Erasure entered the music scene in 1985 with their debut single "Who Needs Love (Like That)". Beginning in late 1986 with the release of their single Sometimes, Erasure established themselves on the British charts; albums such as The Circus, Wild!, Chorus, I Say I Say I Say, Loveboat and Nightbird demonstrated a further diversity of sound.
The album that boosted their career tremendously was The Innocents, which was released in 1988. A Little Respect and Chains of Love both hit the Billboard Top 100. Most people will probably remember Erasure for A Little Respect, which became one of their signature songs.
Clarke formerly was a member of Depeche Mode and later had a successful career with the duo Yazoo (known as Yaz in the US). Later he split with Yazoo partner Alison Moyet and briefly formed The Assembly with producer Eric Radcliffe. After a successful Assembly single ("Never Never"), Clarke released an unsuccessful one-off single with vocalist Paul Quinn ("One Day"). He then placed a blind advertisement in Melody Maker looking for a vocalist for a new musical project. He selected Andy Bell, who was the forty-first to audition (and whose voice would often be compared to Moyet's). From the start, their success was founded upon their songwriting skills. Clarke's talent for writing melodic, catchy pop songs was evident from his years with Depeche Mode and Yazoo. Bell's gifts as a lyricist and melodist added depth and character to Clarke's style (additionally, Bell was openly gay from the beginning, and he reflected this in his lyrics at a time when society as a whole was more ignorant around queer issues than it is today - making Erasure's success all the more phenomenal). As pop craftsmen, the pair's work bears comparison with that of Depeche Mode, Pet Shop Boys, Eurythmics, OMD, Alphaville, a-ha, Roxette and other pop songwriters.
Though their productivity and record sales declined beginning in the second half of the 1990s, Erasure scored at least one Top 30 hit with the release of every new album. Few electronic bands have demonstrated the durability of Erasure.
In 2005 Erasure made a comeback with their number one position on the US Dance Chart, eighteen years after their first chart-topper. This success was mirrored in the UK with the debut single from Nightbird ("Breathe") reaching number four in the charts. Erasure also enabled fans to configure and buy their own remixes of the single 'Don't Say You Love Me' through the band website. Each variant of the song was limited to a single download.
2006 saw the release of the album Union Street, which features a collection of previously released Erasure songs that the band have reinterpreted with an acoustic / country & western style. The album is named after the recording studio in Brooklyn where it was recorded.
A new album, Light at the End of the World, was released in 2007.
Waiting for the Day
Erasure Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
That I asked you to come in
But you brought me tumbling down
And the walls came caving in
Won`t you help me dry my tears
Help me roll away the years
Then perhaps I will forgive you
But in a fit of blind arrogance
You stood up and walked away
If you`d given me half a chance
I`ll be waiting for the day
For the day that you come back to me
Come on back to me
You come back to me
So forget the long goodbye
You never really tried
Threw the keys down on the table
You`ve got your sense of pride
Then you had to tell the world
Your story must be heard
Slammed the door behind you
Without a single word
But in a fit of blind arrogance
You stood up and walked away
The day that you come back to me
Come on back to me
You come back to me
Come back to me
You come back to me
No I never had a single thought in my head
No I never had a single thought
Oh for the day that you come back to me
Come on back to me
You come back to me
Come on back to me
You could be my life long friend
You could be the light of dawn
You could keep me close at hand
You could keep me safe and warm
I will be your fantasy
If you come and stay with me
I will try to give you all
Waiting for the night to fall
You could be the light of day
You could be my life long friend
You could keep me close at hand
Waiting for the day to end
I will be your fantasy
If you come and stay with me
I will try to give my all
Waiting for the night to fall
The lyrics of Erasure's song Waiting for the Day depict the singer's plea for their lover to come back to them. The song begins with the singer admitting that they only invited their lover in for a fight, but in the heat of the moment, their walls came caving in, and they are left in tears. The singer asks for their lover's forgiveness so that they both can move past the hurt. However, their lover's blind arrogance prompts them to walk away without a second thought. The singer is left waiting for the day when their lover will return to them, even though they doubt that it will ever occur.
The second verse of the song portrays the singer's frustration with their lover's lack of effort in making the relationship work. The lover never tried to work things out and, instead, opted for a long goodbye without a word. The singer is left hurt and wishing that their lover would return, as they were once the light of their dawn, a lifelong friend, and provided them with safety and warmth.
Overall, the song represents the raw emotions that come with a relationship that falls apart. It's evident that the singer is still in love and longs for their lover to come back. However, they also acknowledge that their lover might never come back, leaving them waiting for the day in vain.
Line by Line Meaning
It was only for a fight
I requested you to come in only for a quarrel
That I asked you to come in
I invited you to enter for an argument
But you brought me tumbling down
But you caused me to fall apart
And the walls came caving in
And everything fell apart around me
Won`t you help me dry my tears
Can't you help me wipe away my tears?
Help me roll away the years
Assist me in forgetting the past
Then perhaps I will forgive you
Maybe then I can pardon you
And the hurt will disappear
And the pain will fade away
But in a fit of blind arrogance
However, in an outburst of conceit
You stood up and walked away
You got up and left without a word
If you`d given me half a chance
If only you had offered me a second opportunity
I`ll be waiting for the day
I will be waiting for the day to come
For the day that you come back to me
For the day that you return to me
So forget the long goodbye
So let's forget about the lengthy farewell
You never really tried
You never really made an effort
Threw the keys down on the table
You threw the keys on the table
You`ve got your sense of pride
You have your self-respect
Then you had to tell the world
Then you had to reveal to everyone
Your story must be heard
That your narrative must be heard
Slammed the door behind you
You slammed the door behind you
Without a single word
Without speaking a word
The day that you come back to me
The day that you come back to me
No I never had a single thought in my head
No, I never had a single thought in my head
No I never had a single thought
No, I never gave you a moment's thought
Oh for the day that you come back to me
Oh, for the day when you return to me
You could be my life long friend
You could be my companion for life
You could be the light of dawn
You could be the source of hope and light
You could keep me close at hand
You could be constantly near me
You could keep me safe and warm
You could provide safety and warmth for me
I will be your fantasy
I will be your dream come true
If you come and stay with me
If you come and live with me
I will try to give you all
I will put in my best effort to provide everything
Waiting for the night to fall
Anticipating the arrival of nighttime
You could be the light of day
You could be a ray of sunshine in my life
Waiting for the day to end
Waiting for the day to finish
Lyrics © OBO APRA/AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind