Full Wikipedia article: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nazareth_(band)
Studio albums
Nazareth (1971)
Exercises (1972)
Razamanaz (1973)
Loud 'n' Proud (1973)
Rampant (1974)
Hair of the Dog (1975)
Close Enough for Rock 'n' Roll (1976)
Play 'n' the Game (1976)
Expect No Mercy (1977)
No Mean City (1979)
Malice in Wonderland (1980)
The Fool Circle (1981)
2XS (1982)
Sound Elixir (1983)
The Catch (1984)
Cinema (1986)
Snakes 'n' Ladders (1989)
No Jive (1991)
Move Me (1994)
Boogaloo (1998)
The Newz (2008)
Big Dogz (2011)
Rock 'n' Roll Telephone (2014)
Tattooed on My Brain (2018)
Surviving the Law (2022)
Waiting for the Man
Nazareth Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Where me and my friends hang out
I'm pickin' up Billy along the way
Man he knows what it's all about
Jed knows some chicks that can be had
He's got his old mans car
You know that can't be bad
Phil just got numbered in a fight
Hangin' out together on the street
Lookin' so hot we can't be beat
Keepin' so cool when we get hassled
Takin' our time to move along
And if you're lookin' to start some trouble
Man you don't know what you're takin' on
Me and Billy all the guys
Fat Marie with the friendly eyes
She ain't so pretty but, ooh my my my
Street corner people waitin' for the man
Just me and Billy and all the guys
Fat Marie with the friendly eyes
She ain't so pretty but, ooh my my my
Street corner people, we're waitin' for the man
Shootin' our job to the local ladies
Showin' them such a good time
Drinkin' our wine and gettin' crazy
And movin' on down the line
Just me and Billy, all the guys
Fat Marie with the friendly eyes
She ain't so pretty but, ooh my my my
We're just street corner people waitin' for the man
Me and Billy, all the guys
Fat Marie with the friendly eyes
She ain't so pretty but, ooh my my my
Street corner people waitin' for the man
We're just street corner people
We're waitin' for the man
The lyrics to Nazareth's song Waiting for the Man portray a group of young friends hanging out and causing trouble on their street corner. The singer and his friends pick up Billy on their way and hang out with Fat Marie, who may not be conventionally attractive, but is friendly and popular among the group. The lyrics also mention Jed's connections with some girls, and Phil getting into a fight, but the group intervenes and saves him. The chorus of the song repeats the phrase "street corner people waitin' for the man", which can be interpreted in several ways.
The song can be seen as a reflection of youthful rebellion and the camaraderie formed in the process. The group of friends spend their time drinking wine and causing a ruckus on the streets, all while taking their time to nonchalantly move along when faced with opposition. The phrase "street corner people waitin' for the man" can be interpreted as the group waiting for something or someone to happen, or simply as a metaphor for their disillusionment with life and their search for purpose.
Overall, the lyrics of Waiting for the Man convey a sense of carefree recklessness and youthful rebellion, while also exploring themes of camaraderie and purposelessness.
Line by Line Meaning
Cruisin' on down to my street corner
Going leisurely down to the street corner where I usually hang out with my friends
Where me and my friends hang out
The usual meeting spot for me and my friends
I'm pickin' up Billy along the way
On my way to the street corner, I'll pick up Billy
Man he knows what it's all about
Billy and I share the same interests
Jed knows some chicks that can be had
My friend Jed knows some girls that are available
He's got his old mans car
Jed's father's car is available for us to use
You know that can't be bad
This is a good thing for us
Phil just got numbered in a fight
Phil was just involved in a fight
But we all jumped in now ol' Phil's alright
Me and my friends intervened in the fight and now Phil is okay
Hangin' out together on the street
Me and my friends spending time together at the street corner
Lookin' so hot we can't be beat
We look good and feel confident
Keepin' so cool when we get hassled
We stay calm when bothered by others
Takin' our time to move along
We are in no rush or hurry to leave the street corner
And if you're lookin' to start some trouble
If someone is trying to pick a fight
Man you don't know what you're takin' on
They have no idea who they are dealing with
Me and Billy all the guys
Me and Billy are with our male friends
Fat Marie with the friendly eyes
Our female friend, Marie, who is friendly
She ain't so pretty but, ooh my my my
Although not conventionally attractive, we are still drawn to Marie
Street corner people waitin' for the man
We are just hanging out, waiting for something exciting to happen
Shootin' our job to the local ladies
Trying to impress the girls in the neighborhood
Showin' them such a good time
We are entertaining the girls and making them enjoy our company
Drinkin' our wine and gettin' crazy
We are drinking and having a good time
And movin' on down the line
We keep moving from one group of people to another
We're just street corner people
We are just regular people who hang out at the street corner
We're waitin' for the man
We are waiting for something exciting to happen or for someone interesting to show up
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: Darrell Sweet, Manuel Charlton, Peter Agnew, Dan McCafferty
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@smokinjz
Cruisin' on down to my street corner
Where me and my friends hang out
I'm pickin' up Billy along the way
Man he knows what it's all about
Jed knows some chicks that can be had
He's got his old mans car
You know that can't be bad
Phil just got numbered in a fight
But we all jumped in now ol' Phil's alright
Hangin' out together on the street
Lookin' so hot we can't be beat
Keepin' so cool when we get hassled
Takin' our time to move along
And if you're lookin' to start some trouble
Man you don't know what you're takin' on
Me and Billy all the guys
Fat Marie with the friendly eyes
She ain't so pretty but, ooh my my my
Street corner people waitin' for the man
Just me and Billy and all the guys
Fat Marie with the friendly eyes
She ain't so pretty but, ooh my my my
Street corner people, we're waitin' for the man
Shootin' our job to the local ladies
Showin' them such a good time
Drinkin' our wine and gettin' crazy
And movin' on down the line
Just me and Billy, all the guys
Fat Marie with the friendly eyes
She ain't so pretty but, ooh my my my
We're just street corner people waitin' for the man
Me and Billy, all the guys
Fat Marie with the friendly eyes
She ain't so pretty but, ooh my my my
Street corner people waitin' for the man
We're just street corner people
We're waitin' for the man
@TheRicresch
This is my favorite Nazareth song. RIP Dan, you'll be missed.
@JJstorm77
It’s also probably the funkiest
@TheRicresch
@Colemann76 great bass line for sure! Cheers!
@larrysnyder3475
Pete Agnew on that bass. What a band ! Been my favorite band for fourty years.
@sergebourget7785
Kick ass
@kingssing
Mine also
@yekimsrennihs-yhprum2074
The most criminally underrated band in the history of music. Legends I'd class up there with the Stones, Led Zep, the Beatles and Black Sabbath.
These guys are one of the greatest bands your ears could ever hear.
👌
@no-eb1yc
Oh yeah I agree.these guys are up there as one of the greats!!
@michaeldesimone1936
Yes
@paulkruger491
So fantastic.