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.
More
John Waite Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Through the radiance
Looking for my shoes
Daddy left and momma cried
Had a passport for the blues
I didn't share their hometown point of view
Cause I need more
I need more
What I'm living for
In this uncertain world of circumstance
With one foot in the door
At the house of truth
That's burnt down to the floor
I want more
Yeah
I need more
In my days
Tripping down the turnpike somewhere
Out there near the shore
Looking for some words to live by
In the uncertain moments in the loam
You can almost hear it shine
Is that voice I'm hearing divine
Cause I hear more
I hear more
Just give me one good reason
What I'm living for
In this concrete world of fairy tales
Only innocence is pure
But there must be an answer
Yeah I'm sure
So give me more
Yeah
Give me more in my day
Am I dreaming
Am I somewhere else
When I'm lying in the darkness
Am I really by myself
There must be more
Yeah
More in my days
Am I dreaming
Am I someone else
When I'm dancing in the darkness
Am I dancing by myself
There must be more
Must be more to this
Yeah
Cause I want more
Yeah
And I need more
And I hear more
Yeah
Give me more in my world everyday
Give me more
Yeah
Give me more
Give me more
Of this life
The lyrics of John Waite's song "More" convey a sense of restlessness and dissatisfaction with the status quo. The singer feels out of place in his hometown, searching for something more meaningful and fulfilling in his life. He questions the purpose of his existence in an uncertain world filled with hardship and disillusionment. He longs for a deeper understanding of himself and his surroundings, seeking answers to life's biggest questions.
The opening lines of the song set the tone for the rest of the track, with the singer describing his arrival on earth in 1952. He feels lost and disoriented, searching for his place in the world. His parents' separation adds to his confusion and sense of dislocation, causing him to question his upbringing and the values he was taught. He needs more than what he has been given so far, and he wants to find meaning in his existence.
Throughout the song, the singer suggests that he is searching for a higher power or purpose that will give his life more meaning. He mentions hearing a divine voice and wonders if he is dreaming or connected to something greater than himself. He wants to live a life of purpose and significance, and he feels like there must be something more out there.
Overall, John Waite's "More" is a song about the human desire for meaning and significance in a world that can often feel chaotic and meaningless. The lyrics convey a sense of restlessness and optimism, suggesting that there is more to life than what we experience on a daily basis.
Line by Line Meaning
Fell out of the sky sometime in 1952
I was born in 1952
Through the radiance
Into the bright, glowing world
Looking for my shoes
Trying to find my way in life
Daddy left and momma cried
My parents separated and my mother was sad
Had a passport for the blues
Had a natural inclination towards sadness
I didn't share their hometown point of view
Didn't agree with my family's beliefs and values
Cause I need more
I want more from life
Just give me one good reason
Explain to me why I should be content with what I have
What I'm living for
What is my purpose in life?
In this uncertain world of circumstance
Life is full of unpredictability and chance
With one foot in the door
On the verge of entering a new phase in life
At the house of truth
In a place of honesty and sincerity
That's burnt down to the floor
But that place no longer exists
I want more
I desire more from life
Tripping down the turnpike somewhere
Traveling down a road, uncertain where it will take me
Out there near the shore
Close to the edge of something, such as the ocean
Looking for some words to live by
Seeking guidance and inspiration
In the uncertain moments in the loam
During times of doubt or confusion
You can almost hear it shine
You can sense something special, almost see it
Is that voice I'm hearing divine
Wondering if a higher power is speaking to me
Cause I hear more
I perceive more than others
Only innocence is pure
In this world, only those who are innocent are truly good
But there must be an answer
There has to be a reason for everything
So give me more
I want more from life
Am I dreaming
Is this real?
Am I somewhere else
Do I belong somewhere else?
When I'm lying in the darkness
When I'm feeling sad or alone
Am I really by myself
Do I truly have no one?
Must be more to this
Life is more complicated than I thought
Give me more
I want more from life
Of this life
Of my existence
Lyrics © Royalty Network Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: JOHN WAITE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Susan O'Connell
Wow, John's voice still gives me chills! Loving this song and this stripped down style <3
sydney3388
I love this <3
Val Robinson
DONT WANT TO BREAK DOWN YOUR FIREWALLS OR TOUCH YOUR DEFENSES....JUST WANT TO LOVE YOU LIKE THE ANGELS DO......JUST WANT TO BE BESIDE YOU LIKE THE ANGELS ARE....WATCHING YOU FROM THE STARS....BUT I FORGEY THEY SHINE IN YOUR EYES....YOUR SUCH A SPECIAL ONE YOU ARE....I WAIT FOR THE FULL MOONLIGHT...TO RIDE THE WILD HORSES AND HANG ONTO THIS MOMENT WITH YOU....THIS MEMORY WILL BE WITH ME FOREVER THERES NO ONE LIKE YOU MY MEMORIES WILL BE FOREVER OF UNCONDITIONAL LOVE FOR YOU