Waiting on the World to Change

"Waiting on the World to Change" is a song by American singer-songwriter John Mayer. It was released as the lead single from his third studio album, Continuum (2006), on August 1, 2006. The song enjoyed commercial success as a single and won the Grammy for Best Male Pop Vocal Performance at the 49th Grammy Awards.

"Waiting on the World to Change"
Single by John Mayer
from the album Continuum
ReleasedJuly 11, 2006
RecordedJune 2006
Genre
Length3:18
Label
Songwriter(s)John Mayer
Producer(s)
John Mayer singles chronology
"Go!"
(2005)		 "Waiting on the World to Change"
(2006)		 "Belief"
(2006)
Limited edition EP cover art

Lyrics and structure

"Waiting on the World to Change" contains a highly popular chord progression 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 .

He also laments the corruption among leaders:

It's not that we don't care,
We just know that the fight ain't fair

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."[1] 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:

One day our generation
Is gonna rule the population
So we keep on waiting
Waiting on the world to 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."[2]

Music video

The music video for the song was directed by Philip Andelman and features Mayer walking along the East River while commissioned graffiti artists Futura, Tats Cru, and Daze spray paint messages relating to the song's content on New York City billboards.[3]

Promotion and release

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").

Critical reception

"Waiting on the World to Change" received mixed reviews from music critics. Kelefa Sanneh of The New York Times called the song "a lovely and anger-free ode to a vaguely dissatisfied generation,"[4] 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'".[5] Rolling Stone called the opening track and first single "a moving apologia for Gen Y's seeming 'apathy'".[6] 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."[7] 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".[8] 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".[9] Pitchfork found in the track "the gravitas of an infomercial but only a fraction of the soul", giving it the least grade.[10]

Commercial performance

On February 22, 2007, it peaked at number 14 on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart. It stayed on the charts for 41 weeks.[11] The single also reached number 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 US, the single has sold over two million digital downloads, becoming the 103rd song to top the two million mark in paid downloads. It is Mayer's first song to reach that plateau.[12] 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 number 17 on the Australian ARIA Digital Singles Chart. It also peaked at number 36 on the New Zealand RIANZ Top 40 Singles Chart.

Personnel
  • John Mayer – lead vocals, guitar
  • Pino Palladino – bass, backing vocals
  • Steve Jordan – drums, percussion
  • Rick Peterson – keyboards, backing vocals
  • Roy Hargrove – horns
  • Harley Pasternak, Jeannie Martinez, Kristen Moss, Lee Padgett, Maggie Slavonic, Ricky Cytonbaum, Sandy Vongdasy, Scotty Crowe – backing vocals

Charts

Certifications
Region CertificationCertified units/sales
Canada (Music Canada)[28] Platinum 40,000*
Denmark (IFPI Denmark)[29] Platinum 90,000
United States (RIAA)[30] 3× Platinum 3,000,000

* Sales figures based on certification alone.
Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

See also

References
  1. Wirt, John (January 26, 2007), "John Mayer finding unexpected deeper connection with fans through 'Continuum'" Advocate volume unknown:16
  2. Mumbi Moody, Nekesa (2006). "John Mayer: Better With Pop" Archived October 26, 2007, at the Wayback Machine MSN.com Retrieved August 20, 2007
  3. Macleod, Duncan (May 2, 2007). "John Mayer Waiting on the World to Change". inspiration room. Retrieved June 2, 2018.
  4. Sanneh, Kelefa (March 2, 2007) "The Apologetic Pop Star, Still Trying to Claim the Blues" The New York Times Retrieved August 20, 2007.
  5. Collar, Matt (date unknown) "Review" AllMusic. Retrieved August 20, 2007.
  6. DeCurtis, Anthony (September 11, 2006). "Album Reviews" Retrieved August 20, 2007.
  7. Pascarella, Tony (September 28, 2006). "John Mayer - Continuum" AbsolutePunk.net. Retrieved August 20, 2007.
  8. Kane, Rich (September 29, 2006), "It's hard to dislike him" Los Angeles Times
  9. "Crossroads Guitar Festival press coverage". Crossroads Guitar Festival 2007.
  10. Strew, Roque (August 16, 2006). "Track Reviews" Archived April 6, 2008, at the Wayback Machine Retrieved May 1, 2008.
  11. "The Hot 100". Billboard.
  12. Grein, Paul (June 24, 2009). "Week Ending June 21, 2009: JoBros' "Mo" Slows | Chart Watch - Yahoo! Music". New.music.yahoo.com. Retrieved March 13, 2012.
  13. "John Mayer Chart History (Canadian Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved September 5, 2017.
  14. "Dutchcharts.nl – John Mayer – Waiting on the World to Change" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved January 9, 2018.
  15. "Charts.nz – John Mayer – Waiting On the World to Change". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved January 9, 2018.
  16. "Chart Log UK: M – My Vitriol". Zobbel.de. Retrieved January 9, 2018.
  17. "John Mayer Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved September 5, 2017.
  18. "John Mayer Chart History (Adult Alternative Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved January 9, 2018.
  19. "John Mayer Chart History (Adult Contemporary)". Billboard. Retrieved September 5, 2017.
  20. "John Mayer Chart History (Adult Pop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved September 5, 2017.
  21. "John Mayer Chart History (Pop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved September 5, 2017.
  22. "Hot 100 Songs – Year-End 2006". Billboard. Retrieved October 13, 2019.
  23. "Adult Pop Songs – Year-End 2006". Billboard. Retrieved September 22, 2019.
  24. "The Billboard Hot 100 Singles & Tracks – 2007 Year End Charts". Billboard. Archived from the original on October 3, 2012. Retrieved December 15, 2010.
  25. "Adult Contemporary Songs – Year-End 2007". Billboard. Retrieved September 22, 2019.
  26. "Adult Pop Songs – Year-End 2007". Billboard. Retrieved September 22, 2019.
  27. "Greatest of All Time Adult Pop Songs : Page 1". US Adult Pop Songs. March 18, 2016. Retrieved March 16, 2018.
  28. "Canadian single certifications – John Mayer – Waiting On the World to Change". Music Canada.
  29. "Danish single certifications – John Mayer – Waiting On the World to Change". IFPI Denmark. Retrieved June 9, 2020.
  30. "American single certifications – John Mayer – Waiting On the World to Change". Recording Industry Association of America. If necessary, click Advanced, then click Format, then select Single, then click SEARCH. 
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