Out of the Sinking

"Out of the Sinking" is a song by British singer-songwriter Paul Weller, released in 1994 by Go! Discs as the first single from his third solo album, Stanley Road (1995). Weller wrote the song and produced it with Brendan Lynch. The B-side to the single is a cover of the Beatles' "Sexy Sadie".

"Out of the Sinking" originally reached No. 20 on the UK Singles Chart upon release its release. In February 1996, it was re-released and reached a new peak of No. 16. The B-side to the single on the 1996 re-issue is a cover of Bob Dylan's "I Shall Be Released". According to Weller, he wrote "Out of the Sinking" as a "great English Mod love song" and took inspiration from the Small Faces.

Critical reception
Paul Mathur from Melody Maker said that "Out of the Sinking" "is far from the best of Paul Weller's recent releases, slumping at times into the sort of aimlessness that Van Morrison has made his own." Dele Fadele from NME wrote that the song "is a kind of object lesson in getting rid of depression, and, in these post-Nirvana times, putting all those obsessions with death and decay and turmoil and exorcism behind you. A pleasant, summery soupçon of hippy dreams." Another NME editor, Ted Kessler, complimented it as a "well-crafted" single and "bright, vaguely optimistic".

Track listings

 * 1994 version
 * 1) "Out of the Sinking"
 * 2) "Sexy Sadie"
 * 3) "Sunflower" (Lynch Mob dub)


 * 1996 version
 * 1) "Out of the Sinking" (LP version)
 * 2) "I Shall Be Released"
 * 3) "Broken Stones"
 * 4) "Porcelain Gods"