After self-releasing 2007's All Lies and 2008's Lullaby Death Jams EPs to little attention, the band was effectively broken up by the end of 2008. In January 2009, Japandroids signed to Unfamiliar Records for the release of their debut LP Post-Nothing, deciding to continue on temporarily. The album quickly and unexpectedly rose to wide critical acclaim after its April release. King and Prowse were subsequently signed to Polyvinyl and toured extensively throughout 2009 and 2010, playing more than 200 shows in 20 countries and earning praise for their extremely energetic live performances. A compilation of Japandroids' self-released EPs, entitled No Singles, as well as a series of three 7" singles, "Art Czars," "Younger Us," and "Heavenward Grand Prix" were released in the meantime. The tour ultimately concluded on October 27, 2010.
After working on new material throughout 2011, Japandroids announced in March 2012 that their second LP, Celebration Rock, would be released internationally on June 5, prefaced by the single "The House That Heaven Built" on May 15. Similarly to its predecessor, Celebration Rock was also widely acclaimed by critics.
The Nights of Wine and Roses
Japandroids Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Don't we have anything to live for?
Well of course we do
But till they come true
We're drinking
And we're still smoking
Don't we have anything to live for?
Well of course we do
We're smoking
We all want to know what nobody knows
What the nights of wine and roses hold
For the wine and roses of our souls
So we down our drinks in a funnel of friends
And we burn our blends right down to the end
We don't cry for those nights to arrive
We yell like hell to the heavens, oh
Oh, oh, oh
Oh, oh, oh
Oh, oh, oh, oh
Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh
We all want to know what nobody knows
What the nights of wine and roses hold
For the wine and roses of our souls
So we down our drinks in a funnel of friends
And we burn our blends right down to the end
We don't cry for those nights to arrive
We yell like hell to the heavens, hey
The lyrics of Japandroids' song The Nights of Wine and Roses describe a night of heavy drinking and smoking, as the singer questions whether they have anything to live for. They acknowledge that they do, indeed, have things to live for, but until those things come true, they will continue to drink and smoke. The second verse reveals that the singer, along with everyone else, yearns for the unknown pleasures that the nights of wine and roses hold. They drink and smoke with their friends, yelling like hell to the heavens, grasping at the possibility of a life full of excitement and passion.
The song explores the themes of longing, escapism, and mortality. By drinking and smoking, the singer is trying to escape the mundanity of everyday life and seek out something more. The chorus, with its repeated refrain of "We all want to know what nobody knows," speaks to the human desire for mystery and adventure. By "downing our drinks in a funnel of friends" and "burning our blends right down to the end," we try to wring every drop of pleasure out of life before it slips away.
Line by Line Meaning
Long lit up tonight and still drinking
We've been drinking for a while now and we're still going
Don't we have anything to live for?
Do we really have nothing to live for?
Well of course we do
We obviously do
But till they come true
But until our dreams come true
We're drinking
We'll keep drinking
And we're still smoking
And we'll keep smoking
We all want to know what nobody knows
We all crave the unknown
What the nights of wine and roses hold
What wonders and joys the future may bring
For the wine and roses of our souls
For the most beautiful and cherished aspects of ourselves
So we down our drinks in a funnel of friends
We drink with our closest friends
And we burn our blends right down to the end
We smoke until there's nothing left
We don't cry for those nights to arrive
We're not waiting for these nights with sadness or longing
We yell like hell to the heavens, oh
We shout with joy and excitement towards the sky
Oh, oh, oh
Repeated excitement and anticipation
Oh, oh, oh
Repeated excitement and anticipation
Oh, oh, oh, oh
Repeated excitement and anticipation
Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh
Repeated excitement and anticipation
We all want to know what nobody knows
We all crave the unknown
What the nights of wine and roses hold
What wonders and joys the future may bring
For the wine and roses of our souls
For the most beautiful and cherished aspects of ourselves
So we down our drinks in a funnel of friends
We drink with our closest friends
And we burn our blends right down to the end
We smoke until there's nothing left
We don't cry for those nights to arrive
We're not waiting for these nights with sadness or longing
We yell like hell to the heavens, hey
We shout with joy and excitement towards the sky
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Brian King, David Prowse
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind