Upon arriving in New York, Andrew found odd jobs in art galleries, department stores, avant-garde fashion boutiques, selling opera tickets, and as a gumball machine salesman; anything to support his real interest: making the most exciting music he could. He pursued this goal day and night, putting all of his abilities and resources into the writing and recording of his own material. Shortening his name from Andrew Wilkes-Krier to Andrew W.K., he set out on a mission to get his music heard not only in New York, but also around the world. Without a band or even a partner, Andrew began performing solo concerts anywhere he could get them. Using only a keyboard, drum machine, and his voice, Andrew played shows up and down the east coast. He vowed to play any show, any place, any time, and wound up performing everywhere from coffee houses to basements. Quickly the word spread of the energy and raw excitement of Andrew and the music, and soon he found himself performing for larger crowds. After performing several shows with friends and fellow New York performers, Fishcerspooner, Andrew was invited to play 2 engagements at a popular Belgian Arts Festival called Over The Edges. This was only the very beginning of a fast and wild ride.
Andrew signed a recording contract with Island Def Jam Records/Universal Music, and began the recording of his debut full-length CD. Titled I GET WET, the album's release in 2001 caused a widespread and diverse wave of reaction, landing Andrew on the covers of international music magazines, like the UK's NME, which featured him not once, but twice on the cover of the same issue (adding an additional page to accommodate the double image). More press followed, catapulting Andrew to overnight exposure in the international music world. Magazines worldwide praised the originality and undeniable intensity of his music, and articles in GQ, Rolling Stone, Spin, Q, Mojo, New York Magazine, Vanity Fair, Jane, The New Yorker, FHM, Playboy, Oui, The New York Times, Los Angeles Times, Alternative Press, i-D, The Face, Dazed & Confused, Bizzare, Newsweek, The New York Post, Stuff, The Washington Post, The Village Voice, and dozens and dozens and dozens of others, the world over, all agreed that the A.W.K. style had made a mark in the wide world of music.
Now that Andrew W.K. had arrived, it was time to take the music to the stage, and Andrew had to form a band. Instead of auditioning random applicants, Andrew decided to write a letter to his favorite drummer, a man named Donald Tardy, who plays in the band Obituary. Andrew sent Donald the music and asked if he would join his band. Having no expectations, Andrew was shocked when Tardy wrote back and agreed to play the music. After Donald came an additional 7 musicians, including Gregg Roberts (bass guitar, vocals), Sgt. Frank (guitar), Jimmy Coup (guitar, vocals), Kendall A. (guitar, vocals), E. Payne (guitar, vocals), John Sutton (guitar), and even a second drummer, Richie Russo, who played on stage next to Donald, in perfect synchronicity. Andrew relocated to Brandon, Florida, in order to rehearse with the band and prepare the music for live performances. Immediately following the release of I GET WET, Andrew W.K. and his newly formed band began a world tour, which would continue for 3 years and over 500 concerts. Major U.S. tours, including highly coveted Ozzfest and Warped Tour dates, as well as countless hall and arena shows with everyone from Aerosmith, to The Locust, gave the music even further exposure and proved that A.W.K. music goes beyond genre and classifaction - it seemed purely "a man and music". Major network television appearances on Saturday Night Live, Late Night With Conan O'Brien, Last Call With Carson Daly, The Daily Show With Jon Stewart, CNN, Fox Sports, Access Hollywood, Top Of The Pops, VH1, and MTV led to an eventual T.V. series of his own, entitled Your Friend, Andrew W.K. The show featured Andrew giving personal advice to fans who wrote in asking for help. MTV2 presented the series, along with countless other Andrew W.K. appearances on MTV, VH1, Much Music, and FUSE.
In the midst of his non-stop schedule, Andrew recorded and released his second album, THE WOLF, which was received with enthusiasm by both fans and the media alike. The album was recorded much in the same tradition Andrew established with his earliest songs: Andrew himself playing every instrument, and recording track after track of music, with each song tracking at least 90 individual parts, if not 200 or more individual tracks. Andrew and his band took the new album to the stage and performed tours across the globe, including festivals in Reading, Leeds, Tokyo, Osaka, and Taiwan. During this wave of shows, Andrew broke his foot on stage while getting tangled in his own microphone cable. Rather than sit it out and heal at home, W.K. decided to continue the tour, and played the remaining 60 shows in a wheelchair. One of these performances was filmed at the Spike T.V. Video Game Awards. Earlier in the year, W.K. had sustained a head injury during the filming of his music video, We Want Fun, with director Spike Jonze, for the Jackass Movie soundtrack. Despite these physical setbacks, the music continued and the party continues to spread, one person at a time.
At the close of 2004, Andrew began work on the massive WHO KNOWS? live-concert movie. In it, more than 300 hours of live concert footage, spanning 1992-2004, was condensed into a rapid-fire viewing experience. The film was edited using a special multi-track video process, in which multiple performances can be synchronized and layered together, with the audio and video overlapping to create a seamless sequence of shots from different concerts. The layering process of the video is similar to the layering process Andrew uses to record his music, and when performing. The movie was screened at sell-out shows in New York City and Hollywood, where Andrew performed in-person piano solos. WHO KNOWS? was released on DVD by Music Video Distributors / R. Jayne / R.C.U. Video.
Andrew W.K. released his third album, entitled "Close Calls With Brick Walls" in Spring 2006. The album was released exclusively in Asia due to legal issues surrounding usage of the name "Andrew W.K." Andrew toured both South Korea and Japan extensively in 2006. .
In December 2009, a lecture recorded at Madame Jojo's in London in September 2008 was published online. In it Andrew W.K. claimed that the Andrew W.K. persona was created by a committee including himself, his father, and other individuals, and that he was the "next person playing Andrew W.K." Claiming, "I'm not the guy you've seen from the I Get Wet album... I'm not that same person. I don't just mean that in a philosophical or conceptual way. It's not the same person at all." Andrew W.K. later went on to clarify that he believed that he, as well as his fans that have followed him since the original album, have become "different people."
He went further on to say: "Andrew W.K. was created by a large group of people. They met, and I was there, and we talked about how we could come up with something that would move people. It was done in the spirit of commerce. It was done in the spirit of entertainment, which usually goes hand in hand with commerce. I was auditioned, along side many other people, to fill this role of a 'great frontman', 'a great performer'. On the one hand it may be a little scary to admit this to you all, that I may not be exactly who you thought I was, and that the guy who was, in fact, first hired as Andrew W.K. is a different person than the guy sitting here on the stage tonight. I'm the next person who is playing Andrew W.K."
However On Tuesday 24 February, 2010, Andrew WK hosted an event Santos Party House in New York, where members of the public could ask him anything they liked. He stated that "I am Andrew W.K., the same that has been here from the beginning... I am... I am, I am the same Andrew W.K. at this appearance as at all Andrew W.K.-related appearances."
Later in 2010 due to finding a loophole in his contractual agreements he was able to release his 2006 album "Close Calls With Brick Walls" world wide. He released this along with another album called "Mother Of Mankind" which contained rare and unreleased tracks from 1999 right through to 2010.
He still lives in New York City.
In 2011, he released an EP called the "Party all Goddamn night" EP. This was released exclusively in Japan. Andrew W.K. is currently working on a new as yet unnamed album which is due for release some time in 2012.
On March 2, 2018, Andrew W.K. released "You're Not Alone", returning to the anthemic sounds of his first two albums.
On May 6, 2021, Andrew W.K. announced that his sixth studio album, God Is Partying, was to be released on September 10, 2021. In September 2021, the album was released alongside the single "Stay True To Your Heart". Shortly after the release of the album, W.K. delayed upcoming shows and deleted his website and social media pages with no explanation, his label also remaining quiet on what was happening.
My Destiny
Andrew W.K. Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
To See If You Were Home
Home Is Where I'll Find You
When I Find You
Do You Feel Lonely When You're Alone
A Sheet To Keep You Warm
Warm Electric Blanket
An Extra Blanket
I'll Make You Fall In Love With Me
I'll Make Myself Your Fantasy
Weeping Like The Willow Tree
Drove Past Your Doorway Fifteen Times
I Don't Want To Cause You Harm
Harm That's What You're In For
If You Don't Open Your Door
So I'll Keep Knocking A Million Times
I Will Knock Until My Knuckles Bleed
Bleed That Blood Will Leave A Stain
On You Forever
You Are My Destiny
And I'll Make You Fall In Love With Me, Me, Me
The lyrics of "My Destiny" by Andrew W.K. depict a rather unsettling and obsessive theme of a person relentlessly seeking the attention and love of someone they desire. The lyrics suggest that the singer is constantly calling and visiting the person's home, hoping to meet them and start a relationship. The sheet and electric blanket mentioned are indicative of the singer's attempts to take care of and soothe the person's needs.
Although the singer's intentions might not be harmful, the lyrics imply that they are quite forceful and persistent in their approach, refusing to accept the person's disinterest. The repeated refrain of "You are my destiny, and I'll make you fall in love with me" underscores the singer's fixation and obsession with the person.
The lyrics of "My Destiny" are a powerful commentary on the darker side of love, showcasing the extremes people will go to when they are stuck in a cycle of unrequited love. The lyrics also remind us of the importance of respecting boundaries and understanding the line between persistence and obsession.
Line by Line Meaning
Called Up Your Number Fourteen Times
I tried to call you 14 times
To See If You Were Home
Just to check if you were at home
Home Is Where I'll Find You
I hope to find you at home
When I Find You
When I finally find you
Do You Feel Lonely When You're Alone
Do you feel alone and sad when you're by yourself
A Sheet To Keep You Warm
I wish to provide you a sheet so you feel warm and comfortable
Warm Electric Blanket
Or maybe an electric blanket that will keep you warm
An Extra Blanket
I have an extra blanket if you need one
You Are My Destiny
You are the only one I want to be with
I'll Make You Fall In Love With Me
I will make you fall in love with me
I'll Make Myself Your Fantasy
I will be your dream and your desire
Weeping Like The Willow Tree
I am crying so hard like the weeping willow
Drove Past Your Doorway Fifteen Times
I drove past your house for 15 times
I Don't Want To Cause You Harm
I don't intend to hurt you
Harm That's What You're In For
But if you don't open the door, something bad might happen
If You Don't Open Your Door
If you don't let me in
So I'll Keep Knocking A Million Times
I will keep knocking on your door endlessly
I Will Knock Until My Knuckles Bleed
I will knock until my hands hurt and start bleeding
Bleed That Blood Will Leave A Stain
My blood will leave a mark and be a part of your memory forever
On You Forever
You will always remember me
And I'll Make You Fall In Love With Me, Me, Me
I will make you love me, just me
Contributed by Chase W. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@kidamaroo
I remember reading the article and thinking that I couldn't imagine how someone could find a love song creepy enough to warrant a restraining order...but upon hearing this song, I get it. I absolutely understand why the girl was so creeped out.
this song seriously belongs in a horror movie
@bubsy2d520
...and this is the only Andrew WK song I've ever heard in my life.
@bubsy2d520
... then, like 2 seconds after I posted this, I clicked on the video for Party Hard and recognized the song from a commercial I saw once. It's a small world indeed...
@ryandoherty4291
This song is so creepy, yet so artistic. It makes me feel almost uneasy when I listen to it.
@discountplaguedoctor88
He wasn't kidding when he said that he got a restraining order filed against him for this one.
@Thecurbstomper
Andrew Wilkes-Krier Wrote this song at 17. This is Andrew W.K. playing the song recently.
@chunkypoodlesauce
This song is so effing creepy but so effing awesome <3. My friends and I have adopted it as our unofficial theme song <3
@DrakeDarkHunter
Sounds a lot like Type Of Negative, down to the creepy romance lyrics, the deep vocals, the heavy use of theatrical organ work.
@IHeartNoise
DrakeDarkHunter Yep....
@sirianfelixbrightonesquire3247
That’s EXACTLY what I said. It’s like he was having fun writing a type O song. Wasn’t Type O in New York also?