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.
RescuE
The Waifs Lyrics
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And you're tired of traveling
When you got nowhere to call your own
You know my place can be your home
To the rescue here I come
To the rescue here I come
With my big attitude and my broken heart
Poison my only friend
And my drinking addiction
To the rescue there you were
To my rescue there you were
Now we're both out there floating around
I still got to space but you're on the ground
You're in my heart you're in my head
Right now we don't need no rescuing
To the rescue I'll never let you fall
To my rescue you've been on call
The Waifs's song "Rescue" can be interpreted as a heartfelt promise of support and comfort that the singer offers to a friend who is going through a tough time. The opening lines of the first verse seem to be addressed to someone who is tired and without a place to call home. The singer offers their own home as a refuge for their weary friend. The chorus then follows with the repeated phrase "To the rescue here I come," reaffirming the singer's commitment to being there for their friend whenever they need them.
The second verse reveals that the singer has also been through struggles of their own. They were once out there "playing hard" with a "big attitude" and a "broken heart." But instead of finding solace in healthy ways, the singer turned to poison and addiction to cope. It is implied that the friend they are singing to saved them from this darkness and brought them back to a better place.
The final verse speaks of how the two friends are now both still struggling in their own ways, but they don't need rescuing anymore because they have each other. The singer promises to never let their friend fall, just as their friend was once there for them. The song overall conveys a deep sense of loyalty, gratitude, and compassion between two people who have supported each other through difficult times.
Line by Line Meaning
When your boots are well worn in
When you've been traveling for so long that your boots are well used
And you're tired of traveling
And you're exhausted after all the traveling
When you got nowhere to call your own
When you have nowhere to settle down and call it your home
You know my place can be your home
You can always stay with me because my home is your home
To the rescue here I come
I'm here to save the day
To the rescue here I come
I'm here to save the day
When I was out there playing hard
When I was out there living life to the fullest
With my big attitude and my broken heart
With my confidence and my broken heart
Poison my only friend
Alcohol was the only thing that kept me company
And my drinking addiction
And my dependence on alcohol
To the rescue there you were
You came to rescue me from the darkness of my life
To my rescue there you were
You saved me from my troubles
Now we're both out there floating around
Now we're both out there living our lives
I still got to space but you're on the ground
I'm still floating around in life, while you're more grounded
You're in my heart you're in my head
You're always on my mind and in my heart
Right now we don't need no rescuing
We don't need any help or rescuing at the moment
To the rescue I'll never let you fall
I'll always be there to support you and catch you if you fall
To my rescue you've been on call
You've always been there for me, ready to save me whenever I need it
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