Waiting
Madonna Lyrics


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Well, I know from experience
That if you have to ask for something more than once or twice
It wasn't yours in the first place
And that's hard to accept when you love someone
And you're led to believe in their moment of need
That they want what you want but they don't

Don't go breaking my heart like you said you would
Baby, you're no good
And you hurt me like no other lover ever could
Don't go making me cry
You're gonna say goodbye
Baby, tell me why
Tell me why or you're gonna have to justify this

Waiting for you
Just waiting
Can't you see I'm waiting for you
Don't break my heart

Waiting for you
I'm waiting
Can't you see I'm waiting for you
Don't break my heart

It was so easy in the beginning
When you didn't feel like running from your feelings like you are now
What happened? What do I remind you of?
Your past, your dreams
Or some part of yourself that you just can't love?
I wish I could believe you
Or at least have the courage to leave you

Life has taught me that love with a man like you
Is only gonna make me blue
But I love you anyway no matter what you do
You don't come around here like you did before
When you did adore
Tell me what I did to deserve this

Waiting for you
I'm waiting
Can't you see I'm waiting for you
Don't break my heart

Waiting for you
Just waiting
Can't you see I'm waiting for you
Don't break my heart

Finally I see a different man
Only love can hurt like this can
Finally I see a different face
Tell me who is going to take my place

Don't go breaking my heart like you said you would
Baby, you're no good
And you hurt me like no other lover ever could
Don't go making me cry
You're gonna say goodbye
Baby, tell me why
Tell me why or you're gonna have to justify

I knew it from the start that you would desert me
You're gonna break my heart
Baby, please don't hurt me

I knew it from the start that you would desert me
You're gonna break my heart
Baby, please don't hurt me

Finally I see a different man
Only love can hurt like this can
Finally I see a different face
Tell me who is going to take my place

Waiting for you
I'm waiting
Can't you see I'm waiting for you
Don't break my heart

Waiting for you
I'm waiting
Can't you see I'm waiting for you
Don't break my heart

I knew it from the start that you would desert me
You're gonna break my heart
Baby, please don't hurt me

I knew it from the start that you would desert me
You're gonna break my heart
Baby, please don't hurt me

Waiting for you
I'm waiting
Can't you see I'm waiting for you
Don't break my heart

Break my heart (waiting for you)
Don't break my heart (just waiting)

Break my heart (waiting for you)
Don't break my heart

Break my heart (waiting for you)
Don't break my heart (just waiting)

Break my heart (waiting for you)
You broke my heart
You broke my heart (waiting for you, just waiting)
You broke my heart





Uh, next time you want pussy, huh
Just look in the mirror baby

Overall Meaning

The song "Waiting" by Madonna is about a relationship where the singer's partner is not reciprocating the love and attention she feels she deserves. She knows that if she has to ask for more than once, then it was not meant to be hers in the first place. But at the same time, it's hard for her to accept that, as she loves her partner and wants to believe that they feel the same. She feels hurt and betrayed when her partner does not live up to their promises, and she struggles to understand why they cannot love her the way she loves them. Despite the pain, the singer cannot bring herself to leave the relationship, as she finds it hard to envision life without her partner.


The lyrics in this song are emotionally charged, and Madonna delivers them with a powerful vocal performance. She conveys the feelings of love, heartbreak, and despair with honesty and vulnerability, making the song relatable for anyone who has experienced unrequited love. The chorus is particularly catchy, with the repeated lines "Waiting for you, just waiting, can't you see I'm waiting for you? Don't break my heart." The lyrics show the singer's desperation for her partner's love and attention, and her fear of being alone if they do not reciprocate.


Line by Line Meaning

Well, I know from experience
This song was inspired by Madonna's experience with a man who didn't seem to value her as much as she did him. The song expresses her pain and the lessons she learned from her experience.


That if you have to ask for something more than once or twice
If you have to keep asking for something, then it's probably not yours to begin with. This applies to relationships, as if someone truly loves you and wants to be with you, then they will show it without you having to constantly ask for it.


It wasn't yours in the first place
If something is meant to be, it'll happen easily without anyone having to push for it.


And that's hard to accept when you love someone
When you love someone, it's hard to accept that they don't feel the same way as you do.


And you're led to believe in their moment of need
In moments of vulnerability or need, it's easy to believe that the person you love wants the same things as you do.


That they want what you want but they don't
However, in reality, just because you want something doesn't mean the other person does, too. This can lead to misunderstandings and heartbreak.


Don't go breaking my heart like you said you would
The singer is pleading with her lover not to break her heart, especially since he had already warned her that he would.


Baby, you're no good
The singer admits that her lover is no good for her, but she loves him anyway.


And you hurt me like no other lover ever could
The singer has been hurt deeply by her lover, more than anyone else ever has or could.


Don't go making me cry
The singer is asking her lover not to do something that will make her cry. She wants to avoid more pain and heartbreak.


You're gonna say goodbye
The singer knows that her lover will eventually leave her, but she still wants him to stay and be with her.


Baby, tell me why
The singer is pleading with her lover to explain why he's going to leave her, as if she can understand his reasons then maybe she won't be hurt as much.


Tell me why or you're gonna have to justify this
If the singer's lover leaves her without a good reason, then he'll have to justify his actions to her.


Waiting for you
The singer is waiting for her lover to come back to her, even though she knows that it's probably not going to happen.


Just waiting
The singer is waiting patiently for her lover, hoping that he'll change his mind and come back to her.


Can't you see I'm waiting for you
The singer is hoping that her lover will realize how much she loves him and come back to her.


Don't break my heart
The singer is afraid of being hurt again by her lover, who has already caused her so much pain.


It was so easy in the beginning
At the start of their relationship, everything was easy and the singer's lover seemed to care for her deeply.


When you didn't feel like running from your feelings like you are now
However, now the singer's lover seems to be distancing himself from her, running away from the feelings he once had for her.


What happened? What do I remind you of?
The singer is questioning what has changed between her and her lover. She wants to know if he's remembering something from his past that's making him pull away from her.


Your past, your dreams
The singer suggests that her lover might be running away from her because she reminds him of something from his past or a dream he had before.


Or some part of yourself that you just can't love?
Alternatively, the singer wonders if her lover is having difficulty loving her because of something that he hates within himself.


I wish I could believe you
Despite her doubts and concerns, the singer wishes that she could believe her partner and trust that what he's saying is true.


Or at least have the courage to leave you
On the other hand, the singer recognizes that it might be better for her to leave her lover if he's no longer sharing her feelings or is causing her too much pain.


Life has taught me that love with a man like you
Through her past experiences, the singer has learned that loves that involve partners like her lover are never going to be happy or fulfilling for her.


Is only gonna make me blue
The singer knows that continuing her relationship with her lover will only make her sad and depressed.


But I love you anyway no matter what you do
Despite everything, the singer still loves her lover and will likely continue to do so even if he does something hurtful or damaging.


You don't come around here like you did before
The singer notices that her lover is not as present in the relationship as he once was. She doesn't know whether this is because of something she's done or something he's feeling.


When you did adore
In the past, the singer's lover used to be more loving and affectionate towards her. She misses this and wishes that they could go back to how things used to be.


Tell me what I did to deserve this
The singer is pleading with her lover to explain why he no longer cares for her and what she might have done to cause it. She wants answers so that she can try and fix the issue and make things right between them.


Finally I see a different man
Eventually, the singer realizes that her lover is not the same man she fell in love with or thought he was. He has changed in some way or is now showing his true colors.


Only love can hurt like this can
The singer acknowledges that love can be painful and hurtful, as well as bringing joy and happiness.


Finally I see a different face
The singer is referring to seeing her lover in a new light. She had an illusion of him as someone she loved, but now she's seeing a different side of him.


Tell me who is going to take my place
If her lover leaves her, the singer wonders who is going to fill the void he leaves behind. She might not want anyone else, but she also doesn't want to be alone.


I knew it from the start that you would desert me
The singer admits that she always knew her partner would leave her eventually, but she still allowed herself to fall in love with him.


Baby, please don't hurt me
The singer is pleading with her lover not to cause her any more pain. She's been hurt enough already.


You broke my heart
The singer is acknowledging that her heart has been broken by her lover's actions. She is devastated and still trying to come to terms with what has happened.


Uh, next time you want pussy, huh
This line is Madonna's message to her lover. She's telling him that if he wants something sexual, then he should just look at himself in the mirror instead of hurting her.


Just look in the mirror baby
Madonna is emphasizing how important it is to love oneself and take care of one's own needs instead of trying to find fulfillment or pleasure through someone else who doesn't really care for you.




Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Madonna Ciccone, Andre Levan Betts

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Robert Cochran


on Die Another Day

The only good thing about that sucky film is this song

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