The Waiting
The Straits Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

It's six minutes until eleven
The phone rings, but it's never you
I won't walk the floor
I'll just watch it
Stood up, impatient and blue

What am I waiting for
She might never show
What am I waiting for
My legs won't let me go
What am I waiting for
What am I waiting for
She'll never get here

It's not that I'm worried about her
She'll think up some brand new excuse
So why am I all alone and crazy
While she's having fun running loose

What am I waiting for
She might never show
What am I waiting for
My legs won't let me go
What am I waiting for
What am I waiting for
She'll never get here

It's six minutes after eleven
But I'm talkin' about the next day




Our date was made to be broken
I guess some things just never change

Overall Meaning

"The Waiting" by The Dire Straits is a song that perfectly captures the emotional struggle of waiting for someone who may never arrive. The song opens with the singer checking the time, six minutes before 11 o'clock. The phone rings, but it's not the person they're waiting for, indicating that they've been stood up. Instead of pacing or walking the floor, the singer simply watches the clock, feeling impatient and blue.


The repeated refrain "What am I waiting for? She might never show" captures the singer's inner turmoil as they question why they even bother waiting for someone who may never come. Despite feeling stuck and unable to leave, the singer acknowledges that the person they're waiting for will never show up. The final verse emphasizes the fruitlessness of the situation, with the singer realizing that their date was made to be broken.


Overall, "The Waiting" is a powerful song that touches on themes of rejection, loneliness, and the inevitability of disappointment. It's a relatable sentiment that anyone who's waited for someone who never showed up can understand.


Line by Line Meaning

It's six minutes until eleven
The time is approaching the planned date.


The phone rings, but it's never you
The singer is hoping to hear from the person he is waiting for, but it is always someone else calling.


I won't walk the floor
The singer is too nervous and restless to sit still but he tries to control it.


I'll just watch it
The artist decides to keep an eye on the time, hoping for the person he's waiting for to arrive.


Stood up, impatient and blue
The artist is feeling dejected and disappointed after being left waiting by himself for so long.


What am I waiting for
The singer questions himself on why he is still waiting after so much waiting.


She might never show
The singer acknowledges the possibility that the person he is waiting for might never come.


My legs won't let me go
The artist is glued to his spot by anticipation and anxiety.


She'll never get here
The artist loses hope that the person he's waiting for will come.


It's not that I'm worried about her
The artist doesn't worry about the person he's waiting for because she always has some new excuse.


She'll think up some brand new excuse
The singer is almost certain that the person he's waiting for will have some new excuse for not showing up.


So why am I all alone and crazy
The artist is frustrated with himself for feeling this way even though he knows how the person he's waiting for is.


While she's having fun running loose
The singer suspects that the person he's waiting for is having fun and not even thinking about him.


It's six minutes after eleven
The waiting period is over and the time for action is up.


But I'm talkin' about the next day
The singer is lamenting the fact that, even though the waiting period is over now, it just means he has to wait again the next day.


Our date was made to be broken
The artist feels that the plans made with the person he's waiting for are never going to happen and are practically broken already.


I guess some things just never change
The artist finds himself resigned to the fact that things won't ever be different than the past every time.




Lyrics © Bluewater Music Corp.
Written by: Jim Lauderdale

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
To comment on or correct specific content, highlight it

Genre not found
Artist not found
Album not found
Song not found

More Versions