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.
Mr. Wonderful
John Waite Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I get my fingers caught inside the door
Now everything I say is just a joke
Spend my money now you leave me broke
Living someone's life in clear blue skies
Fairy tales and dreams and alibis
All you want from me are things for you
Use me til I don't know what to do
Twisting every single thing I say
In my hometown I feel out of place
Change my name and find a different face
You tell me
No more cool Mr. Wonderful
No more nice Mr. Clean
No more cool Mr. Ideal
It's driving me out of my mind
Yeah
I can hear the wolves outside the bar
Sometimes I don't know which one you are
Imitation's all that you accept
Shadows of myself that you once met
Bottles in the alley break and smash
Get into the car for one-car crash
You tell me
No more cool Mr. Wonderful
No more nice Mr. Clean
No more cool Mr. Ideal
It's driving me down
Driving me down to my knees
No more cool Mr. Wonderful
No more nice Mr. Clean
No more cool Mr. Ideal
It's driving me down to my knees
Mr. Wonderful
No more nice Mr. Clean
No more cool Mr. Ideal
It's driving me out of my mind
No more cool Mr. Wonderful
No more nice Mr. Clean
No more cool Mr. Ideal
Oh oh oh oh oh
No way Mr. Wonderful
No way
No way
Ideal
Wonderful
Ideal
Wonderful
Ideal
The lyrics to John Waite's Mr. Wonderful are a scathing critique of a manipulative and selfish partner who is draining the singer of his energy and resources. Waite sings about how he has become tired of being played and taken advantage of, unable to continue playing these games with his partner. The singer becomes aware that every word that comes out of his mouth is twisted and contorted by his partner, who lives in her own world and only wants things from him for her own benefit. The line "Spend my money now you leave me broke" suggests that she is not only taking his emotional energy but also using him for his financial resources.
The singer also seems to feel trapped and helpless, as suggested by the line "Use me til I don't know what to do." In the second verse, the imagery conjured is equally bleak, with the singer hearing wolves howling outside the bar, suggesting that he feels like he is in real danger. The lines "Imitation's all that you accept, Shadows of myself that you once met" suggest that the singer is losing his identity and becoming a shadow of his former self due to his partner's manipulative ways.
Overall, Mr. Wonderful is a powerful song that draws attention to the destructive potential of toxic relationships and the importance of maintaining healthy boundaries. The raw intensity of Waite's vocals underscores the emotional toll that such relationships can take, making the song an anthem for anyone who has ever felt trapped and powerless in a romantic partnership.
Line by Line Meaning
I can't play these games with you no more
We can't continue with the way things were. I'm not willing to participate in this same pattern anymore.
I get my fingers caught inside the door
I often find myself in a painful position when I interact with you.
Now everything I say is just a joke
I can't speak to you honestly because you don't take me seriously.
Spend my money now you leave me broke
You take advantage of me and leave me with nothing by the end of it.
Living someone's life in clear blue skies
I feel like I'm living a lie and everything appears too perfect.
Fairy tales and dreams and alibis
Everything appears to be a fantasy and there are just excuses for the actual reality.
All you want from me are things for you
All you care about is you and what you can get out of me.
Use me til I don't know what to do
You use me so much that I don't even know what else to give.
You live in your own world anyway
You live in your own world, regardless of how it affects me or others around you.
Twisting every single thing I say
You warp my words to suit your own agenda.
In my hometown I feel out of place
I don't fit in with this way of life anymore.
Change my name and find a different face
I need a fresh start and complete rebrand from the way things used to be with you.
You tell me
You say to me
No more cool Mr. Wonderful
You don't want me to be this false persona I created for you.
No more nice Mr. Clean
You don't want me to pretend everything is perfect; you want to see the real me.
No more cool Mr. Ideal
You don't want me to continue living up to these unrealistic expectations you have for me.
It's driving me out of my mind
I can't handle this constant pressure and falsehood anymore.
Yeah
Yes
I can hear the wolves outside the bar
I can sense a dangerous situation brewing right outside wherever I go.
Sometimes I don't know which one you are
I can't tell who you truly are under all the falsehood and deception.
Imitation's all that you accept
You only accept copies of things you like, not the original.
Shadows of myself that you once met
I'm not myself when I'm with you, I'm a shell of what I once was.
Bottles in the alley break and smash
The environment around us is chaotic and tumultuous.
Get into the car for one-car crash
We're doing something that we both know is going to fail; the only thing left to do is embrace it.
Driving me down to my knees
I'm losing control of the situation and it's overwhelming me.
Mr. Wonderful
The persona I put on for you.
No way Mr. Wonderful
I will no longer allow myself to be this facade for you.
No way
Absolutely not
Ideal
The unrealistic standard I've been living up to for you.
Wonderful
The fictional image I've created for you that bears no resemblance to who I really am.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: IVAN KRAL, JOHN CHARLES WAITE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Jeffrey Holbrook
What A GREAT song
Ralph Kemler Kemler.
One of my all time favorites to this day and I'm 57
john1505555
Love him