Auerbach grew up in a family with musical roots. His second cousin once removed was the late guitarist Robert Quine, an American guitarist known for his innovative guitar solos. Auerbach became infatuated with blues music during his childhood after being exposed to old records by his father. Auerbach often uses an index finger fingerpick along with his thumb to play chords, a technique similar to many earlier blues players.
Formerly of the three piece Akron band The Barnburners from 2000 until 2002, Auerbach formed The Black Keys with drummer Patrick Carney.
Auerbach released a solo album - Keep It Hid - in 2009. Auerbach played most of the instruments on the album, with his cousin James Quine contributing rhythm guitar on two songs and harmony vocals on two more.
Waiting on a Song
Dan Auerbach Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I been pickin and I been strumming
Just waiting, waiting on a song
I been hitching and I been thumbin'
I can almost hear one coming
I'm just waiting, waiting on a song
I looked down in my pocket
Walked under the lamp post
And one hit me on the head
Am I blind or too dumb to see
All the sound surrounding me?
I'm just waiting, waiting on a song
You can look up at the stars
Bow your head and count the cars
You'll still be waiting, waiting on a song
Might be a blue bird or a crow
On a cord between two poles
They're just waiting, waiting on a song
Songs don't grow on trees
You gotta pick em' out the breeze
Fall down on your knees
And pray one comes along
When those railroad gates come down
You gotta stop and turn around
Or you'll be waiting, waiting on a song
In Dan Auerbach's song Waiting on a Song, he expresses the creative struggle of waiting for inspiration to strike. Through his use of poetic language, he portrays the anticipation and restlessness that come with waiting for that perfect song to come to mind. The opening lines convey how Auerbach has been working diligently to create and capture the right sound, yet he continues to wait patiently for that one song to resonate with him. The repetition of the phrase "waiting on a song" throughout the song highlights the central theme of waiting for inspiration.
The lyrics also touch on the idea of being in the right place at the right time, and how much of creating a song is about timing and serendipity. The line "Walked under the lamp post and one hit me on the head" portrays the idea that sometimes inspiration can come from unexpected places or at unexpected times. Auerbach also questions whether he is "blind or too dumb to see all the sound surrounding me," suggesting that sometimes we can be so focused on finding the perfect song that we fail to see the inspiration that is already around us.
Overall, Auerbach's Waiting on a Song is a relatable ode to the creative process and the ups and downs that come with it. The musical arrangement of the song, which features a blend of rock, country, and blues, perfectly captures the themes and mood of the lyrics.
Line by Line Meaning
I been thinking and been hummin'
I've been pondering and humming tunes in my mind.
I been picking and I been strumming
I've been plucking strings and playing chords on my guitar.
Just waiting, waiting on a song
I'm patiently anticipating the arrival of a new melody.
I been hitching and I been thumbin'
I've been hitchhiking and relying on luck to find inspiration.
I can almost hear one coming
I have a hunch that a new song is on the horizon.
I'm just waiting, waiting on a song
I'm eagerly awaiting the arrival of the perfect tune.
I looked down in my pocket
I searched through my belongings.
Underneath the bed
I checked under the bed for inspiration.
Walked under the lamp post
I strolled under a street lamp for a fresh perspective.
And one hit me on the head
Suddenly, a song idea came to me out of nowhere.
Am I blind or too dumb to see
Might I be unable to recognize the abundant musical potential around me?
All the sound surrounding me?
Is there music present in every aspect of life?
You can look up at the stars
You can gaze at the stars in the sky.
Bow your head and count the cars
Or you can lower your head and keep a tally of passing cars.
You'll still be waiting, waiting on a song
Either way, you'll still be eagerly waiting for the perfect tune.
Might be a blue bird or a crow
Maybe my inspiration could come from a bird flying between telephone poles.
On a cord between two poles
Sitting on a wire strung between a pair of poles.
They're just waiting, waiting on a song
Everything in life is waiting for the perfect musical inspiration to strike.
Songs don't grow on trees
It takes effort to come up with a song; they don't just appear out of nowhere.
You gotta pick em' out the breeze
One must actively seek out inspiration and musical ideas.
Fall down on your knees
One may need to plead for inspiration to a higher power or muse.
And pray one comes along
And then hope that a perfect song idea will arrive.
When those railroad gates come down
When the train tracks stop traffic, it's a sign to pause and wait for inspiration.
You gotta stop and turn around
You must stop and literally change direction to find the inspiration that's been waiting for you.
Or you'll be waiting, waiting on a song
If you don't take the chance and break from the routine, you'll keep waiting for inspiration to come to you.
Lyrics © SC PUBLISHING DBA SECRETLY CANADIAN PUB., Downtown Music Publishing
Written by: John Prine, Dan Auerbach, Patrick James McLaughlin, Ricardo Ochoa
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Pedro Rodriguez
"Waiting On A Song"
I've been thinking
I've been humming
I've been picking
And I've been strumming
Just waiting
Waiting on a song
I've been hitching
I've been thumbing
I can almost hear one coming
I'm just waiting
Waiting on a song
I look down in my pocket
Underneath the bed
I walked under a lamp post
And one hit me on the head
Am I blind or too dumb to see?
All the sounds surrounding me
I'm just waiting
Waiting on a song
You can look up at the stars
Bow your head and count the cars
You'll still be waiting
Waiting on a song
Might be a blue bird or a crow
On a cord between two posts
They're just waiting
Waiting on a song
Songs don't blow on trees
You gotta pick them out the breeze
You fall down on your knees
And pray one comes along
When those railroad gates come down
You gotta stop and turn around
Or you'll be waiting
Waiting on a song
You'll be waiting
Waiting on a song
lena pas
I been thinking and been hummin'
I been pickin and I been strumming
Just waiting, waiting on a song
I been hitching and I been thumbin'
I can almost hear one coming
I'm just waiting, waiting on a song
I looked down in my pocket
Underneath the bed
Walked under the lamp post
And one hit me on the head
Am I blind or too dumb to see
All the sound surrounding me?
I'm just waiting, waiting on a song
You can look up at the stars
Bow your head and count the cars
You'll still be waiting, waiting on a song
Might be a blue bird or a crow
On a cord between two poles
They're just waiting, waiting on a song
Songs don't grow on trees
You gotta pick em' out the breeze
Fall down on your knees
And pray one comes along
When those railroad gates come down
You gotta stop and turn around
Or you'll be waiting, waiting on a song
Ricky Moore
This could be turned into a full length movie.
reuireuiop0
On tiktok,
this is considered full time
🤣
James Botha
Yeah this is a Linklater film waiting to happen.
Liz Smith
@Heisenbrick me my bloke and our friends back in the 70's. Brings it all back.
Heisenbrick
I started getting flashbacks remembering my young teen years waiting to find an old guy to buy us liquor or cigarettes
Ian Avery-Leaf
@Emerald Archer it's not shot in beautiful anamorphic like this is though
Billy Bjork
Now this is a video with some personality. In 3 minutes you feel like you've been hanging out with these guys for years.
VHS
❤
The Perfect Magnetic
haha
Shelley Vogel
Totally agree!!!