In 2013, pop punk sweethearts The Dollyrots reproduced. But their new baby didn’t slow them down: they just brought him on tour. Thus the title of their upcoming live CD/DVD, Family Vacation: Live in the Los Angeles.
Released on March 11, 2016, Family Vacation is a concert film with a companion live album that captures The Dollyrots on their 2015 summer tour with long-time roadmates Bowling For Soup. It’s 40 minutes of pure rock frenzy, harnessed by filmmaker Ian MacLeod and delivered as both a video/audio download and deluxe double disc set.
The term “family” not only describes singer/bassist Kelly Ogden, guitarist Luis Cabezas, and their baby River, but also the extended family of Dollyrots fans, who supported the creation of this live CD/DVD by crowdfunding it on PledgeMusic. Those who contributed to the project received the film and album weeks before the public street date, and were also privy to some special extras, including a bonus studio EP and exclusive memorabilia. As Kelly puts it, “There are a lot of fans who might never get out to a Dollyrots show in the flesh, so we did our best to bring the experience to them. The only things missing are the ringing ears and sweaty hugs…but other than that I think we nailed it!”
Since their formation 15 years ago, The Dollyrtos have played over a thousand shows and released five studio albums, but Family Vacation is their first ever official live record. After releasing material on both Lookout! Records and Joan Jett’s Blackheart Records, the band decided to go completely independent for their last few releases, and 2014’s Barefoot and Pregnant (released through the band’s own label, Arrested Youth Records) enjoyed a #7 debut on Billboard’s Heatseekers Chart. They hope their fans will similarly embrace Family Vacation, which comes on the heels of multiple US tours in 2015 and a three-week tour of the United Kingdom with Bowling For Soup this past February.
Screaming, staying up all night, and vomiting everywhere: Family Vacation shows that punk rock and parenting aren’t so different after all. And it stands as proof that just because you grow up doesn’t mean you have to stop being awesome.
Goodnight Tonight
The Dollyrots Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Tonight, sleepy I'm fading
Tonight, wishing a shooting star
Tonight, I'm wishing for you
Holding me sweetly
Cozy completely
Sweaty like babies sleep,
Tonight, my heart you are stealing
Tonight, nervous with feeling
Tonight, innocent side by side
Tonight, I'm dreaming with you
Holding me sweetly
Cozy completely
Sweaty like babies sleep,
Tonight, tonight with you
Tonight, my darling I'm waiting
Tonight, sleepy I'm fading
Tonight, wished on a shooting star
Tonight, I'm wishing with you
Holding me sweetly
Cozy completely
Sweaty like babies sleep,
Tonight, tonight with you
The Dollyrots's song Goodnight Tonight expresses the sentiment of being completely wrapped up in the arms of a loved one. The lyrics are a beautiful tribute to the power of love in numbing the senses of anything else except the person you love. In the first two lines, the singer talks about waiting for her lover, who she seems to be completely in awe of, and with whom she is gradually falling asleep, holding on to every precious moment with him. The singer then talks about wishing on a shooting star, perhaps a symbol of her deepest desires that might come true as long as she is with the love of her life.
The second stanza talks about how the singer's lover is stealing her heart and making her nervous with his presence. The two of them, still so innocent, are dreaming side by side, wrapped up in each other's arms. The repetition of "holding me sweetly, cozy completely, sweaty like babies sleep" reinforces the fact that the two are so in love that they don't care about anything else. They are completely comfortable with each other, and nothing else matters besides their presence in each other's arms.
In conclusion, Goodnight Tonight by The Dollyrots is a beautiful ode to the transformative power of love, and the act of feeling completely wrapped up in the arms of someone you love. It captures the essence of what it feels like to be completely lost in love, where nothing else matters except the person holding you.
Line by Line Meaning
Tonight, my darling I'm waiting
I'm eagerly waiting for you tonight, my beloved
Tonight, sleepy I'm fading
I'm slowly drifting off to sleep tonight, feeling exhausted
Tonight, wishing a shooting star
I'm hoping to see a shooting star tonight and make a wish
Tonight, I'm wishing for you
Tonight, I only wish to be with you
Holding me sweetly
You hold me tenderly and lovingly
Cozy completely
I'm feeling warm and comfortable in your embrace
Sweaty like babies sleep,
We're sweating in our sleep, like babies do when they're held close
Tonight, my heart you are stealing
Tonight, you're capturing my heart and making it yours
Tonight, nervous with feeling
Tonight, I'm feeling anxious and excited at the same time
Tonight, innocent side by side
Tonight, we're being innocent with each other's company
Tonight, I'm dreaming with you
Tonight, I'm dreaming of a future with you
Tonight, my darling with you
Tonight, my beloved, I'm spending it with you
Tonight, wished on a shooting star
I made a wish on a shooting star tonight, hoping it'll come true
Tonight, tonight with you
Tonight, I'm spending it with the person I love
Contributed by Cole E. Suggest a correction in the comments below.