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)
When I Die
Waifs Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
In the town where I was born
Most of my life I've been rambling free
When I die I want to come back home
Ever since I was a baby child
I knew I was born to roam
I had to climb to the top of the hill
Now seasons change and I am still the same
I don't belong to anyone
Still a piece of me will always be
Sitting in my hometown sun
In my time I have seen ten thousand setting suns
And I made my bed where I lay my head
And it never hurt anyone
It could be said that a girl like me
Ain't nothing but a prodigal son
And just like that prodigal boy
I'm gonna finish off where I've begun
The Waifs' song "When I Die" is a reflective track that speaks about coming back home after a life of wandering. The singer expresses their desire to return to the place where they were born when they pass away. They mention how they have spent most of their lives roaming free and exploring the world. The lyrics suggest that they have always felt an innate desire to explore and venture beyond their hometown. The words "Ever since I was a baby child, I knew I was born to roam" exemplify the idea that the desire to travel and wanderlust could be an inherent trait for some individuals.
The song also touches on the changes in seasons and how the singer has remained the same despite the passing of time. They recognize that they don't belong to anyone and have always felt an independent spirit. However, a part of them will always be sitting in their hometown, symbolized by the "hometown sun." The idea of "ten thousand setting suns" is used to illustrate the singer's vast experience and travel history.
In the final verse, the singer compares themselves to the prodigal son, who returns home after a life of recklessness and wandering. By stating "I'm gonna finish off where I've begun," they express their desire to return to their roots and end where they started. The line "it never hurt anyone" implies that their traveling did not cause any harm, and they were able to live their life freely without causing any damage.
Overall, "When I Die" is a song about the desire to explore and travel, but also the recognition that home is where the heart is. The lyrics showcase the struggle between embracing freedom and feeling grounded, and it encourages listeners to reflect on what they truly want in life.
Line by Line Meaning
When I die won't you bury me
When my physical body deteriorates, shall thou put me to rest
In the town where I was born
In the same city where I was brought forth into this world
Most of my life I've been rambling free
Throughout the majority of my existence, I've lived without direction or a specific destination
When I die I want to come back home
I yearn to return to my birthplace in my last moments
Ever since I was a baby child
Since the beginning of my life
I knew I was born to roam
I was born with an innate desire to wander and explore
I had to climb to the top of the hill
I had to endure hardships and overcome obstacles in order to reach my goals
Just to see what lies beyond
Simply to gain knowledge of the world that exists further from me
Now seasons change and I am still the same
Even as time passes by, I remain unaltered
I don't belong to anyone
Nobody has a rightful claim over me
Still a piece of me will always be
A portion of my heart and soul will forever be
Sitting in my hometown sun
Basking in the radiance of my homeland
In my time I have seen ten thousand setting suns
During the span of my lifetime, I've witnessed numerous sunsets
And I made my bed where I lay my head
I created comfort and stability for myself anywhere I chose to rest
And it never hurt anyone
I did not cause pain or harm anyone in the process
It could be said that a girl like me
Some people may assert that an individual similar to myself
Ain't nothing but a prodigal son
Is naught but a lost, wayward child of fate
And just like that prodigal boy
Similar to the aforementioned child of fortune
I'm gonna finish off where I've begun
I shall come full circle upon the conclusion of my journey
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: CHAD EVERETT GILBERT, CYRUS WILLIAM BOLOOKI, IAN R. GRUSHKA, JORDAN I. PUNDIK, STEPHEN LEE KLEIN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@BicBradley
I had the luck to work at the Kerrville Folk Festival where I met these lovely people. Part of my job was to tape the performances and then interview the performers. If I ever meet them again I'll have them autograph my CDs a second time. Love these folks and I hope they're making music as long as they live... and then they'll be making music wherever they are.
@j1v3turki
Been listening to this for so many years without posting my thanks for uploading. When my aunt passed, this was one of the last albums she was listening to (found The Waifs CD in her CD player) and have always envisioned that this song was the one she connected to most (I certainly do and we shared very similar taste in music.) We played this at her funeral and was so fitting for her life, as well as many from our family. So thank you so much for allowing me to be able to remember my Aunt through this song and if The Waifs ever see this I owe them so much for producing a song and album that reached my heart as well as my Aunt and will ever be thankful. Not too many care when she was at her worst and I believe this helped her beyond what I could know. Thank you.
@ericmatteson8888
Saw them at the Telluride Bluegrass festival years back. . still one of my favorite tunes of the entire weekend!
@johnsontrent536
+Eric Matteson Just discovered it and i cant get it outta of my head
@skyotehiggins8016
first found them when i was a wee little pup many many moons ago
song's stuck with me ever since =)
@nhbobwhite
Eric, I was there too at TBF. How can a song of death be so uplifting? But it is! It's about living, love it!!!
@donnadalessandro4749
Newport 2001 was my intro. Love them.
@billythehut
Thank you for posting this. This is by far my favorite song by the Waifs.
@chiquitakeeta
My sister indroduced me to this group and if I am ever feeling down their songs cheer me up - plus when I was in Oz I came home with an ozzie accent so I love singing along with the amazing Vicki - love u guys - get some more tunes goin"!
@LUVDATTUNE
"A Brief History" is a live Double CD with a generous 16 tracks per CD, 32 in all. It is well worth purchasing. Not a stinker among the lot and many outstanding tunes! I highly recommend that you support this group by purchasing it!