A Man Of Great Promise Lyrics
And I read of how you died in pain -
Well I just couldn't understand it
If I could of changed that, then lord knows I'd do it now
But there is no going back -
And what's done is done forever
Of every small town institution and every big town flirt
And I think of what you might have been,
A man of such great promise
Oh but, you seem to forget the dream -
And the more you saw you hated
Like a moth going to a flame -
You had a dangerous passion
Of every small town institution and every big town flirt
Still I wonder -
If it's the cold earth you prefer to lay -
If it's the cold earth - you prefer to stay
This is my favourite style council song by far.this song is about paul weller's addict friend who died from a heroin overdose hence the lines "But let's not talk of blame, for what is only natural Like a moth going to a flame -You had a dangerous passion".This song reminds me of people ive lost or whove changed or who seem to have a self destructive nature.love it so much
It is about David Waller. A former member of the Jam and an old friend of Paul Weller's. Waller overdosed on Heroin and died after being an addict for some time.
I'm not sure if he killed himself, but something leads me to think he did. I can't remember what.
MeX
@dwitefry Thanks for posting that, and to andyd as well for his comment. This is a great tune, one of my favorite SC numbers. I've listened to it many times, and often wondered who Weller was singing about. Was it a politiician or an artist, somebody semi-famous? And what was his "dangerous passion"? I thought it might have been homosex. And I wondered about the last line too, which I thought was "in the corner" not "in the cold earth." Thanks for clearing that up. Now I would just like to know...
@dwitefry Thanks for posting that, and to andyd as well for his comment. This is a great tune, one of my favorite SC numbers. I've listened to it many times, and often wondered who Weller was singing about. Was it a politiician or an artist, somebody semi-famous? And what was his "dangerous passion"? I thought it might have been homosex. And I wondered about the last line too, which I thought was "in the corner" not "in the cold earth." Thanks for clearing that up. Now I would just like to know why they decided to take this dark elegy and add super catchy, jaunty music to it.
It is about David Waller's suicide. If you get the original tape of Our Favourite Shop, Weller and Talbot discuss all the songs on the reverse side. It is a a great song.
Great song,,,for some reason I always thought the lyrics were
"But you were always chained and shackled by the lure
Of every small town institution and every big town club"