They began as a rock and roll freakbeat band called The Spectres. By 1967, with very little commercial success, they discovered psychedelia and changed their name to Traffic (later Traffic Jam, to avoid confusion with Steve Winwood's Traffic.) At this time the line-up also included organist Roy Lynes and drummer John Coghlan. Late in 1967 they recruited second guitarist Rick Parfitt and became The Status Quo, scoring Top 10 singles with Pictures Of Matchstick Men and Ice in The Sun. "Pictures of Matchstick Men" remains the only Top 40 hit single the group has ever charted in the United States. They have never achieved the same level of success there, that they have enjoyed in their home country.
After their second album Spare Parts they decided to change into a heavy boogie rock band. During the seventies they became one of the UK's leading rock bands, gaining a faithful following due to their excellent live gigs. They showed a great amount of energy during this decade and in the early 80s. They and are best known for songs from this era such as Paper Plane (1972), Caroline (1973), Down Down (1975), John Fogerty's Rockin' All Over The World (1977) and Whatever You Want (1979). Down Down topped the UK charts in January 1975 (their only British No. 1 single to date).
Lynes left in 1971, to be replaced initially by guest keyboard players on album, including Jimmy Horowitz and John Parker, and later on a more permanent basis on record and stage by ex-The Herd and Judas Jump member Andy Bown, though as he was contracted as a solo artist with EMI, he was not credited as a full-time member until 1982. Coghlan left in late 1981, to be replaced by Pete Kircher from 1960s band Honeybus. This short-lived lineup played its last gig in 1984 at the Milton Keynes Bowl, and reformed briefly to open the Live Aid charity event at Wembley in July 1985.
That year Rossi recorded and released two solo singles with longtime writing partner Bernie Frost. Parfitt was also working on a solo album which is still unreleased, although some tracks have been re-recorded by Status Quo and released as 'B' sides. Bass player John Edwards and drummer Jeff Rich, both ex-Judie Tzuke Band and Climax Blues Band, assisted Parfitt in the studio.
In the summer of 1985 Rossi, Parfitt and Bown, along with Edwards and Rich started work on a new album. Lancaster, who was living in Australia at the time, took out a legal injunction to stop the band using the Status Quo name on any records. The injunction was lifted after a court hearing in January 1986. Lancaster had had increasing musical differences with the group, notably during the sessions for the 1983 album Back to Back over two tracks which became hit singles for the group around that time. He had written Ol' Rag Blues, but was angered when the producers chose to release a version with Rossi singing lead vocal in preference to the one sung by himself, and he objected to Marguerita Time, which he thought unduly corny and too pop-oriented for them. He remained in Australia, forming a band called Party Boys, who had no success in Britain.
The commercially successful In The Army Now album was released in 1986, and the band continues to this day with the revised personnel. Rich left in 2000 and was replaced by Matthew Letley. Andrew Bown took a year off at the same time for family reasons and was replaced on stage by Paul Hirsh, formerly of Voyager.
According to Songfacts.com, Quo's 29th studio album, Quid Pro Quo, was released in a deluxe format exclusively at Tesco on 30 May 2011. The regular edition was released elsewhere a week later on 7th June. The LP debuted at #10 in the UK charts, the band's best chart placing for an original album since Don't Stop peaked at #2 in 1996.
Although Quo still release new material every few years, recent years have seen them release a series of greatest hits compilations and covers albums. One of the band's most recent original albums, Heavy Traffic, shows a return to classic form not seen since the late 1970s.
Status Quo have often been characterized, perhaps unfairly, as producing very simple songs, always in the same format: 4/4 rhythm, three chord structure. However, the recordings from their first decade demonstrate a diversity in musical style and complexity to rival most of the late 60s UK bands, and several of their singles and album tracks from later show considerable subtlety, not least the mainly acoustic 1979 single Living On An Island, and the 1980 album track, later a single, Rock'n'Roll, which is ironically one of the least rock'n'roll-like songs they have ever recorded.
They have a loyal group of fans in the United Kingdom, where they have enjoyed more hits than any other group in rock and roll history (over 60 as of mid-2005), as well as a big following in Europe, notably in The Netherlands.
In September 2005 a contestant on the long-running BBC television quiz programme Mastermind chose Status Quo as his specialist subject. That same year they took part in the long running ITV soap opera Coronation Street in a storyline which involved them being sued by the layabout Les Battersby.
In December 2005 it was announced that Parfitt was undergoing tests for throat cancer. All subsequent dates of the UK tour were cancelled as a result. However on 20th December it was further announced that the growths found in Parfitt's throat were benign and had been removed.
Quo have even been the subject of a Doctoral Thesis, purporting to demonstrate that their music composition skills could be favourably compared to the likes of the classical music composers, such as Beethoven!
In Autumn 2008 German techno legend Scooter released new single Jump that rock together with Status Quo.
On 1 February 2016, it was officially announced that Status Quo, in addition to the spring and summer dates already scheduled, would tour Europe starting in October. The final dates would take place in the UK towards the end of the year, after which the group would retire from playing 'electric' tours.
On 28 October 2016, Rick Parfitt permanently retired from live performances after suffering a heart attack earlier the same year. On 24 December 2017, he died in hospital in Marbella, Spain as a result of severe infection, after suffering an injury to his shoulder. Parfitt's funeral was held at Woking Crematorium on 19 January 2017. Irish guitarist Richie Malone, who had substituted for Parfitt during some 2016 live shows, took his place on rhythm guitar.
I Ain't Wasting My Time
Status Quo Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Am I gonna leave, or am I gonna stay?
I'm living, I'm dying, I'm laughing, I'm crying
I'm trying, I'm trying
But I don't know
Other times when I think it's going all my way
Wanna pick up the pieces, make it all OK
I'm trying, I'm trying
And yes I know
That it's fine, I ain't wasting time
I don't mind, cos I know she's mine, all mine
And I never felt better before
We're OK
And I ain't wasting my time
There are days that I never seem to understand
Why I'm taking off, just when I need to land
I'm running, I'm hiding, I'm slipping, I'm sliding
I'm trying, I'm trying
But I don't know
Other days when I feel I hold it in my hands
Ain't nothing gonna stop me realize my plans
I'm sitting, I'm talking, I'm sleeping, I'm walking
I'm trying, I'm trying
And yes I know
That it's fine, I ain't wasting time
I don't mind, cos I know she's mine, all mine
And I never felt better before
We're OK
And I ain't wasting my time
That it's fine, I ain't wasting time
I don't mind, cos I know she's mine, all mine
And I never felt better before
We're OK
And I ain't wasting my time
The lyrics to Status Quo’s song, “I Ain’t Wasting My Time”, discuss the varying emotions and experiences that life can hand us. The verses contrast two different perspectives: the first being the feeling that everything is going wrong, while the other depicts the feeling that everything is going right. The chorus takes a more positive outlook, showcasing the singer’s contentment with their situation and their recognition that they shouldn’t waste their time worrying about life’s ups and downs, so long as they have what’s truly important to them.
The line “Am I gonna leave, or am I gonna stay?” speaks to the internal conflict that many of us face when making decisions. The repeating line of “I’m trying, I’m trying” emphasizes the effort being put forth but also suggests that success may not always come easily. The preoccupation with what they don’t know, demonstrated in the line “But I don't know”, portrays the singer’s sense of uncertainty, which many listeners can likely relate to.
Overall, the song encourages a positive attitude even in the face of life’s uncertainties. It’s a message that everyone can benefit from hearing, particularly as we navigate the twists and turns of our own journeys through life.
Line by Line Meaning
There are times when I want it all to go away
Sometimes I feel overwhelmed and wish everything would disappear
Am I gonna leave, or am I gonna stay?
I'm unsure if I should continue down my current path or make a change
I'm living, I'm dying, I'm laughing, I'm crying
Life is a mix of different experiences and emotions
I'm trying, I'm trying
I'm giving my all but it's still difficult
But I don't know
Despite my efforts, I'm uncertain of what lies ahead
Other times when I think it's going all my way
Occasionally, things seem to be falling into place
Wanna pick up the pieces, make it all OK
In the moments when things are good, I want to make sure they stay that way
I'm highing, I'm lowing, I'm coming, I'm going
Life's ups and downs are constantly taking me in different directions
And yes I know
Despite the uncertainty, I have some sense of what I'm doing
That it's fine, I ain't wasting time
I'm okay with not having all the answers and am not wasting time worrying about it
I don't mind, cos I know she's mine, all mine
I'm okay with uncertainty because I have someone special in my life
And I never felt better before
Despite the ups and downs, I'm happy overall
We're OK
Things are going well enough for me to feel content
There are days that I never seem to understand
I have days where everything seems confusing or overwhelming
Why I'm taking off, just when I need to land
At times, I'm making things harder for myself when I should be trying to simplify them
I'm running, I'm hiding, I'm slipping, I'm sliding
I'm metaphorically stumbling through life, unsure of my footing
Other days when I feel I hold it in my hands
Other times I feel like I have complete control over my life
Ain't nothing gonna stop me realize my plans
I feel unstoppable when things are going well
I'm sitting, I'm talking, I'm sleeping, I'm walking
I'm going about my daily life, doing normal things
And I ain't wasting my time
I'm comfortable with where I am and what I'm doing
Lyrics © MUSIC SALES CORPORATION
Written by: FRANCIS DOMINIC NICHOLAS ROSSI, ROBERT KEITH YOUNG
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@sandrawachter8000
One of the best Quosongs :) They dont need to end with the FF, Quo5 still are THE QUO these days :) Rock on boys :)
@Andy-hb8kl
Best song on the album by a mile, unfortunately not played by classic Qup.
@tatum6727
One of the best SQ song after FF era.
@albertpalmaperez65
Simply, QUOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO. Great and catchy song in 70's era
@Happies1888
I hope it will be songs like this on Rossi's new CD.
@rockandroll1296
Quo forever!
@andrewcremona3811
Unmistakable, class . . . . . . .
@paulkenney5010
nice solo work Francis
@ChristofferBeurling
oh yes.thank you so much:)
@BettanBus
@nwleeuw It's on the UK edition only,the european got the tedious One By One...so I suggest you try get a copy of the UK version if you want this one in your collection...