Waite was born in Lancaster, and was educated at Lancaster Art College (The Storey Institute).
Waite first came to attention as the lead singer and bassist of The Babys, a British rock band which had moderate chart success, including two pop hits that both coincidentally peaked at No. 13 on the Billboard Hot 100, "Isn't It Time" (1977) and "Everytime I Think of You" (1979), and a solid following of their concert tours. Over the course of five years, the band produced five albums ending with the final album On the Edge in October 1980, after which the group disbanded.
Waite subsequently launched his solo career with his 1982 debut album Ignition, which produced the hit single "Change". The Chrysalis 45 failed to chart on Billboard's Hot 100 during its initial release (June 1982) but was a top track on AOR radio stations, as well as a very popular music video on MTV as the 'new' cable channel celebrated its first full year of operation. The song was originally recorded in 1981 by another band, and in 1985 was included on the platinum selling Vision Quest soundtrack. When the single was reissued, it reached the Top 50 on the Hot 100. "Going to the Top" was released as the original follow-up single to "Change".
His next album, No Brakes, resulted in international attention. It was a Top 10 Billboard album in the US due to the smash hit "Missing You" which went to No. 1 on the US Billboard Hot 100 singles chart.[4] It knocked Tina Turner's "What's Love Got To Do With It?" out of No. 1. For that very reason, Turner later recorded and released Waite's smash song herself. (Turner's single peaked at No. 84 on Billboard's Hot 100 in 1996.) "Missing You" also hit No. 1 on Billboard's Album Rock Tracks as well as the Top 10 of Billboard's Adult Contemporary chart. No Brakes sold over a million and a half US copies yet has never been certified above the RIAA Gold standard (a record company must apply to the RIAA for such certification). Two more singles from No Brakes followed, including "Tears" which was a Top 10 hit on the Billboard Mainstream Rock charts.
The next album Mask of Smiles followed in 1985 featuring the hit single "Every Step of the Way". Another single, "If Anybody Had a Heart", was released from the soundtrack of the 1986 film About Last Night.... In 1987, Rover's Return was released with the single "These Times Are Hard For Lovers". Waite would have another soundtrack appearance in 1990 from Days of Thunder with "Deal for Life"
In 1988, Waite joined former Babys bandmates Jonathan Cain and Ricky Phillips, along with Neal Schon from Journey and drummer Deen Castronovo, to form the supergroup Bad English. In 1989, the Bad English ballad "When I See You Smile" (penned by Diane Warren) went to No. 1 on Billboard's Hot 100 and earned a Gold-certified single. Its parent album reached Billboard's Top Five and sold nearly two million copies in the United States alone. Bad English released two albums before tensions amongst the members led to the band's dissolution by 1992.
Waite returned to solo work. He released the album Rough And Tumble. He has continued to tour, such as in 2003 with Ringo Starr & His All-Starr Band
In 2006, "Missing You" was released as a duet with Alison Krauss and reached the Top 40 on the Country Charts in the United States. Waite appeared with Krauss on The Tonight Show on 5 February 2007 to perform the song. Waite's songs have reappeared in other media as well: 2013 saw "Missing You" featured heavily in the movie Warm Bodies, and "Change" is on the soundtrack of the US movie Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues.
In 2008 he recorded a guest vocal on the track "In God's Shadow" from the Keith Reid Project's The Common Thread.
Waite appears as himself and performs two songs in the 2010 feature film, New Day, from L'Oiseau Blanc Films.
In 2011 the title track from his tenth solo album Rough and Tumble went number one on Classic Rock radio.
A longtime resident of New York City, Waite now lives in Santa Monica, California. John Waite is divorced.
Encircled
John Waite Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I held a compass in my hand
I had three wishes for a future
That I won't need to understand
And I've got holly green on blood red
Manhattan Christmas on my arm
My soul ain't worth saving
And I've been living in the gutter
I've been loaded like a gun
I've been sliding down the mountain
And it feels like kingdom come
And I'm always fighting windmills
Have to take it as it comes
See I'm
I'm encircled
I am
If you want me tell me
'Cause I can't play this game much longer
Feels a lot like oblivion
This feeling just keeps getting stronger
And I've been living in the gutter
Without American Express
Heroes changing horses midstream
I'm detached
I'm second-guessed
Won't you please come back and get me
My whole world is in a mess
See I'm
I'm encircled
This time I am
I'm encircled
In these days of wild roses
I'm encircled
Yeah
And I've been living in the gutter
I've been loaded like a gun
I've been sliding down the mountain
And it feels like kingdom come
And I'm always fighting windmills
Have to take it as it comes
See I'm encircled
This time I am
I'm encircled
I am
In these days of wild roses
The opening line "In these days of wild roses" sets the tone for the song. It is a metaphor for the unpredictable nature of life, with its joys and sorrows. The singer describes holding a compass in his hand while he has three wishes for the future. He is unsure of what he wishes for, but he knows that he does not need to understand it. This suggests a sense of helplessness and confusion, unsure of what direction to take in life.
The chorus "I'm encircled" is repeated throughout the song, conveying a feeling of being trapped or stuck in a situation that is beyond the singer's control. The lyrics describe living in the gutter, feeling lost without his lucky charm, and always fighting windmills. Windmills, in this context, could be seen as representing obstacles or challenges in life.
The singer also alludes to being detached and second-guessed, suggesting a sense of isolation and loneliness. The line "Heroes changing horses midstream" could imply a sense of betrayal or disappointment in those who were once looked up to as role models.
Overall, the song conveys a sense of uncertainty, confusion, and feeling trapped in a situation that is out of one's control. The metaphor of wild roses and the repeated theme of being encircled suggest that life is unpredictable and that the singer is struggling to find a way out.
Line by Line Meaning
In these days of wild roses
Amidst times of beauty and chaos
I held a compass in my hand
I had a sense of direction, a plan
I had three wishes for a future
I had hopes and dreams for what was to come
That I won't need to understand
I hoped for a future that didn't require explanation or justification
And I've got holly green on blood red
I have tattoos that symbolize both life and death
Manhattan Christmas on my arm
I bear a permanent mark of a memory of New York in the winter
My soul ain't worth saving
I don't believe myself to be redeemable or worthy of salvation
Feels like I've lost my lucky charm
It seems as if I've lost my favorable circumstances or fortunes
And I've been living in the gutter
I have been living in a low, undesirable state
I've been loaded like a gun
I have been carrying a heavy burden or responsibility
I've been sliding down the mountain
I have been losing my footing or success
And it feels like kingdom come
It feels like a reckoning or judgment day
And I'm always fighting windmills
I'm constantly battling things that are imaginary or hopeless causes
Have to take it as it comes
I must accept things as they are without question or alteration
See I'm
I'm encircled
I am trapped or confined
If you want me tell me
If you desire me, communicate it to me clearly
'Cause I can't play this game much longer
I can't continue with this uncertain, difficult situation for much longer
Feels a lot like oblivion
It feels like everything is disappearing or forgotten
This feeling just keeps getting stronger
This intense emotion is growing more intense
Without American Express
I am without financial support or resources
Heroes changing horses midstream
People who are supposed to protect or assist are changing their minds or actions abruptly
I'm detached
I'm second-guessed
I am emotionally detached from others and my own decisions, and doubt my choices
Won't you please come back and get me
I am asking for help or support to be rescued from my current situation
My whole world is in a mess
Everything in my life is disordered, in chaos
I'm encircled
This time I am
I am trapped or confined, even more so than before
And I've been living in the gutter
I have been living in a low, undesirable state
I've been loaded like a gun
I have been carrying a heavy burden or responsibility
I've been sliding down the mountain
I have been losing my footing or success
And it feels like kingdom come
It feels like a reckoning or judgment day
And I'm always fighting windmills
I'm constantly battling things that are imaginary or hopeless causes
Have to take it as it comes
I must accept things as they are without question or alteration
See I'm encircled
This time I am
I am trapped or confined, even more so than before
In these days of wild roses
Amidst times of beauty and chaos
I'm encircled
I am trapped or confined
Yeah
An expression of agreement or confirmation
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: JOHN MCCURRY, JOHN REGAN, JOHN WAITE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind