What A Waste
Ian Dury and the Blockheads Lyrics
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I could be a poet, I wouldn't need to worry
I could be a teacher in a classroom full of scholars
I could be the sergeant in a squadron full of wallahs
What a waste
What a waste
What a waste
Because I chose to play the fool in a six-piece band
First-night nerves every one-night stand
I should be glad to be so inclined
What a waste, what a waste
Rock 'n' roll don't mind
I could be a lawyer with strategems and ruses
I could be a doctor with poultices and bruises
I could be a writer with a growing reputation
I could be the ticket man at Fulham Broadway Station
What a waste
What a waste
What a waste
What a waste
Because I chose to play the fool in a six-piece band
First-night nerves every one-night stand
I should be glad to be so inclined
What a waste, what a waste
Rock 'n' roll don't mind
I could be the catalyst that sparks the revolution
I could be an inmate in a long-term institution
I could dream to wide extremes, I could do or die
I could yawn and be withdrawn and watch them gallop by
What a waste
What a waste
What a waste
What a waste
Because I chose to play the fool in a six-piece band
First-night nerves every one-night stand
I should be glad to be so inclined
What a waste, what a waste
Rock 'n' roll don't mind
Chose to play the fool in a six-piece band
First-night nerves every one-night stand
I should be glad to be so inclined
What a waste, what a waste
Rock 'n' roll don't mind
What a waste, what a waste
Rock 'n' roll don't mind
What a waste, what a waste
Chose to play the fool in a six-piece band
First-night nerves every one-night stand
I should be glad to be so inclined
What a waste, what a waste
Rock 'n' roll don't mind
The lyrics to Ian Dury's "What A Waste" convey a sense of regret and frustration at missed opportunities and wasted potential. The singer lists various professions that they could have pursued - a driver, a poet, a teacher, a sergeant, a lawyer, a doctor, a writer, a catalyst for revolution - but instead chose to play the fool in a six-piece band, undergoing the stress of first-night nerves and one-night stands. The phrase "what a waste" is repeated throughout the song as a refrain, emphasizing the sense of loss and disappointment.
However, despite the regrets expressed in the lyrics, the singer also expresses a certain indifference towards their chosen path of being a musician. They acknowledge that they "should be glad to be so inclined," even though they recognize that they might have been able to achieve greater things in other professions. Thus, the song conveys a complex mix of emotions: regret, frustration, and resignation.
Overall, "What A Waste" is a poignant depiction of the choices we make in life and the trade-offs we have to accept. It suggests that although we may not always end up where we intended to be, we can still find some satisfaction and joy in the path we have taken.
Line by Line Meaning
I could be the driver an articulated lorry
I have the potential to do hard and difficult jobs
I could be a poet I wouldn't need to worry
I have the potential to be a great writer and express myself artistically
I could be a teacher in a classroom full of scholars
I have the potential to teach and inspire others to learn
I could be the sergeant in a squadron full of wallahs
I have the potential to lead and command a group of soldiers
What a waste
It's a pity that I'm not using my potential to its fullest
Because I chose to play the fool in a six-piece band, First-night nerves every one-night stand.
I'm wasting my potential by performing in a band and constantly experiencing the anxiety of performing
I should be glad to be so inclined.
I should be grateful to have such talents and potential
But I don't mind.
But I'm content with my current situation and don't feel the need to change anything
I could be a lawyer with strategems and ruses
I have the potential to be a lawyer and use legal strategies and tactics
I could be a doctor with poultices and bruises
I have the potential to be a doctor and heal people's wounds and injuries
I could be a writer with a growing reputation
I have the potential to be a well-known and respected writer
I could be the ticket man at Fulham Broadway Station
I have the potential to work in a basic job like selling tickets at a train station
I could be the catalyst that sparks the revolution
I have the potential to inspire and start a major social or political movement
I could be an inmate in a long-term institution
I have the potential to end up in jail or a mental institution if I don't use my potential wisely
I could dream to wide extremes, I could do or die
I have the potential to dream big and take major risks
I could yawn and be withdrawn and watch the world go by
I have the potential to become apathetic and uninvolved in the world around me
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Ian Robins Dury, Roderick Martin Melvin
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@davidharrison6615
an older bloke with polio . leg irons and a stick and the world loved him . he did more to advance disabled peoples lives than any charity ever could . he made being different "normal" . my hero . RIP Ian .
@eleanorwalmsley635
Loved him., still do
@denisghirardello8279
Ian and the Blockheads could it get any better!
@josephmurphy7768
@@denisghirardello8279 no it can't!!!lol
@paulmcpherson8512
I liked em before I heard them , back in the seventies, loved the name . Then I heard them baught every single I could get pocket money for . Hit me , still has its price tag on it 1 pound 25 pence , stockton hmv shop , happy days.
@richardwelton459
and a long time before "The Last Leg"
@davidredding1988
If you had to describe Ian and the blockheads in three words. ?? BEST OF BRITISH pure class don’t take life seriously we are all returning to the ground.
@benbrooks8412
2024 folks? Timeless absolutely timeless ❤
@tommoa1267
Quite probably the finest backing band to ever walk the earth....
@wassockfeatures
Well they went together inseparable, ian was a true prodigy, intelligent, articulate and funny.