Waiting

Album: Songs (2007)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • In this rocker Jack Tempchin is waiting... for and angel dressed in white, for a queen, for the mountain to move. He calls it a "list song," meaning it's an assortment of images rather than a cohesive story.
  • Tempchin is best known for the songs he wrote for other artists, like "Already Gone" for the Eagles, "You Belong To The City" for Glenn Frey, and "White Shoes" for Emmylou Harris. But he's also released lots of his own material, including "Waiting," which appears on his album Songs. He wrote it with another singer-songwriter, John Brannen.
  • In 2022, Tempchin recorded a new version of this song backed by the band Mrs. Henry. "I've always loved that song and I thought it would be perfect for a band," Tempchin said on the Songfacts Podcast. "When I started playing it with them, they'd heard the record, and so they immediately - all four of them sing - jumped in with harmony right away and they just had the arrangement. All kinds of stuff happens in the arrangement that I had nothing to do with.

    It's been about seven years since I used a band. I'd been playing solo, so it just wasn't practical. I always liked playing solo when I started out, but having a band is like having a 747 jet. It's not like playing by yourself, especially with these guys. They hear each other while they're playing and they're adjusting and it's just powerful."

    Tempchin and Mrs. Henry performed the song together at various concerts and made a new music video for it as well.

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

Jesus Thinks You're a Jerk: Rock vs. Televangelists

Jesus Thinks You're a Jerk: Rock vs. TelevangelistsSong Writing

When televangelists like Jimmy Swaggart took on rockers like Ozzy Osbourne and Metallica, the rockers retaliated. Bono could even be seen mocking the preachers.

Bill Medley of The Righteous Brothers

Bill Medley of The Righteous BrothersSongwriter Interviews

Medley looks back on "Unchained Melody" and "You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin'" - his huge hits from the '60s that were later revived in movies.

Amy Grant

Amy GrantSongwriter Interviews

The top Contemporary Christian artist of all time on song inspirations and what she learned from Johnny Carson.

The Punk Photography of Chris Stein

The Punk Photography of Chris SteinSong Writing

Chris Stein of Blondie shares photos and stories from his book about the New York City punk scene.

Michael Franti

Michael FrantiSongwriter Interviews

Franti tells the story behind his hit "Say Hey (I Love You)" and explains why yoga is an integral part of his lifestyle and his Soulshine tour.

16 Songs With a Heartbeat

16 Songs With a HeartbeatSong Writing

We've heard of artists putting their hearts into their music, but some take it literally.