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)
Up All Night
Waifs Lyrics
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Watched the moon rising slow
Watched it move across the sky
Till I saw the morning light
Up all night
Up all night
Things just don't seem right
Stay up all night
We were young long ago
Now there's ash where the fire glowed
Cold and grey, black as night
I'm waiting for the morning light
Up all night
Up all night
Things just don't seem right
Lordy I think I might
Stay up all night
Watched the sun sinking low
I watched the moon rising slow
Watched it move across the sky
Till I saw the morning light
Up all night
Up all night
Things just don't seem right
Lordy I think I might
Stay up all night
Stay up all night
The Waifs' song, Up All Night, is a contemplative reflection on the passing of time and the realities of adulthood. The lyrics vividly paint a picture of someone who has been up all night, watching the sun sink low and the moon rise slowly, until finally, the morning light breaks through. The first verse describes a person who is watching the passage of time with a sense of melancholy, as if they are witnessing a beautiful but fleeting moment that they can never quite grasp. The chorus takes on a darker tone, as the singer notes that things don't seem right, and confesses that they might stay up all night.
The second verse underscores the themes of change and loss that are at the heart of the song. The singer reflects on their youth, and notes that where there was once fire, there is now only ash. The imagery of cold, grey, and black paints a picture of a world that has lost its vibrancy and warmth, and the singer is left waiting for the morning light to bring some semblance of hope and renewal. The repetition of the chorus drives home the sense of unease and uncertainty that permeates the song, leaving the listener with a sense of longing for something that is always just out of reach.
Overall, Up All Night is a poignant and introspective song that speaks to the universal experience of growing older and grappling with the passage of time. The lyrics are beautifully written, and the song's haunting melody underscores the sense of longing and regret that permeates the song. It's a powerful piece of music that speaks to the human condition in a timeless way.
Line by Line Meaning
Watched the sun sinking low
I observed the sunset.
Watched the moon rising slow
I observed the slow rise of the moon.
Watched it move across the sky
I observed the moon's journey across the sky.
Till I saw the morning light
I observed the sunrise.
Up all night
I stayed awake all night.
Things just don't seem right
Things feel off or unfamiliar.
Lordy I think I might
I may just stay up all night.
We were young long ago
We were once young.
Now there's ash where the fire glowed
Now there is only ash where there was once a fire.
Cold and grey, black as night
The surroundings are dull and dark.
I'm waiting for the morning light
I am anticipating the sunrise.
Stay up all night
I will continue to stay awake all night.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: DANA STRUM, MARK ALLEN SLAUGHTER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind