Born in East Finchley, Middlesex, Michael rose to fame after forming the pop duo Wham! with Andrew Ridgeley in 1981. Their first two albums, "Fantastic" (1983) and "Make It Big" (1984), reached number one on the US Billboard 200 and UK Albums Chart. They had commercial success with singles "Wham Rap! (Enjoy What You Do)", "Young Guns (Go for It)", "Bad Boys", "Club Tropicana", "Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go", "Last Christmas", "Everything She Wants", “Freedom”, and “I'm Your Man”. Their 1985 tour in China was the first by a Western popular music act and generated worldwide media coverage. Michael took part in Band Aid's UK number-one single "Do They Know It's Christmas?" in 1984 and performed at the following year's Live Aid concert.
Michael's first solo single, "Careless Whisper" (1984), reached number one in over 20 countries, including the UK and US. The second solo single, "A Different Corner", also reached number one in 1986. After Wham! disbanded that year, Michael released the number-one duet with Aretha Franklin, "I Knew You Were Waiting (For Me)". His debut solo album, "Faith" (1987), stayed at number one on the Billboard 200 for 12 weeks and topped the UK Albums Chart. It is one of the best-selling albums of all time, having sold over 25 million copies worldwide. The singles "Faith", "Father Figure", "One More Try", and "Monkey" reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100. Michael became the best-selling music artist of 1988, and "Faith" was awarded Album of the Year at the 1989 Grammy Awards. Michael's second solo album, "Listen Without Prejudice Vol. 1" (1990), was also a number one in the UK and yielded the Billboard Hot 100 number one "Praying for Time" and the worldwide hit "Freedom! '90". Michael went on to release a series of multimillion-selling albums, including "Older" (1996), "Ladies & Gentlemen: The Best of George Michael" (1998), "Songs from the Last Century" (1999), "Patience" (2004), and "Twenty Five" (2006). The albums earned him multiple hits such as "Jesus to a Child", "Fastlove", "Outside", "Amazing", and "An Easier Affair".
Michael came out as gay in 1998 and was an active LGBT rights campaigner and HIV/AIDS charity fundraiser. His personal life, drug use, and legal troubles made headlines following an arrest for public lewdness in 1998 and multiple drug-related offenses. The 2005 documentary "A Different Story" covered his career and personal life. Michael's "25 Live" tour spanned three tours from 2006 to 2008. Michael fell into a coma in 2011 during a bout with pneumonia but later recovered. He performed his final concert at London's Earls Court in 2012. Michael died of heart disease on Christmas Day in 2016 at his home in Goring-on-Thames, Oxfordshire.
Full Wikipedia article: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Michael
Solo discography
Faith (1987)
Listen Without Prejudice Vol. 1 (1990)
Older (1996)
Songs from the Last Century (1999)
Patience (2004)
Wham! discography
Fantastic (1983)
Make It Big (1984)
Music from the Edge of Heaven (1986)
Waiting for That Day
George Michael Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
They crack a smile, talk a while
Try to take your place
My memory serves me far too well
I just sit here on this mountain thinking to myself
You're a fool boy
Why don't you go down
Find somebody else
My memory (my memory) serves me far too well
It's not as though we just broke up
It's not as though it was yesterday, yeah
But something I just can't explain
Something in me needs this pain
I know I'll never see your face again
(Uh, uh, uh, uh) c'mon now
(Uh, uh, uh, uh) I've got to be strong now
Now everybody's talking about this new decade
Like you say the magic numbers
Then just say goodbye to the stupid mistakes you made
Oh my memory (oh, my memory) serves me far too well
Don't you know that
The years will come and go
Some of us will change our lives
Some of us still have nothing to show
Nothing, baby (nothing, baby)
But memories (but memories)
And if these wounds
They are self-inflicted
I don't really know
How my poor heart could have protected me
But if I have to carry this pain
If you will not share the blame
I deserve to see your face again
(Uh, uh, uh, uh) c'mon now
(Uh, uh, uh, uh) you don't have to be so strong now
Come back, come back, come back, come back
Come back, come back, come back
Oh, come back to me darling
I will make it worth your while
Come back to your baby
I miss your kiss
I miss your smile
Seems to me the peace I search to find
Ain't going to be mine until you say you will
Don't you keep me waiting for that day (uh, uh, uh, uh)
I know, I know, I know you hear these words that I say
(Uh, uh, uh, uh)
I know, I know, I know
You can't always get what you want
You can't always get what you want
You can't always get what you want
You can't always get what you want, oh
Come back, come back, come back, come back
Come back, come back, come back
The lyrics of "Waiting for That Day" by George Michael reflect on the aftermath of a breakup where the singer is unable to forget their former lover. The song opens with the singer seeing reminders of their ex in everyday life and wanting to move on, but memories seem to hold them back. Michael sings that seeing your ex in someone else's face is agony, but despite the singer's intelligence and memories, they remain unable to forget their ex. The song touches on how the pain of the breakup remains and affects every aspect of their life despite time and distance. The chorus signals that the singer craves reconciliation, saying that they know they cannot always get what they want but plead for their beloved to return.
One of the most striking aspects of the songwriting is the use of repetition, which gives the song an anthemic feel. The line "My memory serves me far too well" is repeated twice, driving home the theme of the power of memory in determining one's emotions. Michael also references the transition to a new decade and the hope it represents. However, the singer realizes that the memories they carry with them may never change, and only a reunion with the one they love will bring them peace.
Overall, "Waiting for That Day" is a relatable song about the aftermath of heartbreak and the impact of memories on one's life. The singer is shown to be a flawed and vulnerable character that tries to move on and forget but ultimately remains unsuccessful. The chorus is a plea for a reunion, which shows a willingness to return to something toxic instead of letting go.
Line by Line Meaning
So every day I see you in some other face
The singer sees their past love in every new person they meet.
They crack a smile, talk a while
These new people interact socially with the singer.
Try to take your place
The singer perceives these new people as potential replacements for their old love.
My memory serves me far too well
The singer remembers their old love and past relationship in vivid detail.
I just sit here on this mountain thinking to myself
The singer calmly ponders their situation in isolation.
You're a fool boy
The singer acknowledges the foolishness of continuing to dwell on lost love.
Why don't you go down
The singer suggests that it is time to move on.
Find somebody
The singer needs to find a new love interest.
Find somebody else
The new love interest should be someone different than the past love.
It's not as though we just broke up
The singer realizes it has been some time since the relationship ended.
It's not as though it was yesterday, yeah
The singer acknowledges that the past is in the past.
But something I just can't explain
The singer is still haunted by memories of the past love.
Something in me needs this pain
The singer has some emotional attachment to the pain they feel about losing their past love.
I know I'll never see your face again
The singer is certain that they will never reunite with their past love.
C'mon now
An expression of encouragement.
I've got to be strong now
The singer needs to be emotionally strong to move on from the past love.
Now everybody's talking about this new decade
People are currently discussing the upcoming decade.
Like you say the magic numbers
People are attributing some special significance to certain years or numbers.
Then just say goodbye to the stupid mistakes you made
It is a new decade and time to leave the past mistakes behind.
Oh my memory serves me far too well
The singer is once again reminded of past memories.
Don't you know that the years will come and go
The singer acknowledges that time will continue moving forward.
Some of us will change our lives
Some people will make significant changes in their lives.
Some of us still have nothing to show
Some people may stagnate and not achieve anything notable.
Nothing, baby
There may be no tangible progress or results.
But memories
The only comfort may be looking back on memories.
And if these wounds They are self-inflicted
The singer acknowledges that they may have caused their own emotional pain.
I don't really know How my poor heart could have protected me
The singer is uncertain about how to shield themselves from further emotional pain.
But if I have to carry this pain
The singer is willing to continue carrying emotional pain.
If you will not share the blame
The singer believes that both parties are partially responsible for the failed relationship.
I deserve to see your face again
The singer believes they have earned closure in the form of seeing their past love again.
Come back, come back, come back, come back
The singer pleads with their past love to return.
Oh, come back to me darling
The singer addresses their past love affectionately.
I will make it worth your while
The singer promises to make the reunion worth their while.
Come back to your baby
The singer refers to themselves as their past love's 'baby'.
I miss your kiss I miss your smile
The singer misses the physical and emotional aspects of their past love.
Seems to me the peace I search to find
The singer is ultimately seeking inner peace.
Ain't going to be mine until you say you will
The singer believes that seeing their past love again is necessary for achieving peace.
Don't you keep me waiting for that day
The singer implores their past love to reunite with them without delay.
You can't always get what you want
The singer acknowledges the difficulty of getting what one desires.
Oh
An expression of frustration or disappointment.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Abkco Music Inc., Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: George Michael, Keith Richards, Mick Jagger
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind