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.
Godhead
John Waite Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
'Til the sun breaks through again
Down into nothing as I lose myself
In the perfections of Zen
She said: I got the answer
I said: I'm curious, can you write that down my friend
It said there's nothing in the real world
So why should we pretend zero?
Godhead
We got nothing
We got everything
I took a page out of Unpunished
And I flew a paper plane
But there is nothing in the real world
But the cool, cool, cool of soul
And I've got nothing in my pockets
But lose change and gold zero!
And I'm trying to get somewhere
In a room with glow
The church mice are singing now
What John Lee Hooker knows
Godhead
We got nothing
We got everything
I'm falling backwards in her mirrored room
In her mirrored room tonight
She looks so good
And I feel fine
As she says we might make it to Godhead
The song "Godhead" by John Waite is a contemplative piece that explores the idea of nirvana, or ultimate enlightenment, and the various ideologies that seek to achieve it. The opening lines of the song assert that the singer does not subscribe to any particular religious tradition or philosophical system--there is no Krishna, Buddha, or Jesus in his soul. However, he is still drawn to the idea of transcendence, and seeks it out through the "perfections of Zen."
The singer then recounts a conversation he had with someone who offered an answer to the question of what this transcendence might entail. The answer was simple: there is nothing in the "real world" to hold onto, so why pretend that there is? This sentiment echoes the Buddhist concept of "emptiness," in which all phenomena are ultimately devoid of inherent existence. The singer contemplates this idea further, flying a paper plane and realizing that there is nothing in the world to hold onto except for the "cool of soul"--the ultimate nature of reality.
The chorus of the song features the word "Godhead," which can be interpreted as a reference to the ultimate state of being or consciousness that many spiritual traditions aim for. The singer states that we have nothing and everything--there is no inherent meaning or purpose to existence, but there is the potential for enlightenment and the experience of profound joy and peace. In the third verse, the singer finds himself in a room with a woman who seems to embody this idea of transcendence. He falls "backwards" into her "mirrored room," seemingly surrendering himself to the possibility of achieving Godhead.
Overall, "Godhead" is a thought-provoking song that encourages listeners to contemplate the nature of existence and the search for meaning and fulfillment. Through its references to various spiritual traditions and its exploration of emptiness and transcendence, the song offers a compelling meditation on the human condition.
Line by Line Meaning
No Krishna, Buddha, Jesus in my soul
The singer does not have any particular religious affiliation or connection to any higher power.
'Til the sun breaks through again
Waiting for a metaphorical light to shine and bring positivity back in life.
Down into nothing as I lose myself
Diving into a deeper state of meditation and detachment from the world.
In the perfections of Zen
Finding inner peace, stillness and calmness by incorporating Zen practices.
She said: I got the answer
Someone told the artist they found the answer to life's questions.
I said: I'm curious, can you write that down my friend
Asking for the answer to be recorded for future reflection.
It said there's nothing in the real world
The answer given was that there is no substance or truth in the world around us.
So why should we pretend zero?
Questioning why we should pretend and go through the motions of life when things don't have true value or meaning.
Godhead
Referring to a state of supreme consciousness or enlightenment.
We got nothing
Acknowledging that they do not have material possessions or attachments.
We got everything
Feeling content and fulfilled with the state of nothingness.
I took a page out of Unpunished
Referencing a source of inspiration or guidance, likely a book titled 'Unpunished.'
And I flew a paper plane
Visualizing freedom and detachment from the physical world, represented by a paper plane.
But there is nothing in the real world
Reiteration that there is no true meaning or substance in the physical world around us.
But the cool, cool, cool of soul
Finding value and substance in the internal essence of one's being.
And I've got nothing in my pockets
Literal reference to having no material possessions or attachments.
But lose change and gold zero!
Emphasizing the artist's lack of material wealth and possessions.
And I'm trying to get somewhere
Striving for a self-defined destination or enlightenment.
In a room with glow
In a space that radiates warmth, light, or spiritual energy.
The church mice are singing now
Potentially a metaphorical reference to religious followers who are blindly following dogma without any true understanding of spirituality.
What John Lee Hooker knows
Referencing the knowledge and wisdom of musician John Lee Hooker, likely in relation to finding value in the soulful essence of life.
I'm falling backwards in her mirrored room
Symbolic reference to accepting one's true self and reflecting on inner thoughts and emotions.
In her mirrored room tonight
In a space where self-reflection and introspection take place.
She looks so good
Ascribing physical beauty to the subject in the mirrored room.
And I feel fine
Feeling at peace with oneself and the world around them.
As she says we might make it to Godhead
Referring to the attainment of supreme consciousness or enlightenment, possibly with the help of the person in the mirrored room.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: JOHN WAITE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind