The band has its origins in a group called Blind Summit, which Tattersall and Rozycki formed with Hugh Noble. The first line-up of the band recorded and self-released a string of albums before finally settling in London with the current line-up.
After the release of Sophie (2006) on Smoking Gun Records, the band signed a deal with the London independent label Moshi Moshi records. Their first album for the label, Instant Coffee Baby was released in 2008. The follow up titled If You Leave It Alone was released on May 4th 2009. Beer in the Breakers was released in 2011, preceded by the single Little Surprise. Long Black Cars followed in 2012. City Forgiveness was released on Moshi Moshi Records on October 21st 2013.
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All My Friends
The Wave Pictures Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Once I dreamed I spilt the milk all down my shirt
While a black and white cat in the daisies studies himself
Licking clean between his lips
You have been out on a limb
For days and days and days and days
Must be a million other ways
But all my friends, are going to be strangers
The town now in your absence, fills up with drunken sailors
The harbour unknowingly lifting and lowering ships like a sleeping chest
Everybody has this plan, that they will get out early
Before the going gets rough
You had out on a limb
For days and days and days and days
There must be a million other ways
But all friends are going to be strangers
All my friends are going to get strange
The Wave Pictures' song All My Friends is a hauntingly beautiful composition that touches on themes of loss, nostalgia, and decay. The opening lines of the song depict a dream in which the singer sees the face of a loved one on a carton of milk, possibly suggesting the elusiveness and transience of memory. The dream then turns into a nightmare when the singer spills the milk all down their shirt. The image of the black and white cat in the daisies studying itself is a poignant reminder that life goes on even in the face of loss and tragedy.
The rest of the song continues to explore the theme of loss and decay, with the lyrics describing a town that is filling up with drunken sailors and a harbour that is lifting and lowering ships like a sleeping chest. The singer laments that all their friends are going to be strangers and that everyone has a plan to get out early before things get rough. The repetition of the line "You have been out on a limb for days and days and days and days" is both a nod to the isolation and desperation of the singer's situation and a reminder that time ticks forward relentlessly, whether we want it to or not.
Line by Line Meaning
Once I dreamed I saw your face, on a carton of milk
I dreamt of you so vividly, it was as if I saw your face printed on a carton of milk.
Once I dreamed I spilt the milk all down my shirt
In the same dream, I accidentally spilt the milk on my shirt, causing a mess.
While a black and white cat in the daisies studies himself
Meanwhile, a cat nearby is grooming himself in the flowers.
Licking clean between his lips
The cat is using his tongue to clean himself thoroughly.
You have been out on a limb
You've been taking a risk or making a sacrifice for an extended period.
For days and days and days and days
This has been going on for an extended period of time and feels never-ending.
Must be a million other ways
There are countless other options or solutions to the situation at hand.
But all my friends, are going to be strangers
I feel disconnected from the people I once considered friends.
All my friends are going to get strange
I anticipate that even those I still know will become unfamiliar or unrecognizable.
The town now in your absence, fills up with drunken sailors
In your absence, the town is overrun with rough and rowdy individuals.
The harbour unknowingly lifting and lowering ships like a sleeping chest
The harbor is unconsciously raising and lowering ships, like a person's chest rising and falling in sleep.
Everybody has this plan, that they will get out early
Many people in this town have aspirations of leaving before things get worse.
Before the going gets rough
They want to make a change before things become more difficult or unbearable.
You had out on a limb
Once again, you've put yourself in a vulnerable or risky situation.
For days and days and days and days
This has been going on for an extended period of time and feels never-ending.
There must be a million other ways
Once again, there are countless other options or solutions to the situation at hand.
But all friends are going to be strangers
Despite these countless other options, I can't seem to connect with my friends as I once did.
All my friends are going to get strange
I expect that even those I still know will become unfamiliar or unrecognizable.
Writer(s): TATTERSALL DAVID ROBERT
Contributed by Victoria V. Suggest a correction in the comments below.