of Weller's original concept for the Setting Sons lp, this being two friends meeting after the war and reflecting on thier lives having fallen apart.
"Meet me on the wastelands - the ones behind The old houses - the ones - left standing pre-war The ones overshadowed by the monolith monstrosities Councils call homes"
Pauls home on Stanly Road was one of the old ones left standing from the II World War. Between his home and his school, Sheerwater Comprehensive stood a huge council estate. Between them at this time a large amount of wasteland remained from wartime bombing raids.
It's a great track but I prefer the cover that Gene did. Sorry. Class words though.