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 First Kiss
Andrew W.K. Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Santa will be coming to my town
And it will be his first time
I wish this for this day since I was just a little boy
And now it's here and it feels so good to say
Merry Christmas to all of you all
My first Christmas time
It's so beautiful, so special to me
All my family gifts under my tree
My first Christmas
My first Christmas time
It's so beautiful, so special to me
All my family gifts under my tree
My first Christmas
Jingle bells will ring
The birds will sing, oh what a joy it will bring
Never thought I'd see the day
That Santa will bring Christmas my way
But it's here and it feels so good to say
Merry Christmas to all of you, you, you and you
I wonder how it's gonna feel to have my first Christmas time here
My first Christmas time
It's so beautiful so special to me
All my family gifts under my tree
My first Christmas
My first Christmas time
It's so beautiful so special to me
All my family gifts under my tree
My first Christmas
There's so much for my family
I'm breaking my neck trying to get to the tree
Trying to see what my mom and dad got for me
The big body Benz on 23's
TV's on the back with DVD's
What a special day for me
Mama in the house cookin' collard greens
Turkey with the ham and mac an' cheese
My first Christmas time
It's so beautiful so special to me
All my family gifts under my tree
My first Christmas
My first Christmas time
It's so beautiful so special to me
All my family gifts under my tree
My first Christmas
My first Christmas time
It's so beautiful so special to me
All my family gifts under my tree
My first Christmas
My first Christmas time
It's so beautiful so special to me
All my family gifts under my tree
My first Christmas
The lyrics to Andrew W.K.'s song My First Christmas indicate the excitement and joy of experiencing a first Christmas as a child. The song conveys the anticipation of Santa's arrival to the singer's town and reveals how much the singer has longed for this day since he was a little boy. The anticipation and excitement are palpable in the lyrics as the singer talks about the beauty and wonder of the Christmas time, the joy of hearing jingle bells and birds singing, and the satisfaction of having all his family gifts under the tree. The singer expresses how grateful he is for this special day and the love and warmth of his family during the occasion. He even mentions the luxuries – a big body Benz on 23's, TV's on the back with DVDs – that make this day even more special.
Overall, this song is an upbeat, nostalgic celebration of Christmas through the eyes of a child. It embodies the excitement and anticipation that many experience during the holiday season, and it reminds us of the importance of family and togetherness during this joyous time of year.
Line by Line Meaning
Santa will be coming to my town
The excitement of Christmas approaching, and the anticipation of Santa arriving in my hometown.
And it will be his first time
The magical feeling of experiencing Christmas with Santa for the first time.
I wish this for this day since I was just a little boy
The nostalgic feeling of always wishing for Christmas to arrive when I was young.
And now it's here and it feels so good to say
The overwhelming joy of finally experiencing Christmas again, and being able to express that happiness.
Merry Christmas to all of you all
Wishing everyone a happy and joyful Christmas season.
I wonder how it's gonna feel to have
Excitement and curiosity building up inside, wondering what it will be like to have my first Christmas.
My first Christmas time
The experience of celebrating Christmas for the very first time.
It's so beautiful, so special to me
The deep emotional connection I feel to this moment, experiencing the beauty and uniqueness of my first Christmas.
All my family gifts under my tree
The genuine feeling of happiness and love as I see all the gifts my family has given me, perfectly wrapped and sitting under the Christmas tree.
Jingle bells will ring
The cheerful and festive sounds of jingle bells ringing throughout the Christmas season.
The birds will sing, oh what a joy it will bring
The pure and simple joy that nature itself feels during the Christmas season, and how it spreads to everyone who celebrates.
Never thought I'd see the day
The realization that this moment, this day of experiencing my first Christmas, is something I never thought I would see or experience.
That Santa will bring Christmas my way
The anticipation and excitement of Santa bringing Christmas to me, and the joy that it brings.
There's so much for my family
The love and generosity of my family, bringing me so many gifts and making this Christmas so special.
I'm breaking my neck trying to get to the tree
The enthusiastic and playful energy of rushing to the Christmas tree to see all the gifts waiting for me.
Trying to see what my mom and dad got for me
The curiosity and excitement of seeing what my parents have given me as Christmas presents.
The big body Benz on 23's
The realization that there are some really amazing gifts waiting for me, like a Benz car with large wheels.
TV's on the back with DVD's
The excitement of receiving tech-savvy presents, like a TV with a DVD player included.
What a special day for me
The acknowledgement of how special and meaningful this day of my first Christmas truly is for me.
Mama in the house cookin' collard greens
The comforting and familiar feeling of a home-cooked meal, prepared by my mother with love and care.
Turkey with the ham and mac an' cheese
The delicious and satisfying feast of traditional Christmas foods, like turkey, ham, and macaroni and cheese.
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: JEROME JONES, KELTON KESSEE, MARQUES B. HOUSTON, TONY OLIVER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
William Bjorndal
My favorite song on an undeniably 10/10 album.
Taylor Vega
i love this song <3
Danny Jingu
@Boomation He also did an album of Gundam songs. The cover to the album is AMAZING!
Nailja Volkova Volkova
Andrew W.K.,я тебя люблю!люблю!люблю!люблю!люблю!люблю!обожаю!ты самый лучший!
ogami2684
さすが兄貴w「やった」の所がいけてる
MasonxReborn
Very Then again Why wouldn't he be? Man's fucking amazing
Boomation
@numb19029 I guess he is. I didn't even know this until recently but his Close Calls with Brick Walls Album was originally released in Japan. His street team website also says he's doing a tour in Japan starting early April.
kyoko nemoto
Ohhhhキテレツ大百科の歌がこんなにかっこよくなるなんて!! Does Andy know Japanese old anime "kiteretsu daihyaka"? ぜひスイミン不足にもチャレンジしてもらいたい！
it244ti
ハイスタのがいいな
元帥
マジな話、これは原曲じゃなくてハイスタVer.をカバーしたんじゃ…
ドラムんとこなんか、まんまじゃないか