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.
Woman
John Waite Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Give me one thing I can touch
Taste
Want
Take again
And again
And again
Forget me not
Give me something over and over
Don't forget
Keep me loved
Give me something I can't ignore
No
Keep me preoccupied
Keep me satisfied
With a woman's touch
Yeah
Hold on baby
Hold on tell you when
Dream baby
Dream again
And again
And again
I want you tonight
Hold on
Hold on
Make this thing right
You know you want it
You know I want it too
Give it all
Come on come through
Give me something to believe in
Give me
Give me a woman's touch
Yeah
Yeah
Oh
It's all I want
I want you
And nobody else will do
I need you
Now
Feels like a honeymoon
Want you so
Take my hand
Don't let go
You know you want it
Yeah
Nothing could ever mean as much
No
Keep me preoccupied
Keep me satisfied
With a woman's touch
Yeah
Keep me happy tonight
Keep me wide awake
Give me a woman's touch
Yeah
Yeah
Make me feel alright
Don't forget
The lyrics to John Waite's "Woman's Touch" talk about a man's desire for a specific kind of touch from a woman that is fulfilling and satisfying. The lyrics express the singer's need for something he can believe and count on, something that he can touch, taste, and want. He is asking for a woman's touch that keeps him preoccupied and satisfied, something that he can't ignore. He mentions that he wants to be taken again and again by this woman because he wants to feel good and loved. He is asking for something that will make him happy, keep him wide awake and keep him satisfied. The underlying message of the song is love, intimacy, and the pleasure of being with one's significant other.
The lyrics go into detail about how the singer wants to feel loved and satisfied with a woman's touch. He feels as though nothing else could ever mean as much as this touch. The lyrics talk about his desperation to be with this woman and to experience her touch again and again. The singer is asking for something that he can't forget and something that he wants to experience over and over again. This song portrays the message of intimacy and the power of a woman's touch on a man's life, both physically and emotionally.
Line by Line Meaning
Give me one thing I can believe
I need something to trust in
Give me one thing I can touch
I need something tangible
Taste
I want to experience it fully
Want
I desire it passionately
Take again
I want more of what I had
And again
I want it repeatedly
And again
I want it repeatedly
Give me something I can't remember
I want it to be unforgettable
Forget me not
Don't let me slip away
Give me something over and over
I want it to keep coming
Don't forget
Remember me always
Keep me loved
Make me feel loved always
Give me something I can't ignore
I want it to be impossible to overlook
No
It must not be ignored
Keep me preoccupied
Keep my mind and attention focused on it
Keep me satisfied
Make me content and fulfilled
With a woman's touch
With tenderness and feminine care
Yeah
Agreement and enthusiasm
Hold on baby
Stay with me
Hold on tell you when
I'll let go when I'm ready
Dream baby
Fantasize with me
Dream again
Immerse ourselves in the dream
And again
Repeat the dream
And again
Repeat the dream
I want you tonight
I want you right now
Make this thing right
Fix what's wrong
You know you want it
You desire it too
You know I want it too
I desire it too
Give it all
Put everything into it
Come on come through
Deliver what I'm asking for
Give me something to believe in
Give me something to have faith in
Give me a woman's touch
Give me feminine care and affection
Yeah
Agreement and enthusiasm
Oh
Expressing emotion and surprise
It's all I want
This is everything I desire
I want you
I desire you
And nobody else will do
No one else can take your place
I need you
I require you
Now
Immediately
Feels like a honeymoon
This feels like a newlywed's blissful time
Want you so
I desire you deeply
Take my hand
Lead me forward
Don't let go
Stay with me
Nothing could ever mean as much
This means everything to me
Keep me happy tonight
Make me joyful this evening
Keep me wide awake
Keep me alert and attentive
Make me feel alright
Make me feel good
Don't forget
Remember
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: John Waite
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind