Grammy winner and 7 time Grammy nominee Paula Cole has released six solo albums spanning an eighteen year career. She has sold approximately three million albums and has performed with icons in many genres of music from Peter Gabriel to Dolly Parton (and many more.) Cole’s emotionally deep and thrilling performances are a trademark. Poetic and fiercely touching, intelligent writing makes Cole stand apart. Her compositions have been covered by Herbie Hancock, Annie Lennox, Katherine McPhee to name a few. From a small town in Massachusetts Paula Cole was raised in a musical family with whom she and her daughter remain close. Cole is a scholarship alumna from Berklee College of Music with a background in jazz, received her first record deal with a jazz label (which she declined), and has collaborated with many jazz artists. Paula teaches and gives clinics in a spirit of giving back to the circle of music. With a loving allegiance to her fans, she maintains loyal communication online and after her live shows. As the first woman in history to solely produce and receive the best Producer Grammy nomination for her work, “This Fire”, Cole has broken boundaries with a searcher’s spirit. From her top ten hits of the 1990’s to her more recent critically acclaimed albums, Paula Cole continues to write, produce, record and perform heartfelt, meaningful, lasting music that defies categorization.
I Don't Want to Wait
Paula Cole Lyrics
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And say a little prayer for I
You know that if we are to stay alive
And see the peace in every eye
She had two babies
One was six months one was three
In the war of '44
Every telephone ring
Every heartbeat stinging
When she thought it was God calling her
Oh, would her son grow to know his father
I don't want to wait
For our lives to be over
I want to know right now
What will it be
I don't want to wait
For our lives to be over
Will it be yes or will it be sorry?
He showed up all wet
On the rainy front step
Wearing shrapnel in his skin
And the war he saw
Lives inside him still
It's so hard to be gentle and warm
The years passed by and now
He has a granddaughter
I don't want to wait
For our lives to be over
I want to know right now
What will it be
I don't want to wait
For our lives to be over
Will it be yes or will it be
Oh, so you look at me
From across the room
You're wearing your anguish again
Believe me I know the feeling
It sucks you into the jaws of anger
Oh, so breathe a little more deeply my love
All we have is this very moment
And I don't want to do what
His father and his father and his father did
I want to be here now
So open up your morning light
And say a little prayer for I
You know that if we are to stay alive
And see the peace in every eye
I don't want to wait
For our lives to be over
I want to know right now
What will it be
I don't want to wait
For our lives to be over
Will it be yes or will it be
I don't want to wait
For our lives to be over
I want to know right now
What will it be
I don't want to wait
For our lives to be over
Will it be yes or will it be sorry?
So open up your morning light
And say a little prayer for I
You know that if we are to stay alive
And see the love in every eye
The song "I Don't Want to Wait" by Paula Cole is a powerful track that examines the desire to live life to the fullest, to embrace the present moment and to appreciate the people and the love around us. The lyrics encourage listeners to open their hearts and minds, to cherish the time we have and to find peace within ourselves.
The song references the war of '44 and a mother who worries about her son growing up without a father. It also speaks to the PTSD experienced by a soldier and his struggle to be gentle and warm after experiencing the horrors of war. The song is a plea for understanding, for empathy, and for the freedom to make our own choices and live the lives we want.
The lyrics are poetic and touching, and the melody is hauntingly beautiful. It's a song that will resonate with anyone who has ever longed for more time, more love, and more peace in their life.
Line by Line Meaning
So open up your morning light
Begin your day with positivity and hopefulness
And say a little prayer for I
Send positive thoughts my way
You know that if we are to stay alive
It is essential for us to remain hopeful and positive
And see the peace in every eye
To achieve peace, we must see it in everyone around us
She had two babies
The subject of the song had two children
One was six months one was three
One child was six months old and the other was three years old
In the war of '44
The song is referring to a real-life war
Every telephone ring
The sound of the phone ringing causes anxiety and fear
Every heartbeat stinging
Even something as simple as a heartbeat feels painful
When she thought it was God calling her
The subject of the song felt like she was being tested by a higher power
Oh, would her son grow to know his father
The subject of the song was concerned about her children growing up fatherless
I don't want to wait
The subject of the song is becoming impatient
For our lives to be over
The subject of the song doesn't want to wait until it's too late to find out the truth
I want to know right now
The subject of the song wants to have answers immediately
What will it be
The subject of the song is referring to a decision that needs to be made
Will it be yes or will it be sorry?
The subject of the song is wondering if the decision will be positive or negative
He showed up all wet
Someone the subject of the song cares about arrived in a physical state of discomfort
On the rainy front step
He arrived at the front door in bad weather
Wearing shrapnel in his skin
He has physical reminders of past trauma
And the war he saw
The person who arrived has experienced war
Lives inside him still
He is still deeply affected by what he has experienced
It's so hard to be gentle and warm
It's difficult for him to show affection and care because of the trauma he has experienced
The years passed by and now
Time has moved on since the previous lines of the song were sung
He has a granddaughter
The person who arrived now has a granddaughter
Oh, so you look at me
The subject of the song is being addressed by someone else
From across the room
The person addressing the subject of the song is not close by
You're wearing your anguish again
The person addressing the subject of the song has visible signs of emotional distress
Believe me I know the feeling
The person addressing the subject of the song can relate to how they are feeling
It sucks you into the jaws of anger
Emotional distress can lead to anger and out of control emotions
Oh, so breathe a little more deeply my love
The person addressing the subject of the song suggests breathing exercises to calm down and relax
All we have is this very moment
Everything we have is limited to the present time
And I don't want to do what
The person addressing the subject of the song doesn't want to repeat past mistakes
His father and his father and his father did
Previous generations made mistakes that led to lasting problems
I want to be here now
The person addressing the subject of the song wants to focus on the present moment
And see the love in every eye
When looking at others, the subject of the song wants to see the good in them
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Paula Cole
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind