The band's 2003 album Up All Night reached the top five of the Australian Albums Chart, it achieved double platinum status and won four ARIA Awards in October. Two further top five albums were issued, Sun Dirt Water in 2007 and Temptation in 2011. The Waifs have three top fifty singles, "London Still" (2002), "Bridal Train" (2004) and "Sun Dirt Water". The band supported Bob Dylan on his 2003 Australian tour and then his 2003 North American tour, including a gig at the Newport Folk Festival.
The Waifs founded the independent label Jarrah Records in July 2002, co-owned with fellow musician John Butler, and their common manager Phil Stevens, which handles their Australian releases.
I Believe
The Waifs Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I thought I had my life together
Ain't it funny how some things change
For it is today I feel uncertain
About my whole world
All once familiar is now strange
I've become so dependant on
I'm rejecting all I believed
I'm so open minded
That it leaves me undecided
Now I'm forever caught between
Two extremes I believe
I found some time
To get away on my own
I came to a place where
Nobody knows my name
With the hope it would help me
See things clearer
It has for now I realize
That it was nothing but
A planned escape I believe
The Waifs's song "I Believe" captures the universal experience of feeling uncertain and being caught between opposing beliefs or ideologies. The lyrics suggest that the singer had once thought that they had life figured out but now they realize that familiar things have become strange and they are unsure about their whole world. They admit to becoming dependent on things that they once rejected, indicating a shift in their perspective. The lyrics go on to suggest that the singer is rejecting all that they believed before and, in a quest for open-mindedness, they become undecided about everything. This uncertainty has left them caught between two extremes, neither of which seems to fit anymore.
The second half of the song describes the singer's attempt to escape this confusion by getting away to a place where nobody knows their name. However, they realize that this escape was nothing more than a planned escape because, in the end, they have not found any clarity. The song presents a complex and relatable idea that many people experience at some point in their lives, of being caught between opposing beliefs and trying to find a way forward. Overall, the song suggests that it is essential to be open-minded and willing to question our beliefs.
Line by Line Meaning
Seems like only yesterday
Looking back to the past, it appears as though very little time has passed.
I thought I had my life together
At one point in time, the singer felt in control of their life.
Ain't it funny how some things change
It's strange how life can take unexpected turns.
For it is today I feel uncertain
Currently, the artist is experiencing doubt and lack of confidence in themselves.
About my whole world
The artist is unsure of the world and their place in it.
All once familiar is now strange
The singer no longer recognizes or feels comfortable in their surroundings.
I've become so dependant on
The singer has developed a reliance on something or someone.
Those things that I once rejected
What the artist once refused, they now accept.
I'm rejecting all I believed
The artist is letting go of their past beliefs and opinions.
I'm so open minded
The artist is willing to consider all possibilities without prejudice.
That it leaves me undecided
The singer's open-mindedness has left them with uncertainty and indecisiveness.
Now I'm forever caught between
The artist is stuck between two opposing choices.
Two extremes I believe
These two opposing choices represent opposite ends of the spectrum of what the singer believes.
I found some time
The singer made time for something important.
To get away on my own
The singer went somewhere without anyone else.
I came to a place where
The artist went somewhere specific.
Nobody knows my name
The artist went somewhere where they are anonymous.
With the hope it would help me
The singer went with the intention of gaining insight and clarity.
See things clearer
The singer wanted to achieve a clear understanding of their thoughts and emotions.
It has for now I realize
The plan was successful at least for the time being.
That it was nothing but
The artist now sees that their escape was not as significant as they once thought.
A planned escape I believe
The artist acknowledges that their trip was premeditated and had an intended purpose.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: COLIN N SIMPSON, MICHAEL BENJAMIN ALBERT
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind