The band's 2003 album Up All Night reached the top five of the Australian Albums Chart, achieving double platinum status and winning four ARIA Awards in October. Two further top five albums were issued, Sun Dirt Water in 2007 and Temptation in 2011. The Waifs have three top fifty singles, "London Still" (2002), "Bridal Train" (2004) and "Sun Dirt Water". The band supported Bob Dylan on his 2003 Australian tour and then his 2003 North American tour, including a gig at the Newport Folk Festival.
The Waifs founded the independent label Jarrah Records in July 2002, co-owned with fellow musician John Butler, and their common manager Phil Stevens, which handles their Australian releases.
The Waifs formed in August 1992 in Albany, Western Australia as a folk rock band. The Simpson sisters, Donna and Vikki (now Vikki Thorn), had formed a duo, Colours, in Albany to perform cover versions of Bob Dylan and Everly Brothers at local pubs. Their father, Jimmy Simpson, was a seasonal salmon fisherman at Cosy Corner beach and had bought Donna her first guitar when she was 15. In February 1992, 20-year-old Donna and her 16-year-old sister, Vikki headed off in a Kombi van to tour the state as Colours. Josh Cunningham, a Moruya farmer's son, had started playing guitar in 1987, he was touring Australia playing bass guitar for a band.] The Simpsons met 18-year-old Cunningham while Colours were playing twelve-bar blues in Broome. After a ten-minute jam session, Donna invited Cunningham to join Colours, Cunningham later recalled, "there was a connection that Donna felt that I felt as well ... it's always felt very much like a family to me and I felt instantly welcomed into that right from the very start". Upon return to Albany, Colours changed its name to The Waifs (initially styled as The WAiFS) with Cunningham on guitars, ukulele, mandolin, dobro and vocals, Donna on vocals, guitar and tambourine, and Vikki on vocals, harmonica and guitar. The Waifs used the Kombi van from 1992 to 1996 to travel to gigs across Australia.
Discography
The Waifs (1996)
Shelter Me (1998)
Sink or Swim (2000)
Up All Night (2003)
Sun Dirt Water (2007)
Live From The Union Of Soul (2009)
Temptation (2011)
Sweetness
Waifs Lyrics
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A good record and a smoke to pass time by
Music gets me in the mood
It all kicks in and I sit back
And think about you
Sweetness to me
That's all you'll ever be
I like the way you're wearing your smile
And you close your eyes
And you leave us for a while
Leavings all I ever do
I got a good pair of boots
And my guitar plays sweet tunes
Sing me a song before I go
The tours on the road and I won't be home
For three months or maybe more
I'll rent my room out when I'm gone
I'll call and let you know when I'll be him
And where I'm flying in from
The Waifs' 'Sweetness' is a slow, soulful song that speaks to the heartstrings of listeners who are missing someone who they care for deeply. The song starts with the singer admitting that sometimes they need to escape their reality and turn to music, cigarettes, and a good lie to help pass the time, thus showcasing the pain that the singer is going through. The music envelops them and helps with their thoughts, which inevitably lead back to the person they miss. The singer explains that the person is bittersweet for them and that nothing more can come of the feelings between them, but the person will always be a source of 'sweetness'.
As the chorus seamlessly transitions between the two verses, lyrics of the chorus further explain the feelings of the singer. The person they miss isn't just someone they had feelings for in the past. They hold a unique place in the singer's heart, and they have something special that can't be replicated or forgotten. This person, in the end, means more to them than anything else in the world. They know that maybe they can't be with them or make it work, but they will always think about them fondly, relishing in the sweetness of the memories.
Overall, the song speaks to anyone who has felt the deep and painful yearning for someone they can't be with. The Waif's soulful and emotive performance gives a visceral feeling to the listener, invoking the sadness and heart in the lyrics. However, the song doesn't leave the listener in a place of sadness - instead, they leave with a sense of catharsis, the understanding that it's okay to not have everything worked out, but the sweetness of the memories still lingers and can not be taken away.
Line by Line Meaning
There's nothing like a big old lie
There's no feeling quite like the temporary high of deceiving someone
A good record and a smoke to pass time by
An enjoyable activity of listening to music and smoking to while away time
Music gets me in the mood
Music sets the tone and gets me into a certain emotional state
It all kicks in and I sit back
The music fully takes over and I surrender to its effect
And think about you
The music reminds me of you and you cross my mind
Sweetness to me
Your presence means something sweet to me
That's all you'll ever be
You'll never be anything more than something sweet to me
You mean stuff to me
You hold some significance to me
I like the way you're wearing your smile
I appreciate the way you're presenting yourself with a smile
And you close your eyes
I notice you close your eyes, perhaps to savor the moment
And you leave us for a while
You drift off and become absent from the immediate surroundings
Leavings all I ever do
I'm only ever leaving; never staying for long
I got a good pair of boots
I'm equipped to travel, to step into different places and experiences
And my guitar plays sweet tunes
I have a musical instrument that allows me to express sweetness
Sing me a song before I go
Before I leave, please perform a musical piece for me
The tours on the road and I won't be home
I'm going on a tour and won't be able to come back for a while
For three months or maybe more
The duration of my tour will be no less than three months; possibly more
I'll rent my room out when I'm gone
My place of residence will be occupied by someone else while I'm away
I'll call and let you know when I'll be him
I'll update you on the exact date and time that I'm returning
And where I'm flying in from
I'll tell you which place I'll be returning from
Lyrics © BMG RIGHTS MANAGEMENT US, LLC
Written by: GERALD RYDEL SIMPSON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind