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.
Every Step Of The Way
John Waite Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Thinkin' 'bout you constantly
It's true that I want you
You're the meaning of success to me
Cause anything you want
You can get from me
Don't try to work it out
Just let it be
And love is free
I've been going round in circles
You're always on my mind
I need you so bad
It's driving me out of my mind
Reflected in your eyes
Can't you see
You and I against the world
Young lions roam free
You're always taking me somewhere
That I've never seen
No matter where you go
I'm with you
Every step of the way
No matter what you need
I've got more every single day
My heart is full for you
And I'm longing to find you
Every step of the way
I'm with you
Every step of the way
I'm right beside you
Cause anything you want
You can get from me
Don't try to work it out
Just let it be
Emotion has no price
And love is free
It's free and no matter where you go
I'm with you
Every step of the way
No matter what you need
I've got more every single day
My heart is full for you
In your shadow you'll find me
Every step of the way
I'm with you
Every step of the way
I'm right beside you
No matter what you do
No matter what you say
I'm right beside you
Every single day
No matter what you do
Or who you do it to
No matter where you've been
No matter what you say
Or who you say it to
No matter what you do
I will stay close to you
Every step of the way
Every single day
Every step of the way
John Waite's "Every Step of the Way" is a love ballad that encapsulates the devotion and commitment that two people in love have for each other. The singer spends his time thinking about his significant other constantly and believes that the other person is the meaning of success in his life. He is willing to give anything and everything to the other person, and he believes that love cannot be bought or sold. The phrase "young lions roam free" conveys a sense of freedom and a feeling that nothing can break the bond between the two.
The singer portrays an unwavering and unconditional love for his partner. He promises to be with her every step of the way and that he will never leave her side, no matter what she does or where she goes. He is willing to give her everything she desires, which is depicted in the line "anything you want, you can get from me."
Overall, "Every Step of the Way" is an expression of deep love and devotion that the singer has for his significant other. The love that the singer has for his love interest is an unbreakable bond that can't be bought or sold.
Line by Line Meaning
I spend my time
I devote my time
Thinkin' 'bout you constantly
Constantly having you in my thoughts
It's true that I want you
I genuinely desire you
You're the meaning of success to me
You represent success in my life
Cause anything you want
Everything you desire
You can get from me
I will provide it for you
Don't try to work it out
Don't overthink it
Just let it be
Allow it to happen naturally
Emotion has no price
Feelings cannot be bought
And love is free
Love is not something that can be purchased
I've been going round in circles
I feel like I'm stuck
You're always on my mind
I can't stop thinking about you
I need you so bad
I have a strong desire for you
It's driving me out of my mind
It's making me go crazy
Reflected in your eyes
I can see in your eyes
Can't you see
Do you not realize?
You and I against the world
We're a team, we can conquer anything
Young lions roam free
We are strong and free
You're always taking me somewhere
You're always showing me new things
That I've never seen
Things that are new to me
No matter where you go
Even if you go far away
I'm with you
I'll be with you
Every step of the way
Through every moment
No matter what you need
Anything you require
I've got more every single day
I will provide more every day
My heart is full for you
I have strong emotions towards you
And I'm longing to find you
I have a deep desire to be near you
In your shadow you'll find me
I will be by your side
No matter what you do
Regardless of your actions
No matter what you say
Regardless of your words
I'm right beside you
I'm always there for you
Every single day
Without exception
Or who you do it to
Regardless of who you treat that way
No matter where you've been
Regardless of where you've been
Or who you say it to
Regardless of who you speak those words to
I will stay close to you
I will not leave your side
Every step of the way
Through every moment
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: IVAN KRAL, JOHN CHARLES WAITE, MARK SIDGWICK
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
American Graffiti Car Oz
Chill bumps every time I hear John’s voice. 😍
MrWhiskybreath
Just discovered this gem two nights ago. WHY WASNT THIS A HIT!!!??? I never heard it once. So good.
Peter Zaenker
It was a hit, but only a more modest one.
Steve Ludwig
Waite's problems with promotion/marketing was his record labels like Chrysalis (who also hurt Jethro Tull) . If he had been on Epic/Columbia (like Eddie Money/Nugent/Aerosmith) he would have been a super star with at least 5 or 10 #1s......
3ABTPA
This is my favorite. Wish he would play it live.
Brian Shaffner
It was on MTV back in the day, and radio for a bit too, but didn't bite the way Missing You did. As good a song as it is, there was a lot of stuff that sounded kind of like this around that time. It got lost in the crowd a bit, I think.
80s Music
A great slice of melodic pop/rock from the man with the golden voice. John McCurry on guitar who later went on to play on Belinda Carlisle's late eighties hits such as Heaven and Earth. It's a cliché but Waite is truly underrated and should have had much greater success. Listening to interviews, it's clear that record company politics and bad luck conspired to mean some great songs remained under the radar without hitting the heights in the charts that they deserved.
kevin joseph
THX
Meliisa Thomas
I agree
David Balzano
This could have gone higher than 25 on Billboard. He had a number of other worthy songs (If Anyone Had a Heart Yours Would Never Be Broken, These Times are Hard For Lovers, Don't Lose Any Sleep, etc...) that also could have done better. The first Bad English album briefly brought him back to the upper reaches of the charts, but either way he is highly underrated and underappreciated!