Southside Johnny (real name John Lyon, born December 4, 1948 in Neptune, New Jersey) is an American singer, harmonica player, and songwriter, who usually fronts his band The Asbury Jukes.
Lyon grew up in Ocean Grove, New Jersey and graduated from Neptune High School. As an artist, Southside Johnny first achieved prominence in the mid-1970s as the second act to emerge from the Jersey Shore music scene and be considered part of the Jersey Shore sound, following Bruce Springsteen. Southside's first three albums, I Don't Want to Go Home (1976), This Time It's For Real (1977), and Hearts of Stone (1978), were Stax-influenced R&B arranged and produced by the co-founder of the band and Springsteen confederate Steven Van Zandt and largely featured songs written by Van Zandt and/or Springsteen. The Van Zandt-written "I Don't Want To Go Home" became Southside's signature song, an evocative mixture of horn-based melodic riffs and sentimental lyrics. Other notable songs included "The Fever","Talk to Me," "This Time It's For Real," "Love on the Wrong Side of Town," and the definitive version of Springsteen's " Hearts of Stone."
Southside has long been considered the Grandfather of "the New Jersey Sound." Jon bon Jovi has acknowledged Southside as "his reason for singing."
In 1982 the Rolling Stone Magazine voted the album Hearts of Stone among the top 100 albums of the 70's and 80's.
Cast under Springsteen's long shadow, national commercial success eluded Southside and the Jukes, and in 1979 they were dropped by their record company. Now working without Van Zandt, they released The Jukes in 1979 and Love is a Sacrifice in 1980. Neither of these achieved much success either. The band's first official live release also came out in 1980, the double album Reach Up and Touch the Sky.
During the 1980s Southside Johnny's recording contracts continued to change almost by album, but he continued to release records: Trash It Up (1983), a disco influenced album written by Billy Rush and produced by Nile Rodgers; In the Heat (1984) an album trying to reach out to "Adult Oriented Radio"; and At Least We Got Shoes (1986) where guitarist and Jersey shore fixture Bobby Bandiera, who often plays a custom guitar built by First Act Guitars took over songwriting and guitar work from Billy Rush and led the Asbury Jukes back to their original sound. Songwriting credits on At Least We Got Shoes also contain a song co-written by Bandiera and singer Patti Scialfa, who was known as a Jukes collaborator since the 1980 album Love is a Sacrifice and who became a member of Bruce Springsteen's E Street Band in 1984.
In 1988 Southside Johnny released his first solo record Slow Dance containing ballads and love songs, but also "Little Calcutta" which is still discussed as Southside's most political song of his career, describing the life and environment of the homeless in New York City.
More record label switches, Jukes personnel changes, tours and club dates followed.
Jukes' recording career was re-launched with the album Better Days (1991), which featured production by Van Zandt, songs by Springsteen, and vocal performances from Van Zandt, Springsteen and Jon Bon Jovi. With Bobby Bandiera driving the band, the Jukes were gaining new energy for a world wide tour supporting the album. But once again, Southside Johnny's bad luck with the industry was shown when the record label went bankrupt while the tour was still rolling.
Southside performed the theme song for the 1990s sitcom Dave's World, a cover of Billy Joel's "You May Be Right."
Southside eventually relocated to Nashville taking a break from the music business. A few members of the Asbury Jukes would end up being part of The Max Weinberg 7 on the Late Night with Conan O'Brien television show, while some others went on tour and into the recording studio with artists like Jon Bon Jovi, Mink DeVille, Graham Parker, Robert Cray.
In 1998 Southside Johnny came back into the spotlight with an independent release titled Spittin' Fire, a live record with a semi-acoustic Jukes lineup released in France containing a 20 song set recorded during a series of 10 shows at the "Chesterfield Café" in Paris, France.
After a decade without a record contract Southside finally founded his own record label in 2001 under the name of Leroy Records, and started releasing and distributing his new records fully under his own control: Messin' with the Blues (2000), Going to Jukesville (2002), Missing Pieces (2004), Into the Harbour (2005).
Southside continues to perform, and maintains substantial audience followings in some regions of the U.S., such as New Jersey, New York, northeast Ohio, and abroad, in the UK and continental Europe, as 2002's Live At The Opera House DVD, filmed at a sell-out performance in Newcastle upon Tyne, demonstrates. As of 2005, he resides on the Delaware Bay. His annual appearances at Springsteen's Asbury Park holiday shows draw as much crowd excitement as Springsteen himself.
Wait In Vain
Southside Johnny & The Asbury Jukes Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Frozen in a life so temporary
Trapped in the darkness of an endless night
Living for the day when you'll be mine
You promised
The door would open, open again
You promised
I would hold you once again
But it's never been you and I'm starting to suspect
That I wait in vain
Oh I wait in vain
Oh I wait in vain
It's just one small step and I'm out of the shadow
But I can't escape your indifference
I'm gripped by indecision and paralyzed by pride
Hesitating till the day you'll be by my side
You promised
I would feel your soft kiss again
You promised
I would hear you whisper again
And every day I'm standing, just standing at your door
I can't even find the strength to hate you anymore
Wait in vain
Oh I wait in vain
Don't make me wait in vain
No no
You promised the door would open again
You promised I would hold you, hold you again
And in the crowd I always think I see you up ahead
When I call out your name it's someone else instead
Wait in vain
Oh I wait in vain
Oh I wait in vain
Please don't make me wait in vain
Oh I wait in vain
Wait in vain
The lyrics of "Wait In Vain" by Southside Johnny & The Asbury Jukes depict the emotional struggle and longing of the singer for a love that seems unattainable. The singer describes surviving in a life that feels temporary, frozen by the promises made by their love interest. They feel trapped in darkness, living for the day when they can finally be together. The promises made by this person give them hope, that the door will open again and they will be able to hold them and feel their soft kiss. However, the wait becomes agonizing as the singer constantly checks the phone, hoping for a call that never comes. They begin to suspect that they are waiting in vain.
Despite yearning to escape the shadow of their love interest’s indifference, the singer finds themselves gripped by indecision and paralyzed by pride. They hesitate, hoping for the day when their love interest will finally be by their side. But as time passes, the strength to hate them diminishes, leaving only the painful longing and uncertainty.
The lyrics evoke a sense of frustration and desperation as the singer's hopes and expectations are continuously disappointed. They hold onto the promises made, even though deep down they begin to doubt their validity. The repeated refrain of "Wait in vain" emphasizes the singer's growing realization that their waiting may be in vain.
Overall, "Wait In Vain" conveys the torment of unrequited love and the emotional turmoil of longing for someone who may never fulfill their promises.
Line by Line Meaning
I survive the cold on your promises
I am able to endure the loneliness and emptiness because I hold onto the hope and assurances you have given me
Frozen in a life so temporary
Feeling trapped and stuck in a temporary and unfulfilling existence
Trapped in the darkness of an endless night
Feeling trapped and lost in an ongoing state of darkness and despair
Living for the day when you'll be mine
Finding purpose and hope in the belief that one day you will be mine and our love will be realized
You promised
The door would open, open again
You assured me that the opportunity for us to be together again would arise
You promised
I would hold you once again
You gave me your word that I would have the chance to hold you in my arms once more
And every time the phone rings I run just to check
But it's never been you and I'm starting to suspect
Each time the phone rings, I eagerly rush to answer it, hoping it is you, but I am growing doubtful and suspicious because it never is
That I wait in vain
I am waiting with no purpose or fulfillment, as my hopes and dreams seem to be in vain
It's just one small step and I'm out of the shadow
All it would take is a small leap of faith for me to escape the darkness and uncertainty that surrounds me
But I can't escape your indifference
However, I am unable to break free from your lack of caring and apathy towards me and our relationship
I'm gripped by indecision and paralyzed by pride
I am torn between making a decision about our future and held back by my stubborn pride
Hesitating till the day you'll be by my side
I am hesitating and delaying taking action until the day you finally choose to be by my side
I would feel your soft kiss again
You assured me that I would have the joy of feeling your gentle kiss once more
I would hear you whisper again
You promised that I would have the pleasure of hearing your whispered words of affection once again
And every day I'm standing, just standing at your door
Every day, I find myself waiting expectantly and faithfully at your doorstep
I can't even find the strength to hate you anymore
Despite the pain and disappointment, I have lost the energy and willpower to despise you anymore
Don't make me wait in vain
Please do not put me through the pain and emptiness of waiting in vain any longer
And in the crowd I always think I see you up ahead
Whenever I am in a crowd, I constantly believe that I spot you in the distance, ahead of me
When I call out your name it's someone else instead
However, when I call out your name, it is always someone else who responds, leaving me feeling disappointed and deceived
Please don't make me wait in vain
I plead with you to not subject me to the pain of waiting fruitlessly any longer
Oh I wait in vain
I am left waiting with no purpose or fulfillment
Wait in vain
Waiting without any hope or assurance
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: BILLY RUSH, JOHN LYON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@russrl
Wait In Vain - Southside Johnny
A E F#m D A E F#m D
I survive the cold on your promises. Frozen in a life so temporary.
A E F#m D A E F#m D
Trapped in the darkness, of an endless night. Living for the day when you'll be mine.
E A E
You promised, the door would open, open again.
Bm F#m E A E
You promised, I would hold you, once again. And every time the phone rings, I run just to check
Bm F#m D B
But it's never been you and I'm starting to suspect,
A E / Bm- F#m-D-E A E / Bm- F#m-D-E A E / Bm- F#m-D-E
that I wait in vain. Oh, I wait in vain. Oh, I wait in vain.
A E F#m D A E F#m D
It's just one small step, and I'm out of the shadow. But I can't escape your indifference.
A E F#m D A E F#m D
I'm gripped by indecision, and paralyzed by pride. Hesitating 'till the day you'll be by my side.
E A E Bm F#m E
You promised, I would feel your soft kiss again. You promised I would hear you whisper again.
A E
And every day I'm standing, just standing at your door.
Bm F#m D B
I can't even find the strength to hate you, anymore.
A E / Bm- F#m-D-E A E / Bm- F#m-D-E A E / Bm- F#m-D-E
Wait in vain Oh, I wait in vain. Don't make me wait in vain,
lead: A E F#m D A E F#m D A E F#m D A E F#m D
E A E Bm F#m E
You promised, the door would open, open again. You promised I would hold you, hold you again,
A E
and in the crowd I always think I see you up ahead.
Bm F#m D B
When I call out your name, it's someone else instead.
A E / Bm- F#m-D-E A E / Bm- F#m-D-E A E / Bm- F#m-D-E
Wait in vain. Oh, I wait in vain. Oh, I wait in vain.
A E / Bm- F#m-D-E A E / Bm- F#m-D-E
Please don't make me wait in vain. Oh, I wait in vain.
A E /
Wait in vain.
@jjhandel
Soulful sounds of The Jukes unbelievable it’s over 40 years ago that this record was out.. My first Jukes Album
@rdentene
I also thank whoever posted this song. I have searched for a long time to find it. This is one of my top 5 songs. It is so well put together.
@russrl
You are very welcome for the posting of this great song. Great lyrics and simple yet perfect lead.
@rdentene
russrl Yes, I love the lead it was one of the frirst attractions. It has characteristics of Siegars Main Street. I also love the way it goes back to a major chord right before the chours, you don't expect but it works.
@axevictim7226
Awesome song. 100% Soul
@kevinmcsweeney2889
What a great song...what a great band. I wait in vain.....also.
@billpowell6653
What a beautiful song. You can't sing a song better than this.
@daintywoman11
love his music and great, varied songs.
@ogam5
.....without QUESTION, one of THE most agonized songs ever written.....
@tomwillis3089
I was hooked when I saw the Jukes backing Graham Parker at the Usher Hall, Edinburgh c.1978
Seen them loads of times since. Pure soul.