The Walkmen is an American indie rock band, with members based in New York … Read Full Bio ↴The Walkmen is an American indie rock band, with members based in New York City and Philadelphia. The band formed in 2000 with three members from Jonathan Fire*Eater—Paul Maroon (guitar, piano), Walter Martin (organ/bass), and Matt Barrick (drums)—and two from The Recoys, Peter Matthew Bauer (bass/organ) and Hamilton Leithauser (vocals, guitar). All but Bauer attended St. Albans in Washington, D.C. The band are currently on hiatus, with Leithauser, Bauer and Martin all pursuing solo careers, and Barrick joining Fleet Foxes in a touring and session capacity

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.

Postcards From Tiny Islands
The Walkmen Lyrics

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Many nights, dwindle by
Midnight moon's on the rise
My heavy head's gone light
So, I'll go home and sleep tonight

I'm walking tonight about as far as I can go
I listen to that song by the Moon-glows

Here's to you and the stars above
The half-moon in your pretty eyes
And here's to you and the setting sun
The barmen and their sorry songs

I'll be drunk before too long
And I'll keep up this sappy talk
This letter does it all
It's too much to enclose
These postcards from tiny islands
Do more than you know

So here's to you and the ground below
The glass ball in the empty sky
I'm walking tonight about as far as I can go
The marble (were stone in me?)
The midnight moon is up
This letter does it all
It's too much to enclose
I feel so easy now
Everything is working out

Oh, holidays are flying by

Overall Meaning

The Walkmen's "Postcards from Tiny Islands" is a haunting ballad that captures the essence of walking through desolate streets in the late hours of the night. The lyrics paint a picture of a lonely soul walking aimlessly through the streets, taking in the moonlight and the surroundings. The opening lines "Many nights dwindle by, midnight moon's on the rise" describes the passage of time as he walks, and how the moonlight becomes more prominent as the night goes on. As he walks, he listens to a song by the Moon-glows, which provides the perfect accompaniment to his melancholy mood.

As the song progresses, the lyrics shift to a reflective tone, as the singer acknowledges the beauty of the world around him. He raises a toast to the stars, the half-moon, and the setting sun, recognizing the transient nature of the world we live in. However, he ultimately ends up in a bar, drinking and rambling, unable to fully express his emotions. The postcards he sends out to those he cares about are a way for him to communicate, but they never quite capture what he's feeling.

Overall, "Postcards from Tiny Islands" is a poignant song that captures the essence of loneliness and longing. The lyrics and melody are haunting, and they paint a vivid image of the singer's journey through the night.

Line by Line Meaning

Many nights, dwindle by
I've spent many nights wandering aimlessly without purpose, and they all seem to blend together in my memory.

Midnight moon's on the rise
The moon is slowly making its way higher into the sky as the night progresses.

My heavy head's gone light
The burden on my mind has been lifted and I finally feel a sense of relief.

So, I'll go home and sleep tonight
I've decided to call it a night and head back to my place to get some rest.

I'm walking tonight about as far as I can go
I'm taking a long walk, perhaps to clear my head or find some solace.

I listen to that song by the Moon-glows
I'm listening to a particular song by a group called the Moon-glows, which brings me comfort.

Here's to you and the stars above
I'm grateful for you and the beauty of the night sky.

The half-moon in your pretty eyes
I see a reflection of the half-moon in your eyes and it only adds to your beauty.

And here's to you and the setting sun
I'm also grateful for the setting sun and the end of another day.

The barmen and their sorry songs
I'm at a bar, listening to the sad songs played by the bartenders, perhaps to match my melancholic mood.

I'll be drunk before too long
I know alcohol will be my downfall tonight.

And I'll keep up this sappy talk
I'm aware that I'm being overly sentimental and emotional, but I can't help it.

This letter does it all
This letter I wrote to you expresses everything I want to say.

It's too much to enclose
I've written so much that it won't fit in the envelope.

These postcards from tiny islands
These postcards, sent from obscure and insignificant places, mean more than what meets the eye.

Do more than you know
These postcards convey a depth of emotion beyond what I can express through mere words.

So here's to you and the ground below
Here's to you and the earth beneath us, always there and constant.

The glass ball in the empty sky
The moon shining high above us, like a glass orb in a vast and empty sky.

The marble (were stone in me?)
This line is unclear and difficult to interpret without further context or explanation.

The midnight moon is up
The moon has reached its peak in the night sky.

I feel so easy now
I feel calm and at peace, perhaps due to the release of my emotional baggage.

Everything is working out
Despite my struggles and the challenges I've faced, I'm beginning to see that things are falling into place.

Oh, holidays are flying by
The holidays, like everything else, seem to be passing by much too quickly.

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

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