They prefer the sound of vintage musical instruments, particularly the upright piano, and have often recorded at Marcata Recording, a recording studio built in Harlem in 1999 by the three former members of Jonathan Fire*Eater and later relocated to upstate New York.
Each of the members of The Walkmen grew up in and around the Washington, D.C. area, played in many of the same bands from early in their careers, and even attended the same Washington-area high school. The bandmates eventually moved to Harlem and became a part of the burgeoning New York City rock scene.
The band was formed in 2000 following the breakup of two separate bands: Jonathan Fire*Eater, whose members included Martin, Maroon and Barrick, and The Recoys, whose members included Leithauser and Bauer. The three members from Jonathan Fire*Eater, which had recorded for Dreamworks Records, had money left over from that past recording contract and used the remaining funds to construct a rehearsal space in uptown New York. The rehearsal space featured a 24-track recording studio and was dubbed Marcata Studios.
The newly-formed band, who wished to distance themselves from the garage rock sounds of previous bands, released a self-titled EP of songs in 2001 on Startime International, a small Brooklyn-based record label.[4] Shortly after release of the EP, which featured an eccentric blend of upright pianos and other vintage instruments, The Walkmen made their official live debut with a performance at Joe's Pub in the East Village.
The 2002 debut album Everyone Who Pretended to Like Me Is Gone, released by Startime, was well received by critics. The album was noted for its innovative approach to atmosphere and instrumentation, with sparse bass and drums complemented by plinking piano, jangly guitars and Leithauser's unique vocal stylings. Two of the songs on the album, "The Blizzard of '96" and "That's the Punchline," were adaptations of tracks meant for The Recoys' unreleased full-length album.
In The New Year
The Walkmen Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
At the old address
And I'm waiting on the weather
That I know will pass
I know that it's true
It's gonna be a good year
Out of the darkness
I tell you I love you
And my heart's in the strangest place
That's how it started
And that's how it ends
Well, I know you're with me
It's a point of pride
And it's louder than lightning
In this room of mine
Oh, I'm just like you
I never hear the bad news
And I never will
We won by a landslide
Our troubles are over
My sisters are married to all of my friends
Yeah, that's how it started
You took your sweet time
And I waited by without complaint
'Til all the pipe dreams made me insane
So it's all over
It's all over anyhow
You took your sweet time
Finally, I opened my eyes
My friends and my family
They all ask me one thing
"How long will you ramble?"
"How long will you stay with me?"
The snow is still falling
I'm almost home
I'll see you in the new year
The Walkmen's "In The New Year" is a song about the hope that the new year brings. The singer seems to be waiting for something to happen and is tired of waiting at the old address. The expectations about the new year are high, but the singer knows that good things will come. Hence, the song is about making resolutions, accepting what has gone by, and looking forward to the future with hope.
The song speaks of the idea that even during the darkest times, there is hope. The singer, in the beginning, is waiting for the weather to pass, but he also knows that it will pass, and he can move forward. The chorus speaks of the new year and how it will be good. The singer accepts that there have been difficult times in the past but believes that there will be a better future ahead.
Further, the song highlights the importance of love and loyalty in difficult times. The singer knows that his loved one is with him, and he is proud of it. They have won by a landslide, and everything will be alright. The singer is content in his situation and does not want to hear bad news. The song looks forward to a peaceful future where everything is alright, and the family is together.
Overall, the song is optimistic and uplifting. It is about a new beginning and the belief that good things are to come. The singer has hope despite the challenges, and he believes that everything will work out in the end.
Line by Line Meaning
Oh, I'm still living
I'm still alive, but not in the best place
At the old address
I'm still living in the same place I've been in for a while
And I'm waiting on the weather
I'm waiting for something to change
That I know will pass
I know that things will get better
I know that it's true
I believe that things will improve
It's gonna be a good year
I believe that the coming year will be better than the last
Out of the darkness
Leaving the bad times behind
And into the fire
Embracing the new challenges that come with change
I tell you I love you
I express my emotions boldly
And my heart's in the strangest place
I have mixed emotions and I am uncertain of what I feel
That's how it started
This is how the relationship began
And that's how it ends
This is how it will end
Well, I know you're with me
I know that you are supporting me
It's a point of pride
I feel proud to have your support
And it's louder than lightning
Your support is strong and echoing
In this room of mine
In my personal space
Oh, I'm just like you
I'm just like everyone else
I never hear the bad news
I choose to ignore the negativity
And I never will
I plan to continue focusing on the positives
We won by a landslide
We succeeded greatly
Our troubles are over
We have overcome our challenges
My sisters are married to all of my friends
My family and friends are closely intertwined
Yeah, that's how it started
That's how our relationships began
You took your sweet time
You were slow to act
And I waited by without complaint
I waited patiently for you
'Til all the pipe dreams made me insane
I waited for too long that it drove me crazy
So it's all over
It's time to move on
It's all over anyhow
There's nothing left to hold onto
Finally, I opened my eyes
I came to a realization
My friends and my family
The people I care about the most
They all ask me one thing
They all have one question for me
"How long will you ramble?"
How long will you wander without direction?
"How long will you stay with me?"
How long until you move on?
The snow is still falling
It's still the same, nothing has changed
I'm almost home
I'm close to finding what I'm looking for
I'll see you in the new year
I'll start fresh with you when the new year comes
Lyrics © WORDS & MUSIC A DIV OF BIG DEAL MUSIC LLC
Written by: MATT BARRICK, PETER BAUER, HAMILTON LEITHAUSER, WALTER MARTIN, PAUL MAROON, MATTHEW FREDERICK BARRICK, PETER M. BAUER, JAMES HAMILTON LEITHAUSER, PAUL C. MAROON, WALTER R. MARTIN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@ohsnap5628
Lyrics:
Oh, I'm still living
At the old address
And I'm waiting on the weather
That I know will pass
I know that it's true
It's gonna be a good year
Out of the darkness
And into the fire
I tell you I love you
And my heart's in the strangest place
That's how it started
And that's how it ends
Well I know you're with me
It's a point of pride
And it's louder than lightning
In this room of mine
Oh, I'm just like you
I never hear the bad news
And I never will
We won by a landslide
Our troubles are over
My sisters are married to all of my friends
Yeah, that's how it started
You took your sweet time
And I waited by without complaint
Til all the pipe dreams made me insane
So it's all over
It's all over anyhow
You took your sweet time
Finally, I opened my eyes
My friends and my family
They are asking of me:
"How long will you ramble?
"How long did you say it would be?"
Snow is still falling
I'm almost home
I'll see you in the new year
@KatAdVictoriam
If you're reading this, Happy New Year 2024! 🎉
You've made it through whatever hurt you, or maybe you had the best year and you have much to be grateful for. This year, I hope everyone has plenty of joy, contentment and good health.
@KatAdVictoriam
I always listen to this song on NYE. Happy 2023 everyone! May it be a good one to everyone.
@erikrickel7180
Me too! 😊🎶
@moraleewright1107
It's NYE! 2024 is going to be a BLUE year!
@calvinrivera49
"out of the darkness,
and into the fire,
I'll tell you, i love you"
@Lemang01
It's new year's eve again. Time to listen to it again. Happy 2023 to everyone!
@user-im7hn8zw2h
one of the best and most underrated bands... great work ! sound, lyrics, vocals, video
@marcinszpol
Incredible song
@Lndegenerate
It's gonna be a good year. .
@kushclarkkent6669
The best. :)