Tuesday 3 September 2013

My Top Ten Waiting Songs (Volume 1)


Louise's due date was today... but as I write, there's no sign of the newest addition to our family. And so, we're waiting... just like these guys...


10. Jack Johnson - Sitting, Wishing, Waiting

Look up "laid back" in the dictionary. If there isn't a picture of Jack Johnson, I'd buy a new dictionary. 

9. Foreigner - Waiting For A Girl Like You

Yes, Foreigner.

No, I'm not kidding.

When I first considered this Top Ten... this was the first track I thought of.

Child of the 80s!

8. Dan Le Sac Vs. Scroobius Pip - Waiting For The Beat To Kick In…

I learnt a new initialism the other day. IDM: Intenillgent Dance Music. The only kind I'm remotely interested in. This track begins like many rap records, focusing heavily on the chorus and rhymes... and then, Scroob' goes off-message and starts telling us about a crazy dream he had. Mesmerising.
Now I'm sure you've had times when you've felt down or angry,
Wanted to lash out, punch a wall and be manly,
But the question I pose now will offer you a plan B,
And maybe some peace and quiet for your friends and family,
How hard is it to decide to be in a good mood,
And then just be... in... a good mood?
That's all I have to say because it's a straight up fact,
You control your emotions it's as simple as that".
7. Noah & The Whale - Waiting for My Chance to Come

One of my favourites by the band that named themselves after director Noah Baumbach and his movie The Squid & The Whale.

6. The Kinks - Tired Of Waiting For You

 Ray is proper fed up.

5. Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds - (Are You) The One That I've Been Waiting For?

As with a lot of Nick Cave records, this rewards repeated listening, taking us deeper and deeper into the story the more we here it.

4.  The Stone Roses - What the World Is Waiting For

As with most Ian Brown lyrics, I've no idea what this is all about. Donkeys, wise men, the promised land... sorted. Take me any way the wind blows... 

3. The Doors - Waiting For The Sun

I'd placed this lower down the chart until I remembered that crashing guitar riff... wow.

2. Diana Ross - I'm Still Waiting

An unrequited childhood romance leads Diana into heartbreak... and she's still waiting.

1. Billy Bragg - Waiting For The Great Leap Forwards

No other song sums up everything that's great about Billy Bragg like this - the relationship angst, the outspoken politics, the clever wordplay, the self-deprecating wit... it's crammed full of quotable lines. (One of my favourite T-shirts reads 'The revolution is just a T-shirt away'.) And every time Billy performs it live, he updates the lyrics. Beam me up, Scotty!
Mixing pop and politics
He asks me what the use is
I offer him embarrasment and my usual excuses
While looking down the corridor
Out to where the van is waiting
I'm looking for the great leap forwards



So many great waiting songs, one Top Ten just wasn't enough. If Louise and I are still waiting later in the week, I'll post Volume 2. If you're still waiting for your favourite, you might find it there.

However, if our waiting is rewarded in the meantime... you'll have to wait.

9 comments:

  1. Yup. Foreigner was the first one I thought of too and now I can't get it out of my head. Hope your wait is not for too long and with a little bundle of something wonderful at the end of it.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Alice in Wonderland! The white rabbit is late, late for a very important date...I know that doesn't count, but get used to it anyway!

    Any excuse to throw in Lloyd Cole - It's late from the new Standards album counts in my book, even if it is a bit shoe-horned in. Not shoe-horned at all from the Bad Vibes album - For the pleasure of your company "And I'm waiting for the thirteenth of never, Should I swear to be true, Should you give a damn what I say or do, Well, I'm asking for the pleasure of your company, What would you say? Would you think about it, right now?"

    And one of my eighties favourites Bananarama who are still waiting for Robert de Niro

    Hope all goes well. I'm told that only 4% of first born arrive on time. You'll love every moment of it all!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks, Nota... although you've been reading this blog long enough to know that Late Songs would be a totally different Top Ten.

      Good call on Bananarama though, and the Lloyd.

      Delete
  3. Hi Rol...
    Ha, I was thinking of doing a similar list as well. Lots of material to choose from and I am guessing some of these would be in part two, but here goes:
    The Waiting - Tom Petty (would be my number one)
    Waiting for You - Basement Birds
    Sitting in the Waiting Room - Bob Evans
    Waiting in Vain - Bob Marley
    Heaven Can Wait - Meatloaf
    Wait - Beatles
    Waiting for the Sun - Powderfinger
    Waitin on a Sunny Day - Bruce Springsteen
    Waiting - Green Day
    I Will Wait - Mumford and Sons
    Don't Wait for Me - Ryan Bingham


    And a special mention of Ol gravel voice himself - Tom Waits.

    Best of luck with the new arrival - it will be harder than you ever imagined, but much more rewarding that you could ever predict. HOpe you can still find time to write a list or two!

    Deano

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks, Deano. I restricted myself to Waiting rather than Wait songs... or I'd still be at it.

      As you'll see now, a number of your suggestions made it into my second Top Ten.

      But Tom Waits for no man.

      (Sorry, couldn't resist!)

      Delete
  4. Foreigner - Waiting For A Girl is a classic, first song that came to mind for me as well.
    "waiting" seems to be a popular word to incorporate in lyrics. Reminds me of a couple of 90s songs: Waiting for the Miracle by Leonard Cohen and Milk by Garbage.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yeah, not really sure how I managed to miss Leonard Cohen out of this list... made up for it in my Top Ten Miracle Songs though: http://histopten.blogspot.co.uk/2015/08/my-top-ten-miracle-songs.html

      Delete

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...