In 1995 Whale released the mini-album Pay For Me and their debut, We Care (featuring a number of appearances by trip-hop genius Tricky), which reached #42 on the British charts but failed to yield another hit like "Slobo Babe" (although "I'll Do Ya" did chart in Britain, reaching #53) and after opening for Blur on a North American tour, Cyrus left the band to form his own hip-hop record company. After a lengthy hiatus, new members Jorgen Wall (drums), Jon Jefferson Klingberg (second guitar), and Heikki Kiviaho (bass) joined in time to record their follow-up, 1998's All Disco Dance Must End in Broken Bones. Recorded in Chicago and London, the album was produced and engineered by Chris Potter (the Verve) and Brad Wood (Veruca Salt, Placebo) and reached #42 on the British charts. An extensive U.S. tour with Tricky followed soon after the album's release.
In the late 1990s a presentation of the band on its official website stated that its original name was Southern Whale Cult 1987, and that several albums had previously been released in that name. This was later admitted to have been a joke - the band had copied a presentation of The Cult and simply changed the name of the band in the text.
2. Whale (born March 6, 1985) is a South Korean vocalist, who is half of the group W & Whale, a collaboration between herself and W (Where The Story Ends).
Smoke
Whale Lyrics
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Spike collapse this vein
Today's the day
Until now was a waste of time
I feel the change
If everything is made to fade
Who's to blame
I fucked up this time
Who's to say
What is wrong, what is right
Either way
Is it wrong for me to turn off my light
It's such a shame
The water in the sink is turning black
Is it all a waste
Let's go ask Alice
God's out getting smokes
And left us all alone
God
God's out getting smokes
And left us all alone
God
You know when you used to go on a ride
And you know you...your adrenaline
You know what I'm trying to say
(Yeah)
That's the feeling
I used to go to movies more
I used to like, go out to restaurants
Going to Broadway shows
I like Broadway shows
They're nice man
You will come here with your cameras
And I'll be a totally different person
I'll be successful and I'll bet my life on it
God's out getting smokes
And left us all alone
God
God's out getting smokes
And left us all alone
God
Today's the day
Today's the day
The song Smoke by Whale is a complex and thought-provoking piece that touches on themes of addiction, existentialism, and the search for meaning. The lyrics are at times ambiguous and open to interpretation, but overall the song seems to be about the emptiness and futility of life without purpose, and the desperate yearning for something more. Rain go away, Spike collapse this vein, and Today's the day are all lines that suggest a longing for escape from something painful or difficult. The singer feels that until now everything has been a waste of time, and he is searching for a change. The water in the sink is turning black is a powerful image of decay and corruption, and the reference to Alice suggests a link to Lewis Carroll's Alice in Wonderland, a story of a journey to find oneself and one's purpose.
The chorus of the song is particularly evocative, with the repeated line God's out getting smokes, and left us all alone suggesting a sense of abandonment and hopelessness. The singer seems to be questioning the existence of a higher power, or at least wondering why that power has left us to suffer in our own darkness. The line Is it wrong for me to turn off my light is a powerful metaphor for suicidal thoughts, and the singer seems to be grappling with the idea of ending his own life as a way to escape his pain. The final lines, Today's the day, suggest a sense of determination and hope, as if the singer has finally decided to make a change and find some meaning in his life.
Line by Line Meaning
Rain go away
I wish my problems would go away like the rain.
Spike collapse this vein
I want to escape from the pain by getting high, but I know it's not the answer.
Today's the day
I've decided that today is the day to make a change in my life.
Until now was a waste of time
All the time I've spent up until now has been leading up to this moment of change.
I feel the change
I can sense that the change is happening within me.
If everything is made to fade
If everything is temporary, what's the point of trying to hold on?
Who's to blame
I'm trying to figure out who or what is responsible for my current situation.
I fucked up this time
I know that I'm at fault for some of the things that have gone wrong in my life.
Who's to say
Who decides what is right or wrong?
What is wrong, what is right
I'm questioning my own sense of morality and what is truly important in life.
Either way
Regardless of what I choose, there will always be consequences.
Is it wrong for me to turn off my light
Is it selfish for me to want to give up and stop trying?
It's such a shame
I feel sad about the state of my life and the world around me.
The water in the sink is turning black
The world is becoming polluted and it's disheartening to see.
Is it all a waste
Is everything we do just a pointless effort in the end?
Let's go ask Alice
Maybe we should seek guidance from those who have been down the same path.
God's out getting smokes
I feel abandoned and lost, as if even God has left me behind.
And left us all alone
I feel isolated and unsupported in my struggles.
You know when you used to go on a ride
Remember the feeling of excitement and anticipation when you used to do something new?
And you know you...your adrenaline
That surge of energy and enthusiasm is what I'm longing for again.
That's the feeling
That's what I'm trying to recapture in my life.
I used to go to movies more
I miss the simple pleasures in life that used to bring me joy.
I used to like, go out to restaurants
I miss being able to indulge in the small pleasures that make life worth living.
Going to Broadway shows
I miss the culture and art that used to inspire me.
They're nice man
These things might seem small, but they mean a lot to me and I miss them.
You will come here with your cameras
I have faith that someday I will achieve my dreams and the world will take notice.
And I'll be a totally different person
I know that achieving my dreams will change me in ways I can't even imagine.
I'll be successful and I'll bet my life on it
I have full confidence in myself and my ability to achieve what I want in life.
Today's the day
Today is the day to start taking action towards my dreams and making a change in my life.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: Eric Riley, Nathan Valdez
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind