Headley began playing the music of her native country at a young age, including calypso, reggae and soca. She moved to Fort Wayne, Indiana in the United States at the age of fifteen when her father was offered a job as pastor of McKee Street Church of God (in Anderson, Indiana).
After graduating from Northrop High School, Headley attended Northwestern University to study communications and musical theatre. In 1997, she played Nala in The Lion King, the Broadway musical. Headley's performance was well-received and she then originated the title role in the Broadway adaptation of Aida, earning the Tony Award for Best Actress in 1999.
Headley released her debut album, This Is Who I Am, in October 2002 on RCA Records. Although its first single, "He Is", was not very successful, the second single, "I Wish I Wasn't", achieved moderate success and earned her a Grammy Award nomination for Best Female R&B Vocal Performance. Headley was also nominated for Best New Artist.
On September 6, 2003, Headley married Brian Musso, formerly of the New York Jets. Her second album, In My Mind, was delayed due to the various executive shake-ups associated with RCA parent BMG's merger with Sony, and Headley joked that it should have been called Caught Up instead. Under BMG North America chairman/CEO Clive Davis for the first time, Headley released the album in January 2006. The title track was released as the first single; it was produced by India.Arie collaborator Shannon Sanders, and its music video was directed by Diane Martel. The song reached number-one on the U.S. Hot Dance Music/Club Play chart.
Wait A Minute
Heather Headley Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Wait a minute
I've been calling out to you
There's nothing more you can say to make me stay
This time I swear I'll stand firm to my word
Wait a minute
I've cried my last cry
For the last time
I've hurt for too long, boy, now you've got to pay
I gotta' dozen things on my mind
Issues with you are the first in line
I never thought it would be true
I was labeled a fool for chasing after you
Shoulda' known what to do
Repercussions all because of you
Manipulating
Aggravating
All of these things come to mind
But
[Chorus]
I've wasted far too much time boy
Blaming myself when you're wrong
Can't go on
Year after year
And if you really, really loved me, like you say you do
You woulda' took up for my heart
From the start
Instead, you led me on
Tell me why
[Bridge]
Now I understand why
You strayed away day after day
You just weren't the man that
Was meant to be
For me
For me
[Chorus]
The lyrics of Heather Headley's song, Wait A Minute, unveil a woman's decision to stand firm to her word after being hurt for too long. The chorus reveals that she's been calling out to her lover, but he has given her too many reasons to walk away. She's done with the relationship and doesn't want any more excuses. She asserts that he can't make her stay. The woman had a series of issues voicing out in her mind, and the problems with her lover top the list. She had thought she would never fall for someone like him, yet now she's been labeled a fool for chasing after him. The result of the agony she went through, the repercussions, all because of him. Manipulating and aggravating, she remembers all he has done to her, and so she's decided to call it quits.
Furthermore, it becomes evident that the woman had been blaming herself for many of her lover's transgressions, but now she accepts that she's wasted too much time, year after year, trying to make the relationship work. If her lover genuinely loved her, like he claims he does, he would have taken her heart's care from the start instead of trying to lead her on. In the bridge, she comes to a realization that her lover wasn't the man meant for her, and all along, he just strayed away day after day. It's evident that the woman has had enough, and she's done with the hurt.
Line by Line Meaning
Wait a minute
Hold on a moment
I've been calling out to you
I've been reaching out to you, but you haven't been there for me
There's nothing more you can say to make me stay
I've heard enough excuses, I'm leaving
This time I swear I'll stand firm to my word
I'm not going to back down this time
I've cried my last cry
I've shed too many tears over you
For the last time
This is the end
See you've stayed away a day too late
You took too long to come back to me
I've hurt for too long, boy, now you've got to pay
You caused me pain for too long, and now it's your turn to suffer
I gotta' dozen things on my mind
I have a lot of things to think about
Issues with you are the first in line
My problems with you are my biggest concern
I never thought it would be true
I never expected you to hurt me like this
I was labeled a fool for chasing after you
People criticized me for putting so much effort into our relationship
Shoulda' known what to do
I should have recognized the signs and ended things sooner
Repercussions all because of you
The consequences of our relationship are your fault
Manipulating
You played games with my heart
Aggravating
You made things worse
All of these things come to mind
I can't stop thinking about all the ways you hurt me
I've wasted far too much time boy
I spent too much of my life on you
Blaming myself when you're wrong
I took responsibility for your mistakes
Can't go on
I can't continue this way
Year after year
I've been putting up with this for too long
And if you really, really loved me, like you say you do
If you truly cared about me, you would have treated me better
You woulda' took up for my heart
You would have protected my feelings
From the start
You should have been considerate of my emotions from the beginning
Instead, you led me on
You gave me false hope
Tell me why
Explain yourself
Now I understand why
I finally see why things didn't work out
You strayed away day after day
You were never really committed to me
You just weren't the man that
You weren't the right person
Was meant to be
We were never meant to be together
For me
I deserve better
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: SHEP CRAWFORD, DANNY NIXON, TAMARA SAVAGE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind