Waste of Time
Eliza Doolittle | www.AudioCastle.net Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

What a waste of time
Precious little time
but I'll waste some of yours babe
If you waste some of mine

What a waste of time
Precious little time
but I'll waste some of yours babe
If you waste some of mine

There's a moment that feels like a-nothing
until it's passed away
There's a glow and it won't last forever
think about it every day

I don't know what you see in me
I don't know why you stay
Cause you don't owe me nothing
but you give it to me anyway

What a waste of time
Precious little time
but I'll waste some of yours babe
If you waste some of mine
What a waste of time
Precious little time
but I'll waste some of yours babe
If you waste some of mine

So you think that it's not really working
Well darling look again
It's imperfect and that's why it's perfect
other colours are so plain

You don't always see the best in me
and I don't know what to say
Cause you don't owe me nothing
but you give it to me anyway

What a waste of time
Precious little time
but I'll waste some of yours babe
If you waste some of mine
What a waste of time
Precious little time
but I'll waste some of yours babe
If you waste some of mine

Cause I know what I got and it's setting me free
Anything that you want then I'm happy to be
cause if I don't have your face then there's nothing to see

So baby please don't leave me
Baby please don't leave me
Baby never never never never leave me

What a waste of time
Precious little time
but I'll waste some of yours babe
If you waste some of mine

What a waste of time
Precious little time




but I'll waste some of yours babe
If you waste some of mine

Overall Meaning

The song "Waste of Time" by Eliza Doolittle, on the surface, appears to be a catchy pop track about idle moments in life. However, on closer inspection, the lyrics hint at a deeper theme. Doolittle seems to be urging her significant other not to give up on their relationship, even though it might seem like the good times have passed, and they are merely wasting each other's time. The lines "I don't know why you stay/Cause you don't owe me nothing/ but you give it to me anyway" suggest that the singer is aware of the frailties of their relationship but is grateful for the love they share, even if it is fleeting.


The lines "It's imperfect, and that's why it's perfect/other colours are so plain" reflect an idea that is central to the song's theme: that the imperfections of relationships are what make them special, and worth fighting for. The singer seems to be aware that her relationship is not perfect, but she is willing to dedicate her time and effort to it. The song's overall message is that, in life, time is a precious commodity, and it is essential to spend it on what truly matters, such as love.


Line by Line Meaning

What a waste of time
The moment feels insignificant and useless, but it is still time that could have been used for something else.


Precious little time
Time is a valuable resource and should not be wasted.


but I'll waste some of yours babe
I am willing to take up your time without thinking about its worth.


If you waste some of mine
I will only give you my time if you are willing to waste some of it.


There's a moment that feels like a-nothing
Some moments may seem insignificant or unimportant at first.


until it's passed away
But once it has passed, it can never be reclaimed or used again.


There's a glow and it won't last forever
Some moments have a brightness or beauty that won't last forever.


think about it every day
However, these moments can still be cherished and remembered every day.


I don't know what you see in me
I am uncertain about why you value me or why you choose to stay with me.


I don't know why you stay
I am unsure about the reasons that you choose to remain in my life or continue our relationship.


Cause you don't owe me nothing
You don't have an obligation to me or any reason to be with me.


but you give it to me anyway
Yet, you still choose to dedicate your time and energy towards our relationship.


So you think that it's not really working
You may believe that our relationship is not successful or effective.


Well darling look again
I encourage you to take a closer look and see the beauty in our imperfect relationship.


It's imperfect and that's why it's perfect
Our flaws and imperfections make our relationship unique and special.


other colours are so plain
Compared to us, other relationships are dull and ordinary.


You don't always see the best in me
There may be times when you don't view me in the most positive light.


and I don't know what to say
I may not have a response or solution to this issue.


Cause you don't owe me nothing
Again, you have no obligation to me and don't need to view me in a positive light.


but you give it to me anyway
However, you still choose to show me love and care despite my imperfections.


Cause I know what I got and it's setting me free
I understand what I have in our relationship and it brings me freedom and happiness.


Anything that you want then I'm happy to be
I am content and willing to provide anything you desire in our relationship.


cause if I don't have your face then there's nothing to see
You are the most important thing in my life and without you, everything else is meaningless.


So baby please don't leave me
I am anxious about the possibility of losing you.


Baby please don't leave me
I beg you to stay with me and continue our relationship.


Baby never never never never leave me
Please never leave me, as I cannot imagine my life without you.




Contributed by Hailey S. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
To comment on or correct specific content, highlight it

Genre not found
Artist not found
Album not found
Song not found
Most interesting comment from YouTube:

Yessica Paola Cristancho Vargas

What a waste of time
Precious little time
But I'll waste some of yours babe
If you waste some of mine

What a waste of time
Precious little time
But I'll waste some of yours babe
If you waste some of mine

There's a moment that feels like a-nothing
Until it's passed away
There's a glow and it won't last forever
Think about it every day

I don't know what you see in me
I don't know why you stay
'Cause you don't owe me nothing
But you give it to me anyway

What a waste of time
Precious little time
But I'll waste some of yours babe
If you waste some of mine

What a waste of time
Precious little time
But I'll waste some of yours babe
If you waste some of mine

So you think that it's not really working
Well darling look again
It's imperfect and that's why it's perfect
Other colors are so plain

You don't always see the best in me
And I don't know what to say
'Cause you don't owe me nothing
But you give it to me anyway

What a waste of time
Precious little time
But I'll waste some of yours babe
If you waste some of mine

What a waste of time
Precious little time
But I'll waste some of yours babe
If you waste some of mine

'Cause I know what I got and it's setting me free
Anything that you want then I'm happy to be
'Cause if I don't have your face then there's nothing to see

So baby please don't leave me
Baby please don't leave me
Baby never never never never leave me

Yeah yeah yeah yeah
Yeah yeah yeah yeah
Yeah yeah yeah yeah
Yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah

What a waste of time
Precious little time
But I'll waste some of yours babe
If you waste some of mine

What a waste of time
Precious little time
But I'll waste some of yours babe
If you waste some of mine



All comments from YouTube:

ELIZA

Thank you so much for tuning in and for all your love on Waste of Time! Love Eliza xxx

Faith

She needs more recognition!!!

Ellie C-S

Fell in love with this song from the first word! Eliza you never fail to make amazing music! You are a true inspiration :) x

Rebekah P

This is beyond beautiful. Her voice is impeccable

Mariam

Eliza's voice is amazing, in my opinion she always delivers.

Martina Hungria

I'm from Brasil and I LOVE your music!!! Never stop, please :)

María Sánchez

Otra maravillosa canción. Me encanta. Gracias Eliza :)

Ellie Stammers

An amazing song, hopefully this will be played on the radio often!!!

Giovanna Franyuti

This has now become my new favorite song :) I totally adore Eliza's music. Greatings from Mexico!

theopacalypse

Loving her album only if I had access to purchasing it....she deserves a million views....much love from ghana

More Comments

More Versions