The Wake released their first single on their own Scan 45 label, coupling together On Our Honeymoon and Give Up. This single eventually caught the attention of New Order manager Rob Gretton, who helped the band sign to Factory Records in 1982 and record an LP (Harmony) at Strawberry Studio in Stockport. This was followed by a number of singles on Factory and its French sister label Factory Benelux. In 1983, The Wake toured with New Order, and thus received critical attention but were often unfavourably compared to their more celebrated labelmates. Gillespie was asked to leave in 1983, subsequently playing drums with The Jesus and Mary Chain and achieving fame with his own band Primal Scream. Alexander ‘Mac’ Macpherson replaced Gillespie in 1983. That same year the band recorded a session on John Peel’s BBC program. The band toured extensively and scored an indie hit with their 1984 single “Talk About the Past” which featured Vini Reilly of Durutti Column on piano. The recording and release of their seminal 1985 album Here Comes Everybody marked the apex of their career. Further releases were few and far between: one more single “Of the Matter” emerged in 1985 before their last release for Factory, a 4-track EP entitled “Something That No One Else Could Bring” finally appeared in 1987.
In 1988, disillusioned with the lack of proper promotion and indeed apathy from Factory Records, The Wake left the label and signed to Bristol’s legendary Sarah Records, releasing two singles and two LPs, the last being 1994’s Tidal Wave of Hype By this point, once again down to a three piece featuring Caesar, Carolyn and Steven, they also shared personnel with another Glasgow-based band on Sarah, The Orchids, with whom they had also played a few live gigs. When Sarah shut down in 1995, The Wake effectively dissolved.
There are other two bands with the same name. An American goth band and a Finnish death metal band.
2. The Wake (U.S.) ---- NOTE: The following Description is quoted in its entirety from The Wake's Official Facebook Page: http://www.facebook.com/thewake#!/thewake?v=info
"Formed in 1986 by vocalist Troy Payne and guitarist Richard Witherspoon in unlikely Columbus, Ohio USA – The Wake made its’ first studio recording “Procession” using session musicians on drums and bass in 1987. Bassist James Tramel and electronic drummer Scott Rozanski were recruited later the same year. This lineup quickly recorded first versions of tracks like: “Burial”, “Shelia”, and “Locomotive Age”, creating a rough template for what would become The Wake’s signature sound.
Acoustic drummer Daniel C. replaced Rozanski early in 1989. Driven forward by Daniel’s acoustic drum sound, the band moved substantially towards the rock and roll end of the sonic spectrum. Hoping to add yet another dimension to their sound, keyboardist Robert Brothers was added to the mix in 1990.
In a move to gain exposure, the band started Blaylox Records. Named after the band’s mascot cat, the label proved to be the perfect outlet for the band’s creativity, and a vehicle for spreading the band’s sound far and wide. Bolstered by the sales of the their demo cassette - The Wake burst on to the NYC goth club scene with their 7” vinyl single “Harlot” in 1990.
Following on the success of “Harlot”, the band released a second 7” - “Sideshow” on the Blaylox Records label in 1992. The combination of the popularity of these two singles, and the moxie of an influential NYC DJ, led to the band signing with Cleopatra Records in 1993. Considered by many fans of Gothic rock as a “landmark record”, The Wake’s debut album “Masked” was released in October 1993.
After the completion of the “Masked” tour, the band parted ways with bass player James Tramel. New bassist Steven Creighton was brought into the fold before the release of the “Christine EP” in 1995. The EP had a decidedly industrial/dance flavor, thanks in part to the re-mixes supplied by Rosetta Stone. The single “Christine” (mixed by The Wake and Zane Eric Brown) broke onto the top ten of Alternative Press’s Dance Club charts where it remained for months. Also in ‘95, the still popular “Christine” video was filmed in and around Mexico City during the tour supporting the EP.
In 1996, The Wake joined forces with former Ministry engineer “Fluffy” on their third CD – “Nine Ways”.
Recorded and mixed at both Chicago Trax, and the Chicago Recording Company, “Nine Ways” was the last record the band would release on Cleopatra.
Just before the release of “Nine Ways”, guitarist and co-founder Rich Witherspoon left the band and former MCA recording artist Mark Gamiere was enlisted to take over at guitar. Though no studio recordings were made with this lineup, Gamiere provided live tour support from 1996 to 2000. Other lineup changes include the late J.T. Murphy replacing Steven Creighton on bass in 1998. The band turned bass playing duty over to a hard-disk recorder in 1999 before giving way to an extended hiatus in 2000.
Fast forward to 2008: The Wake surprise fans with “BLACKlist” - a “best of” compilation DVD with bonus un-released material, rare tracks and video. The band also confirms rumors that the full 1993 lineup has reunited and is working on new material.
To date, The Wake has been featured on thirty plus compilations world-wide. In addition, the band has amassed an impressive and diverse list of opening dates with bands such as NIN, Skinny Puppy, Christian Death, Innocence Mission, Alien Sex Fiend, And Also the Trees, and Shadow Project - touring extensively in the US and playing dates in Europe and Mexico.
Turning the page and starting a new chapter in their storied career – 2010 promises fans of The Wake the debut of a highly anticipated new single. Due out in the spring, “Emily Closer” was mastered by the legendary Howie Weinberg at Masterdisk." --- quoted entirely from: The Wake, http://www.facebook.com/thewake#!/thewake?v=info
3. A Finnish metal band who formed in 1998 in Karjaa. Their style is the melodic death metal style normally associated with Swedish metal bands. Their 2 albums have been released on Spinefarm Records.
4. There was a UK band of the same name in existence prior to any of the above. The Wake issued a single entitled “Linda” back in 1971 which got a reasonable amount of radio airplay at the time, although it never entered the singles chart.
Melancholy Man
The Wake Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
When all is said and done
It's just the way I am
The sun is blazing as I wander into town
A long grey overcoat which trails along the ground
And when I'm walking past the children in the park
They stop their games, they shout my name
And run behind my back
But sometimes they must look away
Or so it seems to me
I think I'll always be a melancholy man
I know when all is said and done
It's just the way I am
But if you have the time
Please listen while you can
Does anybody understand?
I'll always be a melancholy man
The sky is blue today
Here in your nowhere land
And how are you today, my melancholy man?
You saw us looking through a window of a bus
We smiled at you but you didn't smile at us
And when you're old and grey
Your days are at an end
You'll wish that you had someone who
You could call a friend
Yet only I can see how happy you can be
Oh, sometimes they must look away
Or so it seems to me
I think I'll always be a melancholy man
I know when all is said and done
It's just the way I am
But if you have the time
Please listen while you can
Does anybody understand?
I'll always be a melancholy man
When all is said and done, my melancholy man
The sky is blue today, my melancholy man
"And when no hope was left in sight
On that starry, starry night
You took your life as lovers often do
But I could have told you, Vincent
This world was never meant for one as beautiful as you"
As beautiful as you, my melancholy man
The lyrics to The Wake's song Melancholy Man speak to the experience of feeling trapped in one's own emotions, no matter how much others may try to understand or break through. The singer is labeled a "melancholy man" by others, and while he acknowledges this, he also insists that it's simply "the way I am." The lyrics paint a vivid picture of this man as he walks through town, wearing a long grey overcoat that trails along the ground. When he passes children in the park, they stop their games and run behind his back, seemingly to avoid looking at him. It's clear that the singer longs for connection and understanding, but also feels resigned to always being a figure of sadness.
The melancholy man in the song is not alone, however. The lyrics suggest that the singer and others are watching him, perhaps from a distance. They smile at him, but he doesn't smile back. They wonder if he understands that he could be happy if he were to open himself up to people who care about him. This theme of missed connections and miscommunications is underscored by the final lines of the song, a quote from Don McLean's song "Vincent." The quote implies that the melancholy man may have even taken his own life, a tragic end that could have been prevented if only he had found someone who understood and appreciated him.
Line by Line Meaning
Some people say that I'm a melancholy man
I'm often termed as sad and gloomy by people.
When all is said and done
It's just the way I am
Despite what people might think or say, I'm inherently this way.
The sun is blazing as I wander into town
A long grey overcoat which trails along the ground
I walk into the town on a sunny day, wearing a long grey coat.
And when I'm walking past the children in the park
They stop their games, they shout my name
And run behind my back
When I'm walking past the children in the park, they get excited and call out my name and follow me as I walk.
If only they could see how happy I can be
But sometimes they must look away
Or so it seems to me
The children might not be aware that I can be happy. But when they do look away, it feels like they're avoiding me.
I think I'll always be a melancholy man
I know when all is said and done
It's just the way I am
I think I'll always be gloomy and sad despite everything that's said and done.
But if you have the time
Please listen while you can
Does anybody understand?
I'll always be a melancholy man
If anybody is willing to listen, I'd like them to understand that I'll always be a sad person.
The sky is blue today
Here in your nowhere land
And how are you today, my melancholy man?
The sky is blue today, where you are. How are you, my sad friend?
You saw us looking through a window of a bus
We smiled at you but you didn't smile at us
We saw you from the bus and smiled at you, but you didn't smile back at us.
And when you're old and grey
Your days are at an end
You'll wish that you had someone who
You could call a friend
When you're old and about to die, you'll wish you had someone who you could call a friend.
Yet only I can see how happy you can be
Oh, sometimes they must look away
Or so it seems to me
Only I can see that there's a possibility that you can be happy. Often, it seems like people avoid you.
When all is said and done, my melancholy man
The sky is blue today, my melancholy man
"And when no hope was left in sight
On that starry, starry night
You took your life as lovers often do
But I could have told you, Vincent
This world was never meant for one as beautiful as you"
As beautiful as you, my melancholy man
In the end, despite it all, you're still my sad and depressed friend. The world was never meant for someone as beautiful as you.
Contributed by Cameron I. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@cyrus0816
(Verse 1)
Some people say that I'm a melancholy man
When all is said and done
It's just the way I am
The sun is blazing as I wander into town
A long grey overcoat which trails along the ground
And when I'm walking past the children in the park
They stop their games, they shout my name
And run behind my back
If only they could see how happy I can be
But sometimes they must look away
Or so it seems to me
I think I'll always be a melancholy man
I know when all is said and done
It's just the way I am
But if you have the time
Please listen while you can
Does anybody understand?
I'll always be a melancholy man
(Instrumental Chorus)
(Verse 2)
The sky is blue today
Here in your nowhere land
And how are you today, my melancholy man?
You saw us looking through a window of a bus
We smiled at you but you didn't smile at us
And when you're old and grey
Your days are at an end
You'll wish that you had someone who
You could call a friend
Yet only I can see how happy you can be
Oh, sometimes they must look away
Or so it seems to me
I think I'll always be a melancholy man
I know when all is said and done
It's just the way I am
But if you have the time
Please listen while you can
Does anybody understand?
I'll always be a melancholy man
(Chorus)
When all is said and done, my melancholy man
The sky is blue today, my melancholy man
"And when no hope was left in sight
On that starry, starry night
You took your life as lovers often do
But I could have told you, Vincent
This world was never meant for one as beautiful as you"
As beautiful as you, my melancholy man
@spiritualvigilante5278
But when the melancholy fit shall fall
Sudden from heaven like a weeping cloud,
That fosters the droop-headed flowers all,
And hides the green hill in an April shroud;
Then glut thy sorrow on a morning rose,
Or on the rainbow of the salt sand-wave,
Or on the wealth of globed peonies;
Or if thy mistress some rich anger shows,
Emprison her soft hand, and let her rave,
And feed deep, deep upon her peerless eyes.
--K E A T S
@K1Nd0m
this song speaks volumes to me, as I've been a melancholy man half my life. the synth really adds more of a nostalgic feeling to it too, so it makes me feel comfort and young again. its a good song to contemplate and smoke too alone in the dark. thank you, The Wake
@ianthomas2010
New to me at 64 years young. Lush music, I love it
@pashedmotatos
I’m half your age - 32. Lucky me.
@kendog84bsc
"But if you have the time, please listen while you can.
Does anybody understand?
I'll always be a melancholy man."
"But I could have told you, Vincent.
This world was never meant for one as beautiful as you."
I will forever appreciate these lyrics. Thank you, the Wake and Don McLean.
@izmarkhan704
Nice to see that Alexis Sanchez wrote something great indie tunes before his footballing career.
@thekidneedsjuice3785
🪦
@kevynlemoing8208
😭
@st.germain7917
Alexis Sanchez never played in this band!!!
@Despair505
Melancholic music for melancholic people
@HallowedHalls
But would you have it any other way?