Formed in 1992, the band originally comprised Tim Freedman (lead vocals, piano), Stevie Plunder (lead vocals, guitar) and Andy Lewis (double bass, backing vocals). The line-up has changed many times over the years with Tim the only consistent member of the band, not to mention the only original member still alive. In the current line-up Terepai Richmond hits the drums, Warwick Hornsby plays the bass, and Jak Housden steals the scene on the electric guitar alongside the ever-present Tim Freedman.
Their style of music has been described as muscular piano based pop/rock, however it has been quite varied over the life of the band. Their latest album is titled Little Cloud and is a double album, separated by the two themes of New York and Tim's homeland Sydney.
The band played their final shows in 2010, taking an extended break for Freedman to pursue a solo career.
In 2012, the band were announced as one of the headliners of the Caloundra Music Festival on Queensland's Sunshine Coast.
Ease of the Midnight Visit
The Whitlams Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And I'll stop coming 'round
Your flatmate in the front room,
He thinks he may have found -
The last of the teenage lovers
Surprised by what I feel
The last of the teenage lovers
I'm learning how to deal
The ease of the midnight visit
Takes a leap of faith
That you might be alone
I was dreamin of you this morning
Dreaming all last night
Your greedy new manoeuvres,
They moke me up in fright
I watched the sunlight climbing up my bedroom door
Who had taught my sweetheart to ask for so much more
Ahh with the ease of the midnight visit
The ease of the midnight visit
Takes a leap of faith
That you might be alone
Born again to die again
My soul is in this body
Born again to die again
My soul is in this body
Better give it a bit of peace
I was trying to save your flatmate
From getting out of bed so late
Like a big old clumsy cat
Perched on top of your side gate
The last of the teenage lovers thinks
"What a way to go"
I'd call the ambulance myself
If could reach the phone
The last of the teenage lovers
"What a way to go"
Its not enough to be in love wth you
I want to be loved too
Yeah that's the ease of the midnight visit
Takes a leap of faith that you might be alone
Yeah that's the ease of the midnight visit
Takes a leap of faith that you might be alone.
When's a fool like me gonna drive straight home?
The Whitlams's song Ease of the Midnight Visit is a reflection on the complexity of the singer’s romantic relationship, which is marked by a number of contradictions. The first stanza of the song speaks about the classic dilemma of wanting to stop loving someone but finding it hard to do so, even after taking breaks from seeing them. The singer talks about visiting his lover's apartment in the middle of the night, something that's easy for him to do but it takes a "leap of faith" to assume that his lover will be free to see him. The song also touches on the emotional vulnerability that stems from loving someone so deeply. The singer describes himself as "surprised" by what he feels, indicating that his love for his lover is overpowering and he's not sure how to cope with it.
The second stanza talks about the singer's jealousy of his lover's new lovers, a feeling that's so strong it keeps him awake at night. The singer seems to be feeling hurt by the actions of his lover, whom he refers to as "greedy" for asking for too much. The final stanza brings the song full circle, adding a metaphor to the complexity of the singer's romantic relationship. He says he's born again to die again, suggesting that his past romantic connections will ultimately lead to nothing and he'll have to start over again. Despite this, the singer still desires to be loved, indicating that he's not yet given up on the hope of someday finding a reciprocated love. The upbeat melody of the song contrasts with the lyrics, making it a thoughtful, introspective piece.
Line by Line Meaning
Show me a way to stop lovin you
The singer wants a way to stop loving someone and thus stop visiting them.
And I'll stop coming 'round
The singer will stop visiting the person they love once they find a way to stop loving them.
Your flatmate in the front room,
The person the singer loves has a flatmate who is in the front room.
He thinks he may have found -
The flatmate thinks they have discovered something about the singer's visits.
The last of the teenage lovers
The singer is one of the last people who still believes in the idea of teenage love.
Surprised by what I feel
The singer is surprised by the strength of their feelings for the person they love.
I'm learning how to deal
The singer is learning how to cope with their feelings and the difficulties that come with them.
With the ease of the midnight visit
The singer finds it easy to visit the person they love in the middle of the night.
Takes a leap of faith
The singer has to take a risk and believe that the person they love will be alone when they visit them.
That you might be alone
The singer hopes that the person they love is alone when they visit them.
I was dreamin of you this morning
The singer had a dream about the person they love that morning.
Dreaming all last night
The singer spent the entire night dreaming about the person they love.
Your greedy new manoeuvres,
The person the singer loves has become selfish and manipulative.
They moke me up in fright
The singer is frightened by the person they love's new behavior.
I watched the sunlight climbing up my bedroom door
The singer spent the night awake and watched the sunrise from their bedroom.
Who had taught my sweetheart to ask for so much more
The singer is surprised by the person they love's sudden desire for more from the relationship.
Ahh with the ease of the midnight visit
The singer finds it easy to visit the person they love in the middle of the night.
Born again to die again
The singer feels like they are reborn every time they visit the person they love, only to eventually feel the pain of their unrequited love again.
My soul is in this body
The singer's soul is tied to their physical body.
Better give it a bit of peace
The singer should take care of their body and give it rest.
I was trying to save your flatmate
The singer was trying to prevent the flatmate from discovering something about their visits.
From getting out of bed so late
The singer is worried about the flatmate getting up and discovering something about their visits.
Like a big old clumsy cat
The singer compares themselves to a cat trying to be sneaky and failing.
Perched on top of your side gate
The singer was waiting outside the person they love's house, possibly on a gate or fence.
The last of the teenage lovers thinks
The singer, who still believes in teenage love, reflects on their situation.
"What a way to go"
The singer is implying that their unrequited love could be their downfall.
I'd call the ambulance myself
The singer would be so heartbroken if anything happened to the person they love that they would call an ambulance themselves.
If could reach the phone
The singer is outside and cannot reach a phone to call for help.
Its not enough to be in love wth you
The singer wants to be loved in return by the person they love.
I want to be loved too
The singer desires to be loved by the person they love in return.
When's a fool like me gonna drive straight home?
The singer acknowledges that their behavior is foolish and wonders when they will finally stop visiting the person they love.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA/AMCOS
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