Other members of the group included guitarists Mike Daly and Phil Wandscher, bassist Steve Grothmann and drummer Skillet Gilmore.
Adams and Cary have publicly talked of reuniting Whiskeytown on multiple occasions, as recently as 2005, but as of yet, nothing new has materialized. The two did perform together briefly, along with Skillet Gilmore, on June 8, 2005, in Raleigh.
Major recordings include:
Faithless Street (Mood Food, 1995) which was later reissued with additional tracks and a new mix.
Strangers Almanac (Outpost, 1997).
Pneumonia (Lost Highway, 2001) the band's swan song, which Adams labored over for two years before its release, by which time the group had split up.
The EP Rural Free Delivery (Mood Food, 1997) collects unreleased tracks from the early days and is apparently reviled by Adams.
Additionally, the band's music appears on various soundtracks and compilations.
Waiting To Derail
Whiskeytown Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And you mean it only sometimes
Are you out in all that sunshine
Waiting to derail
Wanting needing fighting feeling
Waiting to derail
Needing wanting feeling fighting
Waiting to derail
But you mean it all the same
Are you out in all that sunshine
Just waiting to derail
Wanting needing feeling wanting
Waiting to derail
Wanting changing
Do you feel it?
Do you feel it?
Are you waiting to derail
To derail
Waiting to derail
Waiting to derail
Waiting to derail
Waiting to derail
Are you waiting?
Yeah, you say that all the time
But you mean it only sometimes
Are you out in all that sunshine
Are you feeling better now
That you're waiting to derail
Wanting feeling trying embracing
But you're waiting to derail
Waiting. yeah, waiting to derail
You're waiting to derail
Yes you're waiting to derail
"Waiting to Derail" by Whiskeytown is a song about self-destruction, the danger of succumbing to one's own vices, and the hesitation and uncertainty that sometimes comes with trying to maintain control. The repeated phrase "waiting to derail" suggests a sense of inevitability, as if something bad is bound to happen sooner or later. The singer seems to be addressing someone who is aware of their own flaws and tendencies towards self-sabotage, but who can't seem to shake them off. The mention of sunshine provides a contrast to the darkness of the lyric, suggesting that the person in question is in many ways leading a normal, happy life, but is plagued by an inner turmoil that they can't escape.
The lyrics are full of contradictions, as the person in question both wants and resists change. They are "wanting needing fighting feeling" - they want something, they need it, but they also feel conflicted and are fighting against it. The line "Wanting changing / Do you feel it?" suggests that the singer is trying to inspire the person to take action, to embrace change even if it scares them. But ultimately, the sense is that they are "waiting to derail" - waiting for something to happen that will lead them down a dark path. The song ends on the repeated chorus of "You're waiting to derail", a haunting reminder of the fragility of the human psyche.
Line by Line Meaning
Yeah, you say that all the time
You often make a certain statement
And you mean it only sometimes
But you don't always follow through on your words
Are you out in all that sunshine
Are you basking in the good times?
Waiting to derail
But you're secretly waiting for something to go wrong
Wanting needing fighting feeling
You're feeling a mix of emotions
Waiting to derail
All of those emotions are leading up to something negative
Needing wanting feeling fighting
You're feeling conflicted
Waiting to derail
And that conflict is leading to impending failure
Yeah, you say that only sometimes
You admit that you're not consistent
But you mean it all the same
But you truly feel it, regardless of how often you express it
Just waiting to derail
You're still waiting for the other shoe to drop
Wanting needing feeling wanting
Your emotions are still all over the place
Waiting to derail
And it's all leading up to something negative
Wanting changing
You're ready for something to be different
Do you feel it?
Can you sense that things aren't right?
Do you feel it?
Do you know that something is off?
Are you waiting to derail
Because everything seems like it's about to go wrong
To derail
And everything is about to go off the rails
Waiting to derail
You're still stuck in that negative mindset
Waiting to derail
And you're still waiting for something to go wrong
Waiting to derail
Because you can't escape that feeling of impending doom
Waiting to derail
And you're stuck in that mindset
Are you waiting?
Are you still holding your breath for something bad to happen?
Yeah, you say that all the time
You keep repeating yourself
But you mean it only sometimes
And you're not always genuine when you say it
Are you out in all that sunshine
Are you still trying to hold on to the good times?
Are you feeling better now
Have you found some peace yet?
That you're waiting to derail
Or are you still stuck in that negative mindset?
Wanting feeling trying embracing
You're still feeling a lot of emotions
But you're waiting to derail
And those emotions are all leading up to something negative
Waiting. yeah, waiting to derail
You're still waiting for something to go wrong
You're waiting to derail
And you can't seem to break out of that mindset
Yes you're waiting to derail
And it's keeping you stuck in a negative cycle
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: RYAN ADAMS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind