Valencia met by playing local shows together around the tri-state area in separate bands. George Ciukurescu and JD Perry grew up together; attending elementary school, high school, and their first year of college. They joined a band in 2001 called The Capgun Heroes with Brendan Walter and former member Sean Mundy. Shane Henderson sang in the band Attracted to Miss and Max played drums in The Emphasis. They formed the band that is known today as Valencia in 2004. The band is named after the wife of the protagonist, Valencia, in the book by Kurt Vonnegut, Slaughter House 5.
In 2005 Valencia signed to I Surrender Records after the label's owner, Midtown's drummer Rob Hitt, heard their demo tape. After playing the Warped Tour in 2005, they released their first album, This Could Be A Possibility, in October 2005, which was re-released in September 2006.
In 2006, the band was named SPIN Band of the Day and was a finalist for Band of the Year, but lost to Nightmare of You. In May 2006, the band stopped touring because of the death of Shane's girlfriend in a freak lawn mower accident. In July 2006, Valencia traveled to Japan to play the Fuji Rock Festival.
In 2007 the band toured with Boys Like Girls, The Audition and All Time Low in the U.S. Valencia also toured with We the Kings, The Cab, Charlotte Sometimes, and Sing it Loud in April 2008.
In 2009 Valencia performed at the Soundwave festival with New Found Glory, Say Anything and Billy Talent. The band opened for blink-182 in June 2009 on their summer reunion tour.
Valencia's second album, We All Need a Reason to Believe was released on August 26, 2008, featuring 11 new tracks. The album leaked in its entirety on August 16, 2008. On August 19, 2008 it was made available as a full stream on the band's Myspace page. "Safe To Say" is on the soundtrack for MLB 09 The Show. Valencia spent summer 2009 touring with Every Avenue.
Band member Brendan Walter was one of 32 sued by the RIAA in its first round file-sharing suits. During an interview on WCUR's Foundation Radio on December 9, 2010, host Adam Barnard asked about the circumstances surrounding this incident. Walter stated that he had been chosen at random due to the fact that he had illegally downloaded music by American rock band Smash Mouth.
Valencia's third album, "Dancing With A Ghost" was released October 12, 2010. After a long break from touring, the band went back on tour for their new album in October of 2010. The tour includes a few shows of headlining along with shows with bands like Say Anything, Saves the Day and Motion City Soundtrack. The band's tour will also make it all the way to Australia.
In October of 2011, Shane Henderson released a statement regarding the band's decision to go on an indefinite hiatus after 2011. Following a farewell tour in Japan, the band played a final show on December 28th at the Electric Factory in Philadelphia, PA to a sold-out crowd.
What Are You Doing Man? That's Weird!
Valencia Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
We could turn an argument
Into a fight for what is right
When the conversation dies
I will rip my tongue out
Just to show how much I don't want you
To quit this anymore
As I'm writing to unfold
Just keep turning those pages
There's still stories to be told
But don't
Don't let me turn into the person I once hated
All I wanted was to make it
And swing life away
Save me from myself
'Cause I don't know who to be
I'm trapped inside a world of all this cold concrete
Walking through this town
You'll find me staring at the sky
This city, my city, it burns tonight
Everything you ever wanted
Well it's always by your side
Let it haunt you, let it haunt you
Let it keep you up at night
Everything you ever needed
Well it's always by your side
Let it haunt you, let it haunt you
Let it keep you up at night
Save me from myself
'Cause I don't know who to be
I'm trapped inside a world of all this cold concrete
Walking through this town
You'll find me staring at the sky
This city, my city, it burns tonight
"What Are You Doing Man? That's Weird!" by Valencia is a song full of themes about self-doubt, inner turmoil, and relationships. The first verse shows how quickly arguments can turn into something worse when it becomes a fight for what is right. The singer then reveals that they are willing to rip their tongue out to show how much they don't want the other person to quit. This line may be interpreted in different ways, but the most common view is that the singer is willing to do anything to save the relationship.
In the second verse, the singer admits that they feel stuck and unable to find themselves. They also reveal that they don’t want to turn into someone they once hated. The line "all I wanted was to make it and swing life away" may refer to the singer's desire for a peaceful life. The chorus repeats the plea to be saved from oneself and not knowing who to be while being trapped in a world of cold concrete. The line "this city, my city, it burns tonight" might imply that the singer's hometown, which represents their inner demons, is burning down.
The bridge repeats the themes of the chorus but adds a sense of haunting. The lines "everything you ever wanted, well, it's always by your side" and "everything you ever needed, well, it's always by your side" imply that the solution to the singer's problems is within reach but they just can't see it. The repetition of "let it haunt you, let it haunt you, let it keep you up at night" may suggest that the singer needs to confront their problems head-on to overcome them.
Line by Line Meaning
It's amazing how quick
I'm surprised at how fast
We could turn an argument
We can easily turn a discussion
Into a fight for what is right
Into a conflict over our beliefs
When the conversation dies
When we can't talk anymore
I will rip my tongue out
I'll take extreme measures
Just to show how much I don't want you
To demonstrate how badly I don't want you
To quit this anymore
To end our relationship
'Cause lately it's the same again
Because it's been repeating recently
As I'm writing to unfold
As I'm trying to express
Just keep turning those pages
Just keep moving forward
There's still stories to be told
There are still experiences to have
But don't
However, do not
Don't let me turn into the person I once hated
Do not let me become the person I used to despise
All I wanted was to make it
I just wanted to succeed
And swing life away
And enjoy life without worries
Save me from myself
Help me avoid my own harmful tendencies
'Cause I don't know who to be
Because I do not know my identity
I'm trapped inside a world of all this cold concrete
I'm stuck in this harsh and unforgiving environment
Walking through this town
As I wander around the city
You'll find me staring at the sky
You'll see me lost in thought
This city, my city, it burns tonight
This city, my hometown, is going up in flames tonight
Everything you ever wanted
All your desires
Well it's always by your side
Are always with you
Let it haunt you, let it haunt you
Let them give you unrest
Let it keep you up at night
Let it prevent you from sleeping
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: BRENDAN WALTER, GEORGE CIUKURESCU, JONATHAN PERRY, MAX SORIA, SHANE HENDERSON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind