1989 - 1999
Formed by a group of friends in the bars of Helsinki, Finland in the summer of 1989, a nod to illustrate the band's tight-knit friendship is that the lineup has stayed the same since creation. The band originally played glam metal inspired music, different from their current gothic rock style.
The band released their first 7 inch EP, "Sugarman", in 1990, followed by another 7 inch, "Barbarella" in 1991. These releases paved the way for the bands first album Bump 'n' Grind released in 1992 which contained some re-recorded versions of songs from the first 2 EP. This same year, the band released their final 2 7 inch EP's, titaled "Juicy Lucy" and "High Times Low Lives". In 1994 through a Japanese Label the band's second CD release was unleased, the compilation album "Motor City Resurrection". It has since been re-released with 8 bonus tracks worldwide. Though this release featured no new songs, it collected the majority of the bands early material and contributions to other compilations. It was followed in 1995 by Savage Garden which featured Hanoi Rocks guitarist Andy McCoy on the track "Wild Talk". Also released during this time were 2 VHS tapes "Motor City Resurrection" and "Savage Tales" available only through the band's self-run fanclub which are seen rarely, if ever for sale online. In 1997, Wrap Your Troubles in Dreams, which fans generally mark as the last "glam" album before the milestone success of 1999's goth rock infused, Wasting the Dawn which was released internationally on Roadrunner Records and marked the band's major label debut. The album's hit single, the title track Wasting the Dawn lyrically paid tribute to The Doors' Jim Morrison and was released as a digipack CD, which is now a rare find for fans of the band. Jyrki 69 developed a concept video for this track which featured long-time friend and collaborator HIM member Ville Valo posing at a snowy cemetery as the ghost of Jim Morrison. This video was released on VHS in Finland featuring a behind the scenes feature, both the video and feature were later added as extras on the Helsinki Vampires DVD.
2000 - 2002
Spring of 2000 brought the single Gothic Girl which spent months on the Singles Top 10 and on Finnish nation radio playlists. It brought the band their first gold record. After recording their sixth studio album, Blessed Be, the band did their first short tour for Wasting the Dawn in Germany which included a show at the M'era Luna Festival. Support for the tour was Norwegian rock band Zeromancer.
Released in September 2000, Blessed Be rose straight to number 4 on the Finnish Album Charts and stayed in the top 10 for over a month. The second single was Brandon Lee, the third was The Chair and Stolen Season was the fourth. Videos were filmed for the first 3 singles.
In 2002 the band released Paris Kills, which would be known as their breakthrough album. It stayed for weeks as number 1 in Finland and went gold in a month, June 2002. In Germany it rose to number 35 in the first week. After touring Europe and Finland for months, a sold-out show at Helsinki's famous Tavastia Club was filmed and documented in November for use in the "Helsinki Vampires" DVD.
2003 - 2007
At the end of 2003, The 69 Eyes were signed to EMI Finland, as they geared up to record their highly successful Devils album. The well-timed "Lost Boys" single was released in Finland at this time, paying homage to the film of the same name as anticipation for the full length album grew.
2004 saw the release of Devils, their 8th album, to which they toured the UK in support of Wednesday 13. Once again the album was number one in their native Finland and reached gold in a month. It was their first release on a big major label Virgin/EMI. Released in their native Finland in October 2004 later on in Europe through Virgin/EMI and in October 2005 in USA through 456 Entertainment it is also their 4th album to reach gold status and again another number one position on the Finnish TOP 40 album charts.
In 2005 The 69 Eyes played nearly one hundred shows around the world in fifteen countries, from Mexico to Japan. Devils was also released in the USA. The band filmed their video for their biggest ever hit single "Lost Boys" in Hollywood and the Philadelphia area, directed by the band's friend and MTV superstar Bam Margera.
In 2006, The 69 Eyes toured for the first time in the USA in March with Program The Dead & Damone, appearing on Last Call with Carson Daly. Their new album Angels, the sequel to their 2004 album Devils, was released in March 2007. Shortly after their Early 2007 tour with Cradle of Filth & 3 Inches Of Blood. Their latest album Angels was released on the 25th of June 2007 in the UK. The first single from the album is "Perfect skin" which went straight to number 1 on the Finnish singles chart. The second single is "Never Say Die". Angels debuted at number 1 in Finland and has since gone gold.
The band did a summer 2007 US tour with Wednesday 13, Night Kills The Day, & Fair To Midland, and supported Within Temptation on tour in the UK in November. They played 125 shows world wide in 2007.
2008 - present
In 2008 the band released their first live album, titled The 69 Eyes: Hollywood Kills. It featured a complete live show recorded at the Whisky a Go Go in West Hollywood in March 2006.[9] The performance featured hits spanning the six latest albums an introduction by Bam Margera and a live cover of The Ramones "I Just Wanna Have Something to Do". The concert was also filmed in its entirety. Five tracks from the performance were released on DVD as bonus content on the Angels/Devils box set and the entire concert was released on the "Back in Blood" bonus DVD.
The band began 2009 by touring in Europe as a part of Hellhounds Fest with Tiamat and Ava Inferi. The band started recording their tenth studio album with Grammy award winning producer Matt Hyde. He is most known from his works with Slayer, Monster Magnet and Fu Manchu. The recording process took place both in Helsinki and Los Angeles. The new album has been titled Back in Blood was released on the 28th of August in Europe and will be released the 15th of September in the USA. In early June, Bam Margera directed the music video for the first single from the album, "Dead Girls Are Easy." The video premiered on playboy.com on 17 of July 2009. The 69 Eyes also toured Australia for the first time in mid June, playing in Brisbane, Melbourne, and Sydney.
A tour of the United States followed in October 2009, and Jyrki 69 was featured on both FOX New's "Red Eye" program, and CNN International also. In December 2009, the band debuted their newest video for the song, "Dead & Gone" via Myspace. This new video marked the band's third collaboration with Bam Margera. On August 10 the band revealed a contest for fans to create a video for the next single "Kiss Me Undead". The response was overwhelming, and on September 30 the band posted their 14 favorite videos on their YouTube page.
In April 2010, during an interview with Sean Twisted of Renegaderadio.net, Rudi Protrudi, frontman & founder of the Fuzztones, reported he had completed work on new song with The 69 Eyes, although further details were unavailable during that time.
On the official The 69 Eyes webpage they reported a European tour with Hardcore Superstar and Crashdïet in March and April 2011.
Early in 2012, The 69 Eyes began recording their next studio album X. X was released on September 28, 2012, across Europe and on October 9, 2012, in the United States. The first single from the album was "Red" and featured a music video. The second single was "Borderline." Both singles were available before the album was released in Europe. On February 2013, the band released the singles "Love Runs Away" and "Tonight" simultaneously via iTunes. "Tonight" was released exclusively in Finland while "Love Runs Away" was released everywhere else. Both singles included two previously unreleased tracks, "Rosary Blue" and "Dracula's Castle," the latter being the song Rudi Protrudi reported he had co-written with The 69 Eyes back in 2010.
The 69 Eyes will release a double CD compilation of their radio hit singles called “The Best Of Helsinki Vampires” on November 1, 2013. The compilation also includes their brand new single “Lost Without Love.”
In 2016 on the 22th of May The 69 Eyes released their 11th studio album called Universal Monsters containing 11 tracks.
Wasting The Dawn
The 69 Eyes Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
So long from the day
Into the strange night of stone
To fade away
As the light is gently
Bleeding out of my soul
Penetrating the evening
As I ride
But you can't turn back the time
It always gonna wait on the line
Some may wish never to be born
Wasting the dawn
Like a rose growing from the Christ's thorn
Wasting the dawn
Been waiting for you for so long
Little bird of prey
To fly me higher
To the brighter day
Where the lizard lingers long
Under the sun
Forgetting the night
Darkest July
Paris '71
But you can't turn back the time
It always gonna wait on the line
Some may wish never to be born
Wasting the dawn
Like a rose growing from the Christ's thorn
Wasting the dawn
Some may wish never to be born
Wasting the dawn
Like a rose growing from the Christ's thorn
Wasting the dawn
Some may wish never to be born
Wasting the dawn
Like a rose growing from the Christ's thorn
Wasting the dawn
Some may wish never to be born
Wasting the dawn
Like a rose growing from the Christ's thorn
Wasting the dawn
Some may wish never to be born
Wasting the dawn
Like a rose growing from the Christ's thorn
Wasting the dawn
Some may wish never to be born
Wasting the dawn
Like a rose growing from the Christ's thorn
They're all gonna waste the dawn
The song's lyrics reflect a sense of longing for something beyond the present. The singer feels stuck in a rut, running away from their problems for so long that they have lost sight of the light. They are riding on an endless road, hoping that they will eventually find something that will take them to a brighter future. The singer refers to a little bird of prey that they have been waiting for, which they hope will carry them to a better tomorrow. The bird is a symbol of hope, a reminder that there is always something to strive for, even when everything seems lost. The lyrics suggest that despite our struggles, we cannot change the past, but we have to keep moving forward in search of a better future.
The chorus "Some may wish never to be born, wasting the dawn, like a rose growing from the Christ's thorn" is a powerful image from the singer's perspective. The line reflects the idea of wasted potential, and people who are stuck in life, doing nothing to change it for the better. The 'Christ's thorn' imply a contradiction of hope and possibility from seemingly impossible circumstances, using the metaphor of something beautiful growing despite the prickly thorns.
Line by Line Meaning
Been running away
I have been avoiding facing reality
So long from the day
This has been going on for a significant amount of time
Into the strange night of stone
I have plunged into the unknown and the uncertain
To fade away
I am trying to disappear or escape
As the light is gently
As my hope and vitality slowly diminish
Bleeding out of my soul
I am losing something deep from within me
Penetrating the evening
This feeling is spreading through me as the night falls
As I ride
As I journey through life
On this endless road
This path seems to have no end and no destination
But you can't turn back the time
It is impossible to reverse or change what has already happened
It always gonna wait on the line
Time always marches on no matter what
Some may wish never to be born
Some people may regret ever coming into existence
Wasting the dawn
This regret may lead them to waste their lives away
Like a rose growing from the Christ's thorn
This wasted life is analogous to something beautiful sprouting from something painful
Been waiting for you for so long
I have been longing for something or someone for a very long time
Little bird of prey
This person or thing may be small and unassuming, but has a powerful effect
To fly me higher
To lift me up and bring me to a better place
To the brighter day
To a future that looks promising and full of hope
Where the lizard lingers long
In a place where time seems to stand still
Under the sun
In a place where it is bright and warm
Forgetting the night
Freeing oneself from the past and moving forward
Darkest July
A time of great sorrow and darkness
Paris '71
A specific time and place that holds significance
They're all gonna waste the dawn
Ultimately, everyone will die and some may regret how they spent their time
Contributed by Adeline V. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@XTC-_-Psychx
Been runnin' away
so long from the day
Into the strange night of stone
To fade away
As the light is gently
Bleedin' out of my soul
Penetratin' the evening
As I ride
On this endless road
But you can't turn back the time
It always gonna wait on the line
Some may wish never to be born
Wastin' the dawn
Like a rose growin' from the Christ's thorn
Wastin' the dawn
Been waitin' for you for so long
Little bird of prey
To fly me higher
To the brighter day
Where the Lizard lingers long
Under the sun
Forgettin' the night
Darkest July
Paris '71
@AndreasConstantinouandreaslaws
Been waitin' for you for so long
Little bird of prey
To fly me higher
To the brighter day
Where the Lizard lingers long
-----> Jim Morrison aka The Lizard KingUnder the sun
Forgettin' the night
Darkest July
Paris '71...->( the day Jim Morrison found dead 3/7/71 R.I.P. ) !!!
@DemonArshan
Being a Goth this song holds a special place in my heart.
@georgecostantin8787
What to say my Finland freinds, wasting the down:) Again:) Yeah I will never to with to be born but then, my Finland:) But yes, my Finland:) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E01Ew7mJmx0
@Senythril
same here its still my favorite song from them.
@sarahwatkins4520
I agree. This song was love at first listen for me ❤
@johnnnyh
I'm 36 year male from Finland and still wasting the dawn, like 20 years ago. Still metal and winter all the way, don't ever grow up people. It's much more fun this way
@wubzy2747
Hello am 48 year man from somalia. Sorry for my bed england. I selled my wife for internet connection for play "conter stirk" and i want to become the goodest player like you I play with 400 ping on brazil server and i am Global elite 2. pls no copy pasterino my story.
@phat80
I'm 38 year old male from Russia and I'm very dissapointed that I can't visit Finland any more... beautiful country with beutiful nature, people and the best metal bands.
@user-vs5fl8kv3z
Hi, im 32 years old female from Russia. Song makes me cry about my gothic sixteen. Such an amazing band
@pelopidasalexis6943
Hello people and Greetings from Greece! 30 years old still wasting the dawn
@Sanguine_Addiction
41 male from the U.S. First heard this song back in '99 and still sounds amazing 22 years later!