Reverb-drenched and bittersweet, Alvvays members Molly Rankin and Kerri MacLellan were childhood friends, who began playing music with Alec O'Hanley while in high school. Lead vocalist Molly Rankin is the daughter of John Morris Rankin from the popular Canadian folk family group the Rankin Family. Molly Rankin released a solo EP titled "She EP" in 2010 and then in 2011 formed Alvvays with MacLellan, O'Hanley, and new members Brian Murphy and Phil MacIsaac.
Following tours with The Pains of Being Pure at Heart and Peter Bjorn and John, the group recorded a full-length album, Alvvays, which was released by Royal Mountain Records (Canada), Polyvinyl Records (US), and Transgressive Records (Europe) in July 2014. Chad VanGaalen, John Agnello, and Graham Walsh of Holy Fuck all contributed to the album's production. Simon Vozick-Levinson, writing in Rolling Stone, called the eponymous album an "indie-pop wonder". Alvvays went to #1 on US college charts on August 5, 2014.
Saved by a Waif
Alvvays Lyrics
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In the park, didn't think you fell that hard
Woke up again
Woke up and you wanted a new start
New Saturday
In the park, didn't think you fell that hard
Oh, Adrian
The silver maple never saw you coming
Stay where you are
State what you are
Stay where you are
And no one gets hurt
You cut your hair
Now you look like a little boy
You climbed the stairs
So high, you can't come down from there
Said you wanted to get it together but you don't
Said you wanted to get it together but you won't
Say something, waste something
Change your life
Take something, break something
Make your flight
Say something, anything
Mommy wants you to be a doctor
So she can tell her friends you're like your father
And if it's all for the sake of conversation
Then maybe you should try a new vocation
Oh, saved by a waif and the weight of your wayfarers
Not to be confused with hippies in Toronto
You cut your hair
Now you look like a little boy
You climbed the stairs
So high, you can't come down from there
Said you wanted to get it together but you don't
Said you wanted to get it together but you won't
Oh, saved by a waif and the weight of your wayfarers
"Saved by a Waif" is a song by Canadian indie pop band, Alvvays. The song opens with "New Saturday", conveying a sense of newness and starting afresh. The park mentioned in the opening lines can be interpreted as a symbol of a hopeful outlook towards the future. The next lines suggest that the person being addressed in the song fell hard but didn't realize it. The singer wakes up with the desire for a fresh start but is unsure of how to go about it. The third verse suggests that Adrian, the addressee, has met an untimely end. The silver maple, which is personified, never saw Adrian coming. This line can be a reference to Adrian being a sudden death.
The chorus, "Stay where you are, state what you are, and no one gets hurt" can be interpreted as a warning of some kind. It could be interpreted as a plea to not move past this moment and just be what they are. The line, "You cut your hair, now you look like a little boy" suggests a loss of femininity. This line can be interpreted as a commentary on society's expectations of women to look and behave a certain way. The metaphorical "climbing the stairs so high that you can't come down from there" can be interpreted as getting too invested in something that one cannot get out of, perhaps pointing to addiction or anxiety. The bridge suggests that the addressee struggles to find their identity and match up to their parents' expectations. The last line, "Saved by a waif and the weight of your wayfarers" suggests that the singer was saved by someone unexpected who came to their aid wearing wayfarers.
Line by Line Meaning
New Saturday
In the park, didn't think you fell that hard
Starting a new day but not realizing how tough it will be
Woke up again
Woke up and you wanted a new start
Waking up with a desire to start anew
Oh, Adrian
The silver maple never saw you coming
Addressing someone named Adrian who went unnoticed
Stay where you are
State what you are
Stay where you are
And no one gets hurt
Advocating for honesty and avoiding conflict
You cut your hair
Now you look like a little boy
You climbed the stairs
So high, you can't come down from there
Said you wanted to get it together but you don't
Said you wanted to get it together but you won't
Describing someone who has made changes but is still struggling to improve their life
Say something, waste something
Change your life
Take something, break something
Make your flight
Say something, anything
Mommy wants you to be a doctor
So she can tell her friends you're like your father
And if it's all for the sake of conversation
Then maybe you should try a new vocation
Encouraging taking action and making changes in life despite societal expectations
Oh, saved by a waif and the weight of your wayfarers
Being rescued unexpectedly by a helpless person and the burden of responsibility and decision-making
Not to be confused with hippies in Toronto
Clarifying the context and setting of the song
Lyrics © ROUGH TRADE PUBLISHING
Written by: Alec Fraser O'Hanley, Molly Margaret Rankin
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind