In 1999, Rocky Votolato branched out from his work with Waxwing, having written a handful of songs which did not really fit in with their more aggressive, fast tempo syle. Along the way he has toured with the likes of Damien Jurado, Small Brown Bike, The Get Up Kids, The New Amsterdams, Owen and The Casket Lottery, members of the latter having provided assistance as backing musicians on occasion. His studio albums have also been littered with appearances from some of Seattle's finest musicians (including players in the bands Red Stars Theory, Sharks Keep Moving, The Blood Brothers, Death Cab for Cutie, Pedro the Lion and Sub Pop solo artist Rosie Thomas). On the production side, Votolato has worked with Matt Bayles (Pearl Jam, Botch, Murder City Devils, Hayden), along with Chris Walla (of Death Cab for Cutie). It is a creative input which has helped see Rocky progress sylistically with every release, from his low key self-titled album released in 1999 - all pretty much recorded live, right through to his recent, alt-country, folk-esque offering, 'Makers'. A video was shot for the first track of Makers, "White Daisy Passing", a song which also appears on the soundtrack of the forthcoming Seattle indie feature film Cthulu.
Rocky also starred in the film 'The Edge of Quarrel', which he worked on with Dave Larson from Excursion Records. It also includes members of the Murder City Devils and Botch, and is about a gang war between straightedgers and punk rockers.
He is married with two children, and lives in Seattle.
Wait Out the Days
Rocky Votolato Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And the teeth in your
Mouth are all cliches
You heart is a bag of rocks
Your
Soul is a pile of ashes on the sidewalk
There's an eagle
Scout project
I used to come to to feel some kind of magic
Now a story less - we'll wait out the days
Wait out the days
'Til death comes to claim
Anything that
Life didn't already take
You can wait out the days
The catch 22s are all catching up with you
They're laying
All over the middle ground
You were walking on to avoid
'Em and it's too late to turn around
On the corner of Morisson
There's a shop that sells bracelets and little glass ornaments
Looking in you can feel the magic and wait out the days
In "Wait Out the Days," Rocky Votolato paints a picture of a person who is lost, struggling to find meaning in life. The first verse uses the metaphor of a blank page to describe the character's memory, indicating that they have trouble recalling their past. The line "the teeth in your mouth are all cliches" suggests that the person has lost their ability to articulate their feelings and experiences in a way that is genuine and meaningful. The metaphor continues with the lines "your heart is a bag of rocks, your soul is a pile of ashes on the sidewalk," depicting the person's emotional state as heavy and lifeless.
The chorus, "we'll wait out the days 'til death comes to claim anything that life didn't already take," suggests a sense of resignation, as if the person has given up on actively pursuing happiness or meaning. They are content to simply wait until the end of their life, at which point all of their struggles and pain will be resolved. The catch-22s catching up with them in the second verse refer to the idea of paradoxical situations that cannot be resolved satisfactorily. The person feels trapped and unable to change their circumstances, so they simply wait.
The final verse introduces a new element - the shop on the corner of Morrison. The line "looking in you can feel the magic and wait out the days" suggests that the person finds solace and comfort in the little moments of beauty that they encounter, even if they are fleeting. This contrasts with the earlier despair and hopelessness, as if the person is learning to find meaning in small things rather than waiting for a big epiphany.
Overall, "Wait Out the Days" is a melancholy song that touches on themes of loneliness, resignation, and the search for meaning. It is a reminder that even in the darkest moments, there is always something beautiful to be found if we are willing to look for it.
Line by Line Meaning
When the memory is a blank page
When you have no recollection of your past experiences
And the teeth in your Mouth are all cliches
Your words have lost their originality and are overused expressions
You heart is a bag of rocks
Your emotions feel heavy and burdensome
Your Soul is a pile of ashes on the sidewalk
You feel empty and defeated
There's an eagle Scout project
There is a symbol of hope and accomplishment nearby
I used to come to to feel some kind of magic
I used to find joy and wonder here
Now a story less - we'll wait out the days
Now there is nothing left to do but wait for time to pass
Wait out the days
Endure the unpleasantness until it passes
'Til death comes to claim
Until the end of your life
Anything that Life didn't already take
Anything left to lose
You can wait out the days
You can persevere through tough times
The catch 22s are all catching up with you
The paradoxical situations are causing problems
They're laying All over the middle ground
The problems are affecting everything in between and causing obstacles
You were walking on to avoid 'Em and it's too late to turn around
You were trying to avoid them, but it is now impossible to do so
On the corner of Morisson There's a shop that sells bracelets and little glass ornaments
In a particular place nearby, there is a store that sells trinkets and decorative items
Looking in you can feel the magic and wait out the days
By looking at the merchandise in the store, you can find temporary relief and wait for time to pass
Lyrics © ROUGH TRADE PUBLISHING, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Rocky Votolato
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind