Vivian Girls formed in 2007, made up of guitarist/vocalist Cassie Ramone (Grzymkowski), bassist/vocalist Kickball Katy (Goodman), and drummer/vocalist Frankie Rose. The group recorded a hasty demo and played in New York often. Their gritty-yet-melodic sound caught on quickly, and within months of forming, Vivian Girls were opening big gigs for national acts like Sonic Youth and headlining club shows in Brooklyn. Throughout 2008 they released a handful of 7" singles on a passel of small labels, including "Wild Eyes" (Plays with Dolls Records), "Orphanage" (Woodsist Records), and "I Can't Stay" (In the Red Records). Rose left the band in July of 2008, but not before recording the material that would make up the group's first album. That self-titled debut full-length was released on Mauled by Tigers in September of the same year and the entire vinyl pressing of 500 copies sold out in ten days. In the Red quickly re-released the album to wider distribution and the trio (now joined by new drummer Ali Koehler), spent the year touring and gaining fans the world over.
The group's quickly recorded follow-up album, Everything Goes Wrong, was released in late summer of 2009. After switching out drummers in the summer of 2010 (Koehler joined Best Coast and was replaced by Coasting's drummer Fiona Campbell) and taking a break for other projects (Ramone formed Babies with Woods' bass player Kevin Morby, Goodman formed La Sera with Brady Hall), the Vivian Girls hit the studio in late 2010 to record their third album. Share the Joy was released in April 2011 on their new label Polyvinyl.
The band spilt in 2014, and the members focused on their individual projects. They remained friends, though, and in 2018, Ramone, Goodman, and Koehler met up in secret to begin recording a new album with producer Rob Barbato. The result was 2019's Memory, which was released by Polyvinyl in September.
There are other bands with the same name:
2. Indie Rock band from Melbourne, Australia, active in the early 2000's.
3. Band from St. Louis, MO, active since the mid 90's.
Walking Alone At Night
Vivian Girls Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
It's been such a waste of time, been gone for so long
I sit and watch my own face as the color runs out
I feel so restless alone and I get so bored that I wanna go out
And I've been walking alone at night, home at twilight
What do I care? You were just a waste of my time
I lay my head on the floor and I just can't help it but I'm wanting ya more
I smoke cigarettes alone, get drunk on my own
I meet some friends at the bar but I get so bored that I wanna go home
And I've been walking alone at night, home at twilight
What do I care? You were just a waste of my time
It's over now but it might not be for long
It's been such a waste of time, been gone for so long
I sit and watch my own face as the color runs out
I feel so restless alone and I get so bored that I wanna go out
And I've been walking alone at night, home at twilight
What do I care? You were just a waste of my time
I might go walking alone at night, home at twilight
What do I care? You were just a waste of my time
The Vivian Girls' song "Walking Alone At Night" describes the aftermath of a failed romantic relationship. The lyrics suggest that the singer has recently ended a relationship that has left her feeling restless and bored, and she now spends her time alone, smoking cigarettes and drinking alone. She believes her former partner was a waste of her time and has no sympathy for them, even as she finds herself wanting them more.
The repetition of the song's opening lines—"It's over now but it might not be for long / It's been such a waste of time, been gone for so long"—underscores the sense of uncertainty and ambivalence the singer feels about her current situation. She is alone at night, walking home at twilight, and while she claims not to care about her ex-partner anymore, there is a lingering sense of regret and longing in the way she sings "What do I care? You were just a waste of my time."
Ultimately, "Walking Alone At Night" is a reflection on the difficult process of moving on from a failed relationship. The singer is still processing the emotional fallout from her breakup, and she is struggling to figure out how to move forward with her life.
Line by Line Meaning
It's over now but it might not be for long
It feels like the relationship has ended, but maybe it's not truly over
It's been such a waste of time, been gone for so long
This relationship feels like it was pointless and has already been dead for a while
I sit and watch my own face as the color runs out
I feel drained and tired, like my energy is slowly disappearing
I feel so restless alone and I get so bored that I wanna go out
Being by myself and not having anything to do makes me feel antsy and bored, so I want to go out and find something to do
And I've been walking alone at night, home at twilight
I spend my nights wandering around by myself, coming back home when it's getting late
What do I care? You were just a waste of my time
I don't care about you anymore because you were a waste of my time and energy
No more sympathy for the one I used to adore
I used to love you, but now I don't have any sympathy for you
I lay my head on the floor and I just can't help it but I'm wanting ya more
Sometimes I still want you even though I know it's not good for me
I smoke cigarettes alone, get drunk on my own
I turn to smoking and drinking when I'm by myself
I meet some friends at the bar but I get so bored that I wanna go home
Even hanging out with my friends at the bar doesn't make me happy anymore, so I just want to go home
I might go walking alone at night, home at twilight
I often go out for walks by myself at night, coming back home when it's getting dark
Contributed by Ella H. Suggest a correction in the comments below.