In early 2004, they self-recorded and released their debut EP I Am for You. Simultaneously, the line-up was completed by guitarist Nick Rucker and bassist Derek Vaughn, replacing Teegarden. However, the two soon left the band, and a permanent bassist was found in Andrew Grosse, frontman Jones' former bandmate in their Christian accented high school band Formula316.[2] Without record label distribution and solely through word of mouth promotion, the CD's first pressing of 1,000 copies (being only available through the band's website and at their concerts) sold out within a month.[3] To date, the six-song CD managed to sell over 10,000 copies.[4] Its success landed the band a booking agent and allowed them to drop out of college, to pursue a career in the music industry. As the result of their constant touring and — due to lucky circumstances — their participating in 2004's Warped Tour, word spread fast and garnered the attention of several record labels, including Tooth & Nail Records, home to such bands as Further Seems Forever, Mae and Underoath. Tooth & Nail signed Waking Ashland and released their first full-length album Composure — produced by Lou Giordano — in May 2005. The album scanned 2,400 units within its first week of sales, debuting at #19 on Nielsen SoundScan's Alternative New Artist chart and at #53 on their Top New Artist Album chart.[5]
On September 5, 2005, a statement on the band's website announced that Grosse and Lee had left the band due to in-band conflicts. Temporary touring members included drummers Joe Greenetz from Sherwood and Rob Lynch from Harris, as well as bassists Jon Sullivan from Jack's Mannequin and Trevor Sellers from Number One Gun. On February 8, 2006, Waking Ashland released a nine-song EP, titled Telescopes, only in Japan. Immortal Records released Telescopes in the United States on June 13, 2006. The Japanese release had two bonus tracks, which were acoustic versions of "October Skies" and "I Am For You" from Composure. While the release featured session musicians to back up Jones and Lallier, a permanent rhythm section was finally announced in a blog on the band's MySpace profile as Nate Harold and Tim Very.
Part of the band's success can be attributed to their pages on MySpace and PureVolume. As of September 2006, Waking Ashland's songs have been played over 1.3 million times on MySpace and over 1.2 million times on PureVolume. Their song "I Am for You" appeared on the first MySpace Records compilation and the Drive Thru Records/PureVolume compilation, "Bands You Love, Have Heard of, and Should Know".
Waking Ashland's second album, The Well, was released by Immortal Records on April 17, 2007.
On July 9, 2007, Jones announced on their MySpace page that the band had broken up, citing irreconcilable differences. Jones is currently working with his newly formed band We Shot the Moon, consisting of him and two other musicians from the band Sherwood, Dan Koch and Joe Greenetz. Jones and Lallier are also currently working on solo projects.
Rumors
Waking Ashland Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I miss you,
I miss you.
I heard the rumors they all were true.
I need you,
I need you.
Next to me,
Next to me.
Oh
Next to me,
Next to me.
I'll take off my make-up,
I stop and listen.
I am alive now,
I watch my head spin.
I'll take off my make-up,
I stop and listen.
I am alive now,
I watch my head spin.
I'm in love with things you can't define,
And I'm in love with things you cannot buy.
All for you, the one thing I know's true.
All for you, take me in ...
Into the depths of the deepest sea.
I fought you,
I fought you.
For all I know and all I can see.
You come through,
You come through.
And all I am and all I can be.
You're callin',
You're callin'.
So here you are in front of me.
I've fallen,
I've fallen.
Round and Round, the things I can't deny,
And I'm in love with things you can't define.
All for you, the one thing I know's true.
All for you, take me in
And I walked away,
But you were always on my mind.
And I was afraid,
That you would never come alive.
There for me,
And I was scared of you.
You were there for me,
And I wasn't there for you.
The song "Rumors" by Waking Ashland is a ballad about unrequited love and the struggle to communicate feelings to someone who is not emotionally available. The song starts with the singer expressing his willingness to go to extreme lengths to be with the person he loves. He then admits to hearing rumors that confirm his love's unavailability but affirms that he still needs them in his life. He uses the phrase "Next to me" as a plea, indicating his desire for closeness and intimacy.
In the pre-chorus, the singer talks about taking off his makeup, which could be symbolic of removing his facade and revealing his true self. He says he feels alive and that his head is spinning, indicating that he is overwhelmed with emotion. In the chorus, the singer admits that he is in love with things that cannot be defined or bought, implying that what he feels is real and profound.
The second verse talks about the singer's struggles in his relationship with his love, and how he fought against his feelings. However, he admits that his love has prevailed, and he acknowledges their impact on his life. The singer then describes his attraction as an irresistible force, which he cannot deny, and once again affirms his love for his partner.
The bridge of the song expresses the singer's regret for walking away in the past and admits to being scared of his love. He thanks them for always being there for him, even when he was not emotionally available.
Overall, the song "Rumors" is a heartfelt expression of one person's love for another, even in the face of obstacles, unrequited feelings, and fear.
Line by Line Meaning
I'd cross the desert to be with you.
I deeply desire to be with you no matter what the cost.
I miss you,
I miss you.
I long for you and I miss not being with you.
I heard the rumors they all were true.
The rumors I heard about you are actually true.
I need you,
I need you.
I feel a strong need and dependency on you.
Oh
Next to me,
Next to me.
I desire to have you close to me and by my side.
I'll take off my make-up,
I stop and listen.
I am alive now,
I watch my head spin.
I am finally showing my true self and becoming more aware of my surroundings and emotions.
I'm in love with things you can't define,
And I'm in love with things you cannot buy.
All for you, the one thing I know's true.
All for you, take me in ...
My love for you cannot be explained or bought and I am willing to do anything for you because it's the one truth that I know.
Into the depths of the deepest sea.
I fought you,
I fought you.
For all I know and all I can see.
You come through,
You come through.
And all I am and all I can be.
You're callin',
You're callin'.
So here you are in front of me.
I've fallen,
I've fallen.
No matter how much I resisted, you were still there for me and calling out to me. Now that you are here, I am falling even deeper for you.
Round and Round, the things I can't deny,
And I'm in love with things you can't define.
All for you, the one thing I know's true.
All for you, take me in
I may try to deny my feelings but my love for you is indefinable and the one truth I know. Let me be with you.
And I walked away,
But you were always on my mind.
And I was afraid,
That you would never come alive.
Even though I left, I couldn't shake you from my thoughts and feared that we would never be together.
There for me,
And I was scared of you.
You were there for me,
And I wasn't there for you.
Despite being there for me, I was afraid of you while you were still supportive of me, but I was not reciprocating the same level of support.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: MICHAEL JONES
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind