John Charles Waite (born 4 July 1952) is an English musician. He was lead v… Read Full Bio ↴John Charles Waite (born 4 July 1952) is an English musician. He was lead vocalist for The Babys and Bad English. As a solo artist, 1984's "Missing You", was a No. 1 hit on the US Billboard Hot 100 and a top ten hit on the UK Singles Chart.

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.

temptation
John Waite Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

When you tell me that you're leaving
And that you've got to be alone
Sometimes you seem to me like you're far away
In some different danger zone
I couldn't stop you if I wanted
You found somebody else for sure
What you don't know is I've found some love
Like some revolving door

Yeah
Temptation's gonna come into our lives
Gonna break up our happy home
Temptation
Me and you are going through it
And we should know better
To leave that thing alone
You always seem to be distracted
Just like your mind is somewhere else
If you don't want to be alone with some strange guy
You're gonna wind up on the shelf
Yeah
Temptation's gonna come into our lives
Gonna break up our happy home
Temptation
Me and you are going through it
And we should know better
Yeah yeah
To leave that thing alone
Temptation's gonna go into our lives
Gonna break up our happy home
Temptation
Me and you are going through it
And we should know better
Yeah yeah
Temptation's gonna go into our lives
Gonna break up our happy home
Temptation
Me and you are going through it
And we should know better

Yeah yeah
Oh

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of "Temptation" by John Waite convey the message of a doomed relationship between two individuals who seem to be in love with each other but are unable to fully commit due to the presence of external factors. The song begins with the person telling his partner that she is leaving and needs some time alone. He realizes that she seems distant and distracted, and he feels helpless to stop her from finding someone else. The singer has found love elsewhere, but he's aware that temptation is going to come into their lives and break up their happy home.

The chorus repeats the word "temptation" with a sense of resignation, as if to suggest that both parties acknowledge the risk of falling into the same trap again. The final line, "Me and you are going through it, and we should know better," shows that the two people involved are consciously aware of the risks they are taking. Despite this knowledge, they are powerless to resist the temptation of being with each other, even if it ultimately leads to the destruction of their relationship.

Overall, "Temptation" is a powerful commentary on the struggles of love and relationship. The lyrics are full of emotional depth and insight, and they undoubtedly speak to many listeners who have experienced similar circumstances.

Line by Line Meaning

When you tell me that you're leaving
When you inform me that you're departing

And that you've got to be alone
And that you need to be solitary

Sometimes you seem to me like you're far away
Occasionally, you appear to be distant to me

In some different danger zone
As if you're trapped in a hazardous location

I couldn't stop you if I wanted
Even if I wished, I couldn't halt you

You found somebody else for sure
You've unquestionably discovered someone else

What you don't know is I've found some love
You're oblivious that I've discovered a new romance

Like some revolving door
It's like a revolving door of feelings

Temptation's gonna come into our lives
The influence of temptation will enter our lives

Gonna break up our happy home
It'll shatter our joyful family

Me and you are going through it
You and I are experiencing it