Waiting on the World to Change
Encyclopedia
"Waiting on the World to Change" is the first single
released from John Mayer
's 2006 studio album, Continuum. The song enjoyed commercial success as a single and won the Grammy for Best Male Pop Vocal Performance at the 49th Grammy Awards. Because of its theme of discontent and hope, it quickly came into demand in a variety of television programs, charity benefits, and other events.
often found in blues, rock and soul songs. The chord progression is I - vi - IV - I - V - vi - IV - I, and in the case of "Waiting on the World to Change", it is in the key of D. Another interesting fact is the accenting of the beats in the verses. Contrary to most popular music, the second snare backbeat of the second measure of the two-bar beat that repeats through most of the song features an accent on the "and" of "4", and not directly on "4".
The song's theme centers on the singer and his generation's inaction in regard to current world conditions. However, he attributes this inaction to a lack of power:
He also laments the corruption among leaders:
John Mayer confirmed this feeling of discontent between the leaders and that led to an interview with The Advocate, explaining the song this way: "It’s saying, ‘Well, I’ll just watch American Idol
because I know that if I were engaged in changing anything for the better, or the better as I see it, it would go unnoticed or be completely ineffective.' A lot of people have that feeling." Even so, the song alludes to hope for the future, with the singer intoning that with his generation's ascension to power, things will change:
Politics was a topic that Mayer had not previously tackled. On his decision to include a politically-tinged song, he commented, "You cannot avoid war in life, you cannot avoid the fear of terrorism, you cannot avoid those things now, they are a part of everyday demeanor. So in that sense it's become more of an acceptable thing to comment on because it's just so much of a white elephant
."
while commissioned graffiti
artists Futura, Tats Cru, and Daze spray paint messages relating to the song's content on New York City billboards.
A limited-edition EP of "Waiting On The World to Change" was released that includes both the album version and a bonus, acoustic version featuring Ben Harper
. The EP also is the only official source for the studio (electric) version of "Good Love Is On The Way", a live version of which was previously released on the live album Try!
by the John Mayer Trio
. This particular EP has only been made available through Best Buy
and with the purchase of the Continuum album. An acoustic studio version of "Good Love Is On The Way" is also available on Mayer's EP entitled The Village Sessions
, released on December 12, 2006 ("The Village Sessions" EP also contains the aforementioned Ben Harper acoustic version of "Waiting On The World to Change").
called the opening track and first single "a moving apologia for Gen Y's seeming 'apathy'" Other reviewers commented on his progression as an artist; Tony Pascarella found the song "gives listeners, both old and new, an idea of how far Mayer has come. To be frank, this is no 'Your Body Is A Wonderland.' With Continuum, Mayer broadens his fan base by infusing a very blues and R&B-influenced sound." Not all reviews were glowing: Entertainment Weekly
and the Los Angeles Times
were both less than impressed, with the Times saying that, in the song, "his mood tightens up unpleasantly." Greg Kot in The Chicago Tribune
also referred to the song (in his report on Mayer's appearance at the Crossroads Guitar Festival
) as '[perhaps] the most spineless social-justice song ever written. It advocates a passive approach, whereas the song it most closely resembles --- Curtis Mayfield
’s classic “People Get Ready
” --- urges everyone to get involved, or risk being left behind'. Pitchfork Media
found in the track "the gravitas of an infomercial but only a fraction of the soul", giving it the least grade.
Hot 100 Singles Chart. It stayed on the charts for 41 weeks. The single also reached #1 on Billboard
s Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks Chart, remaining on the chart for over a year. It is Mayer's most successful single (both in sales and chart positions). To date, in the U.S.
, the single has sold over 2,000,000 in digital downloads, becoming the 103rd song to top the 2 million mark in paid downloads. It is Mayer's first song to reach that plateau. It has been certified platinum by the RIAA, a distinction for downloads and sales in excess of one million. The song has found success internationally as well. It peaked at #17 on the Australia
n ARIA
Digital Singles Chart. It also peaked at #36 on the New Zealand
RIANZ Top 40 Singles Chart.
& Joe Budden
.
Single (music)
In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
released from John Mayer
John Mayer
John Clayton Mayer is an American pop rock and blues rock musician, singer-songwriter, recording artist, and music producer. Born in Bridgeport, Connecticut and raised in Fairfield, Connecticut, he attended Berklee College of Music in Boston. He moved to Atlanta in 1997, where he refined his...
's 2006 studio album, Continuum. The song enjoyed commercial success as a single and won the Grammy for Best Male Pop Vocal Performance at the 49th Grammy Awards. Because of its theme of discontent and hope, it quickly came into demand in a variety of television programs, charity benefits, and other events.
Lyrics and structure
"Waiting on the World to Change" contains a highly popular chord progressionChord progression
A chord progression is a series of musical chords, or chord changes that "aims for a definite goal" of establishing a tonality founded on a key, root or tonic chord. In other words, the succession of root relationships...
often found in blues, rock and soul songs. The chord progression is I - vi - IV - I - V - vi - IV - I, and in the case of "Waiting on the World to Change", it is in the key of D. Another interesting fact is the accenting of the beats in the verses. Contrary to most popular music, the second snare backbeat of the second measure of the two-bar beat that repeats through most of the song features an accent on the "and" of "4", and not directly on "4".
The song's theme centers on the singer and his generation's inaction in regard to current world conditions. However, he attributes this inaction to a lack of power:
He also laments the corruption among leaders:
John Mayer confirmed this feeling of discontent between the leaders and that led to an interview with The Advocate, explaining the song this way: "It’s saying, ‘Well, I’ll just watch American Idol
American Idol
American Idol, titled American Idol: The Search for a Superstar for the first season, is a reality television singing competition created by Simon Fuller and produced by FremantleMedia North America and 19 Entertainment...
because I know that if I were engaged in changing anything for the better, or the better as I see it, it would go unnoticed or be completely ineffective.' A lot of people have that feeling." Even so, the song alludes to hope for the future, with the singer intoning that with his generation's ascension to power, things will change:
Politics was a topic that Mayer had not previously tackled. On his decision to include a politically-tinged song, he commented, "You cannot avoid war in life, you cannot avoid the fear of terrorism, you cannot avoid those things now, they are a part of everyday demeanor. So in that sense it's become more of an acceptable thing to comment on because it's just so much of a white elephant
White elephant
A white elephant is an idiom for a valuable but burdensome possession of which its owner cannot dispose and whose cost is out of proportion to its usefulness or worth...
."
Promotion and release
The music video for the song was directed by Philip Andelman and features Mayer walking along the East RiverEast River
The East River is a tidal strait in New York City. It connects Upper New York Bay on its south end to Long Island Sound on its north end. It separates Long Island from the island of Manhattan and the Bronx on the North American mainland...
while commissioned graffiti
Graffiti
Graffiti is the name for images or lettering scratched, scrawled, painted or marked in any manner on property....
artists Futura, Tats Cru, and Daze spray paint messages relating to the song's content on New York City billboards.
A limited-edition EP of "Waiting On The World to Change" was released that includes both the album version and a bonus, acoustic version featuring Ben Harper
Ben Harper
Benjamin Chase "Ben" Harper is an American singer-songwriter and musician. Harper plays an eclectic mix of blues, folk, soul, reggae and rock music and is known for his guitar-playing skills, vocals, live performances and activism. Harper's fan base spans several continents...
. The EP also is the only official source for the studio (electric) version of "Good Love Is On The Way", a live version of which was previously released on the live album Try!
Try! (John Mayer Trio album)
Try! is the first live album by the John Mayer Trio. It was released by Columbia Records on November 22, 2005. The album was nominated for Best Rock Album at the 49th Annual Grammy Awards.-Production:...
by the John Mayer Trio
John Mayer Trio
In February 2005, the trio played Mayer's single "Daughters" at the 47th Grammy Awards, for which Mayer went on to win the award for Best Male Vocal Performance later that night . The Trio released "Come When I Call" exclusively to iTunes...
. This particular EP has only been made available through Best Buy
Best Buy
Best Buy Co., Inc. is an American specialty retailer of consumer electronics in the United States, accounting for 19% of the market. It also operates in Mexico, Canada & China. The company's subsidiaries include Geek Squad, CinemaNow, Magnolia Audio Video, Pacific Sales, and, in Canada operates...
and with the purchase of the Continuum album. An acoustic studio version of "Good Love Is On The Way" is also available on Mayer's EP entitled The Village Sessions
The Village Sessions
The Village Sessions is an EP released by pop artist John Mayer on December 12, 2006. Collaborators include John Mayer Trio members Steve Jordan and Pino Palladino, along with Ben Harper, Robbie McIntosh, and Ricky Peterson of Mayer's touring band and former producer for Prince albums...
, released on December 12, 2006 ("The Village Sessions" EP also contains the aforementioned Ben Harper acoustic version of "Waiting On The World to Change").
Reception
Critical
Kelefa Sanneh of the New York Times called the song "a lovely and anger-free ode to a vaguely dissatisfied generation," while Matt Collar with AMG wrote that "Nobody — not a single one of Mayer's contemporaries — has come up with anything resembling a worthwhile anti-war anthem that is as good and speaks for their generation as much as his "Waiting on the World to Change" Rolling StoneRolling Stone
Rolling Stone is a US-based magazine devoted to music, liberal politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J...
called the opening track and first single "a moving apologia for Gen Y's seeming 'apathy'" Other reviewers commented on his progression as an artist; Tony Pascarella found the song "gives listeners, both old and new, an idea of how far Mayer has come. To be frank, this is no 'Your Body Is A Wonderland.' With Continuum, Mayer broadens his fan base by infusing a very blues and R&B-influenced sound." Not all reviews were glowing: Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly is an American magazine, published by the Time division of Time Warner, that covers film, television, music, broadway theatre, books and popular culture...
and the Los Angeles Times
Los Angeles Times
The Los Angeles Times is a daily newspaper published in Los Angeles, California, since 1881. It was the second-largest metropolitan newspaper in circulation in the United States in 2008 and the fourth most widely distributed newspaper in the country....
were both less than impressed, with the Times saying that, in the song, "his mood tightens up unpleasantly." Greg Kot in The Chicago Tribune
Chicago Tribune
The Chicago Tribune is a major daily newspaper based in Chicago, Illinois, and the flagship publication of the Tribune Company. Formerly self-styled as the "World's Greatest Newspaper" , it remains the most read daily newspaper of the Chicago metropolitan area and the Great Lakes region and is...
also referred to the song (in his report on Mayer's appearance at the Crossroads Guitar Festival
Crossroads Guitar Festival
The Crossroads Guitar Festival is a music festival and benefit concert first held in 2004 and again in 2007 and 2010. The festivals benefit the Crossroads Centre founded by Eric Clapton, a drug treatment center located in Antigua. The concerts are also intended to be a showcase for a variety of...
) as '[perhaps] the most spineless social-justice song ever written. It advocates a passive approach, whereas the song it most closely resembles --- Curtis Mayfield
Curtis Mayfield
Curtis Lee Mayfield was an American soul, R&B, and funk singer, songwriter, and record producer.He is best known for his anthemic music with The Impressions during the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960's and for composing the soundtrack to the blaxploitation film Super Fly, Mayfield is highly...
’s classic “People Get Ready
People Get Ready (song)
"People Get Ready" was a 1965 single by The Impressions, and the title track from the album of the same name. The single is today the group's best-known hit, reaching number-three on the Billboard R&B Chart and number 14 on the Billboard Pop Chart...
” --- urges everyone to get involved, or risk being left behind'. Pitchfork Media
Pitchfork Media
Pitchfork Media, usually known simply as Pitchfork or P4k, is a Chicago-based daily Internet publication established in 1995 that is devoted to music criticism and commentary, music news, and artist interviews. Its focus is on underground and independent music, especially indie rock...
found in the track "the gravitas of an infomercial but only a fraction of the soul", giving it the least grade.
Commercial
On February 22, 2007, it peaked at #14 on the BillboardBillboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
Hot 100 Singles Chart. It stayed on the charts for 41 weeks. The single also reached #1 on Billboard
Billboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
s Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks Chart, remaining on the chart for over a year. It is Mayer's most successful single (both in sales and chart positions). To date, in the U.S.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, the single has sold over 2,000,000 in digital downloads, becoming the 103rd song to top the 2 million mark in paid downloads. It is Mayer's first song to reach that plateau. It has been certified platinum by the RIAA, a distinction for downloads and sales in excess of one million. The song has found success internationally as well. It peaked at #17 on the Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n ARIA
Australian Recording Industry Association
The Australian Recording Industry Association is a trade group representing the Australian recording industry which was established in 1983 by six major record companies, EMI, Festival, CBS, RCA, WEA and Universal replacing the Association of Australian Record Manufacturers which was formed in 1956...
Digital Singles Chart. It also peaked at #36 on the New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
RIANZ Top 40 Singles Chart.
Chart performance
| Chart (2006) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australia ARIA Australian Recording Industry Association The Australian Recording Industry Association is a trade group representing the Australian recording industry which was established in 1983 by six major record companies, EMI, Festival, CBS, RCA, WEA and Universal replacing the Association of Australian Record Manufacturers which was formed in 1956... Top 40 Digital Tracks |
17 |
| New Zealand RIANZ Recording Industry Association of New Zealand The Recording Industry Association of New Zealand is a non-profit trade association of record producers, distributors and recording artists who sell music in New Zealand... Top 40 Singles Chart |
36 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot 100 Billboard Hot 100 The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday... |
14 |
| U.S. Billboard Pop 100 | 20 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot Adult Top 40 Tracks | 2 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks | 1 |
| U.S. Billboard Triple A Adult album alternative Adult album alternative is a radio format. A spinoff from the album-oriented rock format, its roots trace to the 1960s and 1970s from the earlier freeform and progressive formats.... |
1 |
Use in Media
On October 14, 2008, DJ Green Lantern released Yes We Can - Mixtape. It featured "Waiting on the World to Change 2008" featuring TwistaTwista
Carl Terrell Mitchell , better known by his stage name Twista, is an American rapper. He is known for once holding the title of fastest rapper in the world according to Guinness World Records in 1992, being able to pronounce 598 syllables in 55 seconds...
& Joe Budden
Joe Budden
-Early life:Budden was born in Spanish Harlem, but lived in Queens until he was 12 and from there moved to Jersey City, New Jersey. He is one of five boys...
.
Awards won
- Grammy: Best Male Pop Vocal Performance for "Waiting on the World to Change", 49th Grammy Awards (2007).
External links
- Live "Waiting on the World to Change" performance, on MSN.com
- D-PAN music video with ASL accompaniment, on D-PAN.com
- "Waiting on the World to Change" lyrics, at Yahoo! Music
- "Waiting on the World to Change" music video on YoutubeYouTubeYouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....