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.
The Glittering Prize
John Waite Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Running off its reel inside my mind
As I try to fall asleep tonight
On prescription lullabies
In the darkness there's a doorway
That leads me back to you forever
But these days there's only
You and I in photographs
Now I wonder who has got the last laugh
Cause I know you're crying
And you know I'm cold inside
Got no expectations for my pride
And I reach for that glittering prize
I remember on our wedding day
Looking back at you
Our eyes met and we said goodbye
As we both said "I do"
Didn't I make a promise baby
I would stand by you forever
But sometimes the best-laid plans
Flare up and blow away
And fairytale logic comes
Sweeps you heart
Your soul' your world away
Cause I know you're crying
And you know I'm cold inside
And I'm tired of living with that lie
And now time is flying
And you know I miss that fire
But I feel for you
I've got desire
So I reach for that glittering prize
No doll's house dreams
Or valentines
Just the future at the door
Just leaving trains and empty rooms
A broken band of gold
Cause love don't live here anymore
And some nights I'll come and see you
And I know you'll let me in
Two strangers in silence now
Cause you know in love
We could never win
I know you're crying
And you know I'm cold inside
And I'm tired of living with this lie
These days
Cause now time is flying
And you know I miss that fire
Cause I feel for you
I've got desire
Baby baby
In my world (in your world tonight)
Reach for that glittering prize (in my world)
That's all I ever seemed to do (in your world tonight)
Was reach for the glittering prize (in my world)
I lost myself when I lost you (in your world tonight)
As I reached for that glittering prize (in my world)
And I hope that all your dreams come true (in your world tonight)
When you reach for that glittering prize (in my world)
In your world
In my world tonight
The Glittering Prize by John Waite portrays the feeling of nostalgia and regret that hits after the end of a relationship, years down the line. Waite's lyrics show a person who is unable to move on from a past love and is constantly reminded of what could have been. The opening verse of the song describes the character's mind as a "silent movie," with memories and images of the past constantly playing through his mind. The lyrics go on to reveal that despite the hurt, the character still remembers the moments of joy and ambition they shared with their loved one, and the hope of rekindling that love never really leaves.
The chorus of the song speaks of the "glittering prize," an ambiguous object that seems to represent the hope of finding love once again. Whether it refers to the idea of finding fame, fortune, or love itself, the glittering prize is a clear symbol of the hope and desperation the character feels as he navigates life after a heartbreak. The song ends on a bittersweet note, with the character expressing both his pain and his hope that his former lover finds their own glittering prize in life.
Line by Line Meaning
There's a silent movie
Running off its reel inside my mind
As I try to fall asleep tonight
On prescription lullabies
I'm having trouble sleeping because I can't stop replaying memories in my head, and I'm taking medication to help me sleep
In the darkness there's a doorway
That leads me back to you forever
But these days there's only
You and I in photographs
I keep remembering our past together, but now we're no longer together - just memories captured in photographs
Ambitions and dreams we've shared
Now I wonder who has got the last laugh
Cause I know you're crying
And you know I'm cold inside
Got no expectations for my pride
And I reach for that glittering prize
We had so many dreams and goals together, but now that we're apart, I wonder who is happier. I know that we're both hurting and I don't even care about my own pride, I just want to strive for something great to make up for what we've lost
I remember on our wedding day
Looking back at you
Our eyes met and we said goodbye
As we both said "I do"
I remember our wedding day and how we were both looking back at each other, knowing that getting married meant saying goodbye to our old lives
Didn't I make a promise baby
I would stand by you forever
But sometimes the best-laid plans
Flare up and blow away
And fairytale logic comes
Sweeps you heart
Your soul' your world away
I promised to always be there for you, but sometimes things just fall apart and it feels like all of our hopes and dreams have been taken away
No doll's house dreams
Or valentines
Just the future at the door
Just leaving trains and empty rooms
A broken band of gold
Cause love don't live here anymore
We used to have such big dreams and romantic gestures, but now we're left with an uncertain future and the painful memories of empty spaces where our love used to reside
And some nights I'll come and see you
And I know you'll let me in
Two strangers in silence now
Cause you know in love
We could never win
Sometimes I visit you and even though we're both hurting and distant from each other, I know that you'll still welcome me. We're strangers now and it's silent because we know that love was something that we couldn't make work
And I hope that all your dreams come true
When you reach for that glittering prize (in my world)
Even though we're not together anymore, I still want the best for you and I hope that you find that thing that you strive for, that glittering prize that will make everything worthwhile
Baby baby
In my world (in your world tonight)
Reach for that glittering prize (in my world)
That's all I ever seemed to do (in your world tonight)
Was reach for the glittering prize (in my world)
I lost myself when I lost you (in your world tonight)
As I reached for that glittering prize (in my world)
No matter where we are, all I ever seem to do is reach for that big goal that will make everything worth it. But I know that I lost a part of myself when our relationship ended and I'm still trying to find it as I reach for that glittering prize
Lyrics © Royalty Network
Written by: Anthony Krizan, John Waite
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Ron Luckenbach
great lyrics, John Waite's voice ,is so melodic, his unique phrasing always intriques me.one if the most overlooked talents in Pop and Rick.
liselle sloan
Co-written by Mark Spiro, as I recall.
Chronicsad
Even when he is singing about heartbreak, he is Mr Romance!
Voo
My second favorite song by John after More. This song was a prophecy of my wedding and my marriage and More is the story of my life. Love you, John
'
Miroslava Acosta
John Waite for always- He has a precious voice-I love your song-
Karlheinz Lagemann
For me this is the best song on this perfect album.
Manuel Suarez
Si algúien tuvo un corazón 1986 que canción no me canso de escucharla ,nunca me falta en mi repertorio
Val Robinson
I'm mystified by the fire in your soul can you match the fire in my soul that burns for you.....not just some lustful whim....loves passion. Knows no end...thru prayers and tears..I remember that reassuring haunting gaze as I rested in your embrace...most women would've turned away in fear......I'm not most women.....I'm the last of my kind....granted mortality rate to gaze curiously upon love's face before I return to Immoryality race....I love you my Wolf Blooded Musician soul mates friend
Manuel Suarez
Que música tan fascinante
Claude Medic
Such a lovely song...sigh