The New Zealand rock band have released three albums - 2004's platinum selling 'You Are Here', 2007's multi-platinum selling 'Second Hand Planet', and 2010's 'Until The End Of Time'.
Opshop were winners of the coveted 'Peoples Choice Award' at the 2007 New Zealand Music Awards. Also in 2007 their single “Maybe” achieved the honour of being the biggest song at New Zealand radio ever, holding the #1 most-played spot for 12 consecutive weeks.
Opshop describe their sound like this: "An equal opportunistic grab bag of semi-funkster pop and crackle 'muesli' rock. We like playing music that sounds nice and loud. And dirty and quiet and every nook 'n' cranny in between. If you're not sure what it is. Its likely to be ours".
NOTHING CAN WAIT
Opshop Lyrics
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Least 'till everybody feels that they're saved
You can bite the hand that feeds you
You can walk on by like a public spy in a cage
Woah, nothing can wait
Woah, nothing can wait
Like some charmed out relic from another ice age
We're going up through the roof
And I know, I know, I know it's getting late, oh
Woah, nothing can wait
Woah, nothing can wait
See the higher the ground
The deeper the whole
We couldn't wait to be found
As if you didn't already know, oh
That nothing can wait
You're colliding with the couch too long
And now your face is glowin' red
You've been talkin' like a fish
Don't wanna be a critic
Don't even want to catch your breath, no
Woah
Nothing can wait
You see the higher the ground
The deeper the whole
We won't wait to be found
Somehow we already know, oh
Too many faces in this crowd
So so far to go, oh
When nothing can wait
And the clouds are gonna break tonight
The clouds are gonna break tonight
Night falls down and breaks daylight
Where nothing can wait
And the clouds are gonna break tonight
The clouds are gonna break tonight
Nothing can wait tonight
Nothing can wait
The song "Nothing Can Wait" by Opshop is a reflection on the urgency in life and how nothing can wait. The opening lines "It doesn't hurt to hurt a little/ Least 'till everybody feels that they're saved" suggest that small sacrifices and pains are worth it if it means that everyone is saved. This can be interpreted as a call to action to prioritize the greater good over personal comfort or convenience. The notion of "biting the hand that feeds you" and "walk[ing] on by like a public spy in a cage" highlights the idea that we have choices in how we interact with the world around us. The lyrics encourage the listener to take responsibility for their actions and to recognize that everything we do has an impact on those around us.
The refrain "Woah, nothing can wait" reinforces the idea that time is of the essence and that we must act now. The image of "radiate[ing] defenceless/ Like some charmed out relic from another ice age" speaks to the vulnerability of humanity and the need to take action to protect ourselves from the elements. The line "We're going up through the roof/ And I know, I know, I know it's getting late" suggests both a sense of urgency and an impending danger.
The chorus "See the higher the ground/ The deeper the whole/ We couldn't wait to be found/ As if you didn't already know, oh/ That nothing can wait" suggests that the more we achieve, the more complex our problems become. The idea of not waiting to be found is an assertion that we must take action rather than passively waiting for someone else to solve our problems.
Line by Line Meaning
It doesn't hurt to hurt a little
It's okay to be hurt a little as long as everyone feels saved
Least 'till everybody feels that they're saved
Even if you're hurt, don't worry about it as long as everyone thinks they're saved
You can bite the hand that feeds you
You can harm those who have helped you in the past
You can walk on by like a public spy in a cage
You can go through life unnoticed, as if you're in a cage like a spy in public
Woah, nothing can wait
Nothing can wait, it's urgent
Radiate defenceless
Be open and vulnerable
Like some charmed out relic from another ice age
Like an ancient treasure or oddity from a distant past
We're going up through the roof
We are reaching the highest point
And I know, I know, I know it's getting late, oh
We're running out of time, things are getting urgent
See the higher the ground
The greater the risk
The deeper the whole
The worse the consequences
We couldn't wait to be found
We can't wait to be noticed or discovered
As if you didn't already know, oh
As if it wasn't already obvious
You're colliding with the couch too long
You're being lazy and not accomplishing anything
And now your face is glowin' red
You're starting to realize your inactivity and feel embarrassed
You've been talkin' like a fish
You've been rambling on and not making any sense
Don't wanna be a critic
Don't want to criticize or judge
Don't even want to catch your breath, no
Don't want to take time to relax or calm down
See the higher the ground
The greater the risk
The deeper the whole
The worse the consequences
We won't wait to be found
We can't wait to be noticed or discovered
Somehow we already know, oh
It's already known, we don't need to wait for it
Too many faces in this crowd
Too many people in this group
So so far to go, oh
We have a lot of work to do, it's far away
And the clouds are gonna break tonight
Something is about to happen tonight
Night falls down and breaks daylight
There will be a change of events from night to day
Where nothing can wait
It's too urgent to wait for anything
Nothing can wait tonight
It's too urgent to wait for anything tonight
Contributed by Mateo L. Suggest a correction in the comments below.