Milsap was born in Robbinsville, North Carolina with a congenital disorder that left him almost completely blind. He was abandoned by his mother as an infant and raised by his grandparents until the age of five, when he was sent to the Governor Morehead School for the Blind in Raleigh, North Carolina.
Milsap showed musical aptitude at an early age. The school stressed classical music training but he preferred country, gospel and rhythm-and-blues. He released his first single, Total Disaster, in 1963 at the age of twenty. This was followed by several Ashford And Simpson, compositions, including the memorable "Let's Go Get Stoned", which, unfortunately for Milsap, was relegated to a b-side. A few months later it would become a million-selling single for the more popular blind pianist, Ray Charles. 1972 found him working regularly at Roger Miller's King of the Road Club in Nashville, Tennessee and he signed with RCA Records in 1973. He was at his peak of popularity in the late 1970s and early 1980s with songs that made his name familiar to pop as well as country audiences, such as "It Was Almost Like A Song," "{There's) No Gettin' Over Me," "Smoky Mountain Rain," "I Wouldn't Have Missed It For The World," and a remake of Chuck Jackson's "Any Day Now" (which was named Billboard magazine's Number One Adult Contemporary hit of 1982). Milsap recorded for RCA until 1992. During that time he created five gold albums, one platinum album and one double platinum album. He also won six Grammy Awards and eight Country Music Association awards including the coveted Entertainer of the Year Award. In 2005 Milsap resigned with RCA Records and released a new country single, "Local Girls."
Milsap has recorded music with Kenny Rogers, Elvis Presley and Barry Manilow.
Ronnie and his wife Joyce currently make their home in Nashville, Tennessee.
Milsap enjoys his hobby of amateur (Ham) radio. More info on him can be found at: http://www.qrz.com/wb4kcg
That Girl Who Waits On Tables
Ronnie Milsap Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And see them smile as she brings ano-other round
That dress she's wearin' show-ows she's all wo-oman
And it reminds me I once had what they-ey want now
That girl who waits on ta-ables
Used to wait for me at home
And she waited
I'm too late but I still worship
The floo-oor she's dancin' o-on
That girl who waits on tables
Used to wait for me at ho-ome
I see her playin' that o-ol' juke box with their dimes
It's a song about a fool who di-id her wrong
And I'll wait for her agai-ain till closin' time
But when she goes home tonight I'll be alo-one
That girl who waits on ta-ables
Used to wait for me at home
And she waited
Till all her lo-ove was go-one
I'm too late but I still worship
The floo-oor she's dancin' o-on
That girl who waits on tables
Used to wait for me at ho-ome
That girl who waits on ta-ables
Used to wait for me at ho-ome
In Ronnie Milsap's song "That Girl Who Waits On Tables," the singer describes a woman who is working as a waitress, picking up tips off tables and bringing drinks to customers with a smile. He can tell by the way she moves in her dress that she is a woman, which reminds him of a woman he used to have but now another man has. The title character, the girl who waits on tables, used to wait for him at home and wait for him to return her love. But he was too late and now he sees her wait on others, but he still admires her from afar.
In essence, the song is about a man who took a woman for granted and lost her. He is now seeing the error of his ways and realizing what he had. The singer notices the girl's beauty and how the men she serves are interested in her. It makes him think about what he once had with her and what he lost. He watches her sing along to a song on the jukebox about a woman who was mistreated by a man, possibly representing the way he treated her. He will continue to wait for her until the end of the night, but knows that in the end, he will be alone.
The song plays on the theme of regret and missed opportunities. The singer sees the girl who waits on tables and realizes what he has lost. He realizes that he took her love for granted, and now it's too late to win it back. The song also highlights the idea of someone finding love in unexpected places. The girl who waits on tables is not someone the singer would typically be interested in, but she draws his attention because of her kind and gentle nature. The song's melancholic yet hopeful tone suggests there is still a chance to find love, even if it's not with the one who got away.
Line by Line Meaning
I watch her pickin' up their-eir tips off the ta-ables
I observe her collecting tips from the tables of the patrons she serves.
And see them smile as she brings ano-other round
I notice the satisfaction on the customers' faces as she serves them another batch of drinks.
That dress she's wearin' show-ows she's all wo-oman
Her attire indicates that she is a full-grown woman, flaunting her femininity.
And it reminds me I once had what they-ey want now
The sight serves as a reminder that I had the pleasure of being with her in the past, and the patrons currently admiring her now want what I once had.
That girl who waits on ta-ables Used to wait for me at home
I used to have her as my companion who patiently waited for me at home.
And she waited Till all her lo-ove was go-one
She waited until she was sure that her love for me had faded away before moving on.
I'm too late but I still worship The floo-oor she's dancin' o-on
Even though I am too late, I still appreciate and adore the dancing skills she displays on the dance floor.
I see her playin' that o-ol' juke box with their dimes
I notice her playing the old jukebox using the customers' dimes as their song selection.
It's a song about a fool who di-id her wrong
The song she plays on the jukebox is about a man who did her wrong in the past.
And I'll wait for her agai-ain till closin' time
I will patiently wait for her until the restaurant's closing time, hoping to catch a glimpse of her and her charming presence.
But when she goes home tonight I'll be alo-one
But as soon as she goes home, I will long for her presence, but eventually, I'll be left alone.
That girl who waits on ta-ables Used to wait for me at home
I used to have her as my companion who patiently waited for me at home.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: BOBBY P. BARKER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind