Waiting For The Night (formerly known as New Wave Instrumental) is a formerly unidentified power pop demo recorded by NYC band Richard Thorne and The Side Effects from 1981-1982, which a 16-second snippet was recorded off of the radio and uploaded to song identification website WatZatSong.
Search History[]
On June 10th, 2023, user Kenny Cathead posted a one hour and 25 minute video titled “Unknown” to YouTube. It featured many snippets recorded off of the radio in the 1980s. The video included a snippet of this song, specifically during the instrumental section.
Kenny reposted the song to his WatZatSong account a week later. The song was recorded around 1982 off a New York or New Jersey based radio station.
On November 24th, 2023, on the FMM Discord thread for the songs he posted, Kenny said that he wasn’t the person who recorded the tapes, but instead a friend who was trying to make a sound collage, though Kenny did record some songs.[1]
On August 16th, 2025, Discord user Kurty identified the song as the demo "Waiting For The Night" by Richard Thorne and The Side Effects after listening to early 1980s demo tapes in the Yale archives. Along with the studio version was a live performance from 1981.
Lyrics[]
[Verse 1]
Caffeine in my brain, I go running for the train
That can take me to my eight-hour day
But I quickly realize when the focus is my eyes
That I'm starting to fade away
[Pre-Chorus 1]
But I hang on for the ride 'cause I take it all in stride
It's a routine I go through everyday
'Cause I know the night's ahead when my hunger will be fed
For the bright lights shining and the loud music playin'
And [?] up and away
[Chorus]
Waiting for the night, waiting for the night
To carry me away
Waiting for the night, waiting for the night
To rescue me from the boredom of the day
[Verse 2]
Waiting through the gray with the traffic in my way
I keep the music playing in my brain
I still dance to the beat while I'm stuck in the street
It's the only way to keep me sane
[Pre-Chorus 2]
If I look at all the faces, sedated in their places
It'll slow me down to a waltz
I may look like I'm with them, but I got a different rhythm
I'm still paradin' while they're all fadin'
As the daylight comes to a halt
[Chorus]
Waiting for the night, waiting for the night
To carry me away
Waiting for the night, waiting for the night
To rescue me from the boredom of the day
[Bridge]
Well, it's the hot life, the low life
But it's the only time I'm alive
Oh, with the soft lights, the strobe lights
Dancing in a neon sea
The light in my fantasies
Won't you come dance with me
[Instrumental Break]
[Verse 1]
Caffeine in my brain, I go running for the train
That can take me to my eight-hour day
But I quickly realize when the focus is my eyes
That I'm starting to fade away
[Pre-Chorus 1]
But I hang on for the ride 'cause I take it all in stride
It's a routine I go through everyday
'Cause I know the night's ahead when my hunger will be fed
For the bright lights shining and the loud music playin'
And [?] up and away
[Chorus]
Waiting for the night, waiting for the night
To carry me away
Waiting for the night, waiting for the night
To rescue me from the boredom of the day
Waiting for the night, waiting for the night
To carry me away
Waiting for the night, waiting for the night
To rescue me from the boredom of the day
Richard Thorne And The Side Effects[]
Richard Thorne And The Side Effects was a new wave and power pop band from New York, New York, USA.
Other than Richard Thorne and Roger Zee[2], none of the band members are known.
In 1981, they released their first and only EP, self-titled Richard Thorne And The Side Effects, with four songs.
- On Our Way To Nowhere
- Junkie
- Waiting For The Night
- Love Me All The Way
In 1981, they released their first and only single, Junkie For Your Love, with two songs.
- Junkie For Your Love
- Everybody's Looking For A Hero
Shortly after, they disbanded.
Gallery[]
