“Hung Up” by Paul Weller

A number of sources have has explained Paul Weller’s “Hung UP” as being written from the point of view of an elderly man who has vowed not to admit defeat. And yes, the character which the singer is portraying does prove to be quite stubborn. But what it is he is stubborn about is never actually specified. 

Instead he likens himself to “a soldier from the past”, i.e. an army veteran, who has refused to put down his riffle. Indeed as far as he’s concerned, there is still a battle being waged in the present. However, such is not literal but rather “his war”, as in whatever it is he is fighting against in his soul. 

Nevertheless this experience does involve other people, as he feels “he’s gotta hurt someone”. However, even though it may manifest itself interpersonally, this is primarily a mental condition that he is dealing with here.

Or put more pointedly, since the vocalist compares himself to a veteran of war then the implication is that he is not actually one himself. But like such individuals, i.e. sufferers from PTSD, the singer is so battle-tested, or let’s say more generally used to thinking the same way, that he’s unable to free himself from said thought pattern. Or simply put, his mind is caught up in a cycle of continually manifesting negative thoughts which, as far as his personal life is concerned, are now anachronistic and thus unconstructive.

Paul Weller talks about “Hung Up”

So accordingly, the final stanza features him putting forth his desire “to cease the war inside”, i.e. stop himself from thinking in such a manner. And according to Paul Weller, that is actually the idea upon which this song is based.

The subject is “hung up” in a mode of thinking which, once again resorting to Weller’s explanation, is causing him some type of inner anxiety. And ideologically, although this part is never mentioned in the song, his best course of action should be to “just let it go” and “start afresh”. So the intended message behind this tune reads a lot like a positivity-thinking mantra, i.e. ‘just do it’, though from more of a mental perspective.

And yes, Paul’s personal explanation does make it sound like a person transforming their regular thought processes is easier to achieve than it actually is. But that may be why the lyrics themselves don’t actually mention that idea. Rather the story ends more or less the same as it commenced, with the vocalist being “hung up” on recycling ideas which are not constructive to his life. 

So apparently, more so than centering on an old man or anything like that, the lyrics are meant to be representative of our own human tendency to develop destructive thoughts for whatever reason and then lacking the resolve to free ourselves from them.

Paul Weller

Paul Weller is an English singer who made a name for himself as the frontman of a band called The Jam during the late-1970s/early-1980s. Then he spent the rest of the 80s leading another crew, which he founded, called The Style Council. And both of these groups managed to score number one albums across the pond.

Afterwards, i.e. in 1990, Paul Weller embarked on a solo career and is still very much active heading into the 2020s. In fact he dropped his 16^th studio album, “Fat Pop (Volume 1)”, as recently as 2021. And up until that particular project the other 15 he came out with all made it onto the top 10 of the UK Singles chart. In most cases these projects peaked at number 2 or ended up topping the list altogether.

Yet despite being a perennial A lister in his homeland, Paul Weller is not popularly known in the United States. In fact only one of his aforementioned albums, 2012’s “Sonik Kicks” (which topped the UK Singles Chart), ever made it onto the Billboard 200, peaking in the lower-fourth of the ranking.

“Hung Up”

“Hung Up” is from Paul Weller’s second solo album, “Wild Wood” (1993), one of seven he’s come out with that has reached number two on the UK Singles Chart. 

The official release date of the track, via a label called Go! Discs, was in 1994 as the third single from the project. And the tune made it to 11^th place in the UK Singles Chart, which at the time was the highest Weller ever appeared on that list as a soloist. But that being noted, it is a song which Paul is apprehensive about in terms of performing it live.

“Hung Up” was composed by Paul Weller alongside Brendan Lynch, who has worked extensively with the singer throughout his solo years.