VHS's three core members have played music together for most of their lives. James Bohannon and Conor Cook went to middle school together in New York City, while James went to high school with Nils Vanderlip where they started their first band.
In 2015 VHS formed, based initially around home recordings which the band posted on Soundcloud. VHS began performing around NYC's lower east side rock clubs, eventually selling out several shows at the Mercury Lounge that year. In 2015, they released their debut EP whose lead single "Lean" rose to #8 on the Spotify Viral charts. In 2016, VHS released Stereo Hype, which included the indie hit “Waiting on the Summer." VHS performed at major festivals that year including Lollapalooza and ACL. The band continued to release singles and tour leading up to the release of their debut LP Retrofuturism in November 2018. VHS's songs have also been featured in Shameless, Sunday Night Football, Love, You, and dozens of other TV shows.
Waiting on the Summer
VHS Collection Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Fully loaded, fully loaded with my face up in the clouds
I could find a town
Trade the city for a place where I can keep the pressure down
Got to save some face
Tired of pleasing all the players when they wind up in the chase
Got to be a place
Where our shoulders won't be burning by the burning of the blaze
I've been waiting on the summer
I'll take you there
Come with me and get some colour
I'll bleach my hair
If you go and find a lover
Everyone shares
I've been waiting on the summer
I'll take you there
Go and build your tribe and let them decide
Where they willing, what the rules are, just swallow your pride
Take a look inside and let them describe
I'm a doctor, it's your weakness, let you seek and you will find
That you will find
I've been waiting on the summer
I'll take you there
Come with me and get some colour
I'll bleach my hair
If you go and find a lover
Everyone shares
I've been waiting on the summer
I'll take you there
The summer comes so slowAnd moves too fast
And when you're young, you don't ever know
How long it lasts
The summer comes so slow
And moves too fast
I've been waiting on the summer
I'll take you there
Come with me and get some colour
I'll bleach my hair
If you go and find a lover
Everyone shares
I've been waiting on the summer
I'll take you there
In "Waiting on the Summer," VHS Collection seems to be expressing a desire to escape the fast-paced, high-pressure lifestyle of the city and find a place where they can relax and be themselves. The opening verse suggests a feeling of being overwhelmed by the demands of others ("Tired of pleasing all the players when they wind up in the chase"), and a longing for a simpler, more peaceful existence ("Trade the city for a place where I can keep the pressure down"). The chorus expands on this theme, pledging to take the listener away from the stresses of everyday life and into a world of sun, fun, and adventure ("I've been waiting on the summer, I'll take you there / Come with me and get some colour / I'll bleach my hair").
As the song progresses, it becomes clear that VHS Collection isn't just talking about a physical escape from their current surroundings - they're also looking for a deeper sense of belonging and purpose ("Go and build your tribe and let them decide / Where they willing, what the rules are, just swallow your pride"). This idea is reinforced in the final verse, which touches on the fleeting nature of youth and encourages the listener to seize the day ("The summer comes so slow / And moves too fast / And when you're young, you don't ever know / How long it lasts").
Line by Line Meaning
I could get you down
I could make you feel down
Fully loaded, fully loaded with my face up in the clouds
I'm preoccupied with my thoughts
I could find a town
I could find a place to escape to
Trade the city for a place where I can keep the pressure down
Exchange the hustle and bustle of the city for a more calm life
Got to save some face
I need to protect my reputation
Tired of pleasing all the players when they wind up in the chase
Sick of trying to please everyone and losing myself in the process
Got to be a place
I need to find a place
Where our shoulders won't be burning by the burning of the blaze
A place without stress and pressure
I've been waiting on the summer
I've been patiently waiting for the summer
I'll take you there
I'll take you to a better place
Come with me and get some colour
Come with me and have some fun and excitement
I'll bleach my hair
I'll do something daring and different
If you go and find a lover
If you find a lover for yourself
Everyone shares
Everyone can benefit
Go and build your tribe and let them decide
Build your community and let them make their own choices
Where they willing, what the rules are, just swallow your pride
Accept their decisions and rules, even if it's difficult
Take a look inside and let them describe
Reflect on your own character traits and have others describe you
I'm a doctor, it's your weakness, let you seek and you will find
I'm a healer, I can help you with your problems, but you need to actively seek help to benefit from it
The summer comes so slow
The arrival of summer feels like it takes forever
And moves too fast
But once it's here, it passes by quickly
And when you're young, you don't ever know
When you're young, it's hard to grasp the concept of time and how quickly it goes by
How long it lasts
How brief and fleeting summer can be
Contributed by Aiden F. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@colorred6660
I could get you down
Fully loaded, fully loaded with my face up in the clouds
I could find a town
Trade the city for a place where I can keep the pressure down
Got to save some face
Tired of pleasing all the players when they wind up in the chase
Got to be a place
Where our shoulders won't be burning by the burning of the blaze
I've been waiting on the summer
I'll take you there
Come with me and get some colour
I'll bleach my hair
If you go and find a lover
Everyone shares
I've been waiting on the summer
I'll take you there
Go and build your tribe and let them decide
Where they willing, what the rules are, just swallow your pride
Take a look inside and let them describe
I'm a doctor, it's your weakness, let you seek and you will find
That you will find
I've been waiting on the summer
I'll take you there
Come with me and get some colour
I'll bleach my hair
If you go and find a lover
Everyone shares
I've been waiting on the summer
I'll take you there
The summer comes so slow
And moves so fast
And when you're young, you don't ever know
How long it lasts
The summer comes so slow
And moves too fast
I've been waiting on the summer
I'll take you there
Come with me and get some colour
I'll bleach my hair
If you go and find a lover
Everyone shares
I've been waiting on the summer
I'll take you there
I've been waiting on the summer
I'll take you there
Come with me and get some colour
I'll bleach my hair
If you go and find a lover
Everyone shares
I've been waiting on the summer
I'll take you there
I've been waiting on the summer
I've been waiting on the summer
Come with me and get some colour
I've been waiting on the summer.
@aabce11235
Hello FOOTBALL FANS! I salute the guy at NBC who just put this in front of a massive audience.
@CrodolookslikeFrody
Dude, this song is a bop. How do people not know more about you guys? 🔥
@ryleycae9129
MAAHT DAAAMAN
@johannessaliba3795
Chicken boy Suptic brought me here
@jakefrankenberg1999
Johannes Saliba me to
@sharksfan2041
Johannes Saliba Same
@lukebeds
Johannes Saliba been listening to these for a bit, as soon as i heard this song in his video i knew the comments would be likely to flow in. Luckily this is the only one so far
@johannessaliba3795
Luke Beds you say that as if these comments are bad?
@lukebeds
Johannes Saliba just the quantity at which they appear. The glass animals song which he featured, that video is just littered with them
@colorred6660
I could get you down
Fully loaded, fully loaded with my face up in the clouds
I could find a town
Trade the city for a place where I can keep the pressure down
Got to save some face
Tired of pleasing all the players when they wind up in the chase
Got to be a place
Where our shoulders won't be burning by the burning of the blaze
I've been waiting on the summer
I'll take you there
Come with me and get some colour
I'll bleach my hair
If you go and find a lover
Everyone shares
I've been waiting on the summer
I'll take you there
Go and build your tribe and let them decide
Where they willing, what the rules are, just swallow your pride
Take a look inside and let them describe
I'm a doctor, it's your weakness, let you seek and you will find
That you will find
I've been waiting on the summer
I'll take you there
Come with me and get some colour
I'll bleach my hair
If you go and find a lover
Everyone shares
I've been waiting on the summer
I'll take you there
The summer comes so slow
And moves so fast
And when you're young, you don't ever know
How long it lasts
The summer comes so slow
And moves too fast
I've been waiting on the summer
I'll take you there
Come with me and get some colour
I'll bleach my hair
If you go and find a lover
Everyone shares
I've been waiting on the summer
I'll take you there
I've been waiting on the summer
I'll take you there
Come with me and get some colour
I'll bleach my hair
If you go and find a lover
Everyone shares
I've been waiting on the summer
I'll take you there
I've been waiting on the summer
I've been waiting on the summer
Come with me and get some colour
I've been waiting on the summer.