In regards to the meaning of this song:
Before a live performance on the EP Five Stories Falling, Geoff states “It’s about the last time I went to visit my grandmother in Columbus, and I saw that she was dying and it was the last time I was going to see her. It is about realizing how young you are, but how quickly you can go.”
That’s the thing about Geoff and his sublime poetry, you think it’s about one thing, but really it’s about something entirely different. But the lyrics are still universal and omnipresent, ubiquitous, even. So relatable. That’s one thing I love about this band. I also love their live performances, raw energy and Geoff’s beautiful, imperfectly perfect vocals. His voice soothes my aching soul.
Oh baby, don't it feel like heaven right now?
Don't it feel like somethin' from a dream?
Yeah, I've never known nothing quite like this
Don't it feel like tonight might never be again?
Baby, we know better than to try and pretend
Honey, no one could have ever told me 'bout this
I said, yeah, yeah (yeah, yeah)
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
The waiting is the hardest part
Every day you see one more card
You take it on faith, you take it to the heart
The waiting is the hardest part
Well yeah, I might have chased a couple of women around
All it ever got me was down
Yeah, then there were those that made me feel good
But never as good as I feel right now
Baby, you're the only one that's ever known how
To make me wanna live like I wanna live now
I said, yeah, yeah (yeah, yeah)
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
The waiting is the hardest part
Every day you get one more yard
You take it on faith, you take it to the heart
The waiting is the hardest part
Oh, don't let it kill you, baby, don't let it get to you
Don't let 'em kill you, baby, don't let 'em get to you
I'll be your bleedin' heart, I'll be your cryin' fool
Don't let this go too far, don't let it get to you
Yeah, yeah (yeah, yeah)
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
The waiting is the hardest part
Every day you get one more yard
You take it on faith, you take it to the heart
The waiting is the hardest part
Yeah, the waiting is the hardest part
Ooh
Is the hardest part
Ooh
Is the hardest part
Don't it feel like somethin' from a dream?
Yeah, I've never known nothing quite like this
Don't it feel like tonight might never be again?
Baby, we know better than to try and pretend
Honey, no one could have ever told me 'bout this
I said, yeah, yeah (yeah, yeah)
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
The waiting is the hardest part
Every day you see one more card
You take it on faith, you take it to the heart
The waiting is the hardest part
Well yeah, I might have chased a couple of women around
All it ever got me was down
Yeah, then there were those that made me feel good
But never as good as I feel right now
Baby, you're the only one that's ever known how
To make me wanna live like I wanna live now
I said, yeah, yeah (yeah, yeah)
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
The waiting is the hardest part
Every day you get one more yard
You take it on faith, you take it to the heart
The waiting is the hardest part
Oh, don't let it kill you, baby, don't let it get to you
Don't let 'em kill you, baby, don't let 'em get to you
I'll be your bleedin' heart, I'll be your cryin' fool
Don't let this go too far, don't let it get to you
Yeah, yeah (yeah, yeah)
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
The waiting is the hardest part
Every day you get one more yard
You take it on faith, you take it to the heart
The waiting is the hardest part
Yeah, the waiting is the hardest part
Ooh
Is the hardest part
Ooh
Is the hardest part
Add your thoughts
Log in now to tell us what you think this song means.
Don’t have an account? Create an account with SongMeanings to post comments, submit lyrics, and more. It’s super easy, we promise!
More Featured Meanings
Standing On The Edge Of Summer
Thursday
Thursday
Gentle Hour
Yo La Tengo
Yo La Tengo
This song was originally written by a guy called Peter Gutteridge. He was one of the founders of the "Dunedin Sound" a musical scene in the south of New Zealand in the early 80s. From there it was covered by "The Clean" one of the early bands of that scene (he had originally been a member of in it's early days, writing a couple of their best early songs). The Dunedin sound, and the Clean became popular on american college radio in the mid to late 80s. I guess Yo La Tengo heard that version.
Great version of a great song,
Amazing
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran tells a story of unsuccessfully trying to feel “Amazing.” This track is about the being weighed down by emotional stress despite valiant attempts to find some positivity in the situation. This track was written by Ed Sheeran from the perspective of his friend. From the track, we see this person fall deeper into the negative thoughts and slide further down the path of mental torment with every lyric.
Page
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
There aren’t many things that’ll hurt more than giving love a chance against your better judgement only to have your heart crushed yet again. Ed Sheeran tells such a story on “Page.” On this track, he is devastated to have lost his lover and even more saddened by the feeling that he may never move on from this.
Plastic Bag
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
“Plastic Bag” is a song about searching for an escape from personal problems and hoping to find it in the lively atmosphere of a Saturday night party. Ed Sheeran tells the story of his friend and the myriad of troubles he is going through. Unable to find any solutions, this friend seeks a last resort in a party and the vanity that comes with it.
“I overthink and have trouble sleepin’ / All purpose gone and don’t have a reason / And there’s no doctor to stop this bleedin’ / So I left home and jumped in the deep end,” Ed Sheeran sings in verse one. He continues by adding that this person is feeling the weight of having disappointed his father and doesn’t have any friends to rely on in this difficult moment. In the second verse, Ed sings about the role of grief in his friend’s plight and his dwindling faith in prayer. “Saturday night is givin’ me a reason to rely on the strobe lights / The lifeline of a promise in a shot glass, and I’ll take that / If you’re givin’ out love from a plastic bag,” Ed sings on the chorus, as his friend turns to new vices in hopes of feeling better.
Waiting for anything is the hardest part, the anticipation just kills you. The wait is just one more obstacle we have to overcome to get what we want (and maybe the distance).
I think that this song is being away from his special girl. I mean if you listen in the begining he is describing the elation he has when he is with her. He also states how hes had so many other women, but none can compare to the love she gives him. I dont know, thats just what i get out of the song. my girl and i go to different colleges, and when ever i here this song it seems like it was written for us.
I always wondered if this song was about expecting a baby.
I think shed 27 is right. That makes sense. It also works for anyone who's ever had to wait on something or someone. (That applies to all of us, doesn't it?) For me, it reminds me of someone I dated awhile back. I would get so excited at the prospect of meeting her or just getting an e-mail or phone call from her that I could hardly wait. "The waiting is the hardest part", just like the song says.
To me this song applies to my life right now. I just met this really fantastic girl, and we hit it off really really well, I mean, scarily well. I'm just waiting to see if it's going to turn out the way I want it to or if it's just going to be only one of those fantastic nights that never happen again. But waiting, anticipating anything that could be potentially wonderful is difficult, and is the hardest part.
It's scary.
Yeah I screw around on you,and no you don't. But don't let that kill you inside,cos I'm really worht it. forget about throwing in the towel and fining a decent man who will treat you good...lol thats what that song is about. He does it,because he can.And she's a good person and would never cheat...
tom said that it was the anticipation b4 playing a gig...how hard it was to wait to get on stage....but for anyone else it fits just about everything, waiting for something u want is hard..seems like the clock ticks way slower
This is such a great song. Tom just has this way of conveying a simple lyric in such a way that it is dripping with emotional salavation. Especially the last line in this case:
"...I might have chased a couple women around All it ever got me was down Then there were those that made me feel good But never as good as I'm feeling right now Baby you're the only one that's ever known how To make me wanna live like I wanna live now"
The way he delivers those lines is so sincere. If HE wasn't singing them, perhaps we wouldn't believe them?
I've yet to hear a cover version of a Petty song I've liked. Maybe this is why? Tom's songs lend themselves uniquely to him and the heartbreakers.
Love this song---I got kind of pissed that he fooled around, but yep he's honest. I think that WAITING FOR ANYTHING WORTHWHILE IS THE HARDEST PART.....He's a genius.
This song reminds me of the Chicago White Sox. When the sox won the World Series in '05, ESPN made a collage of the team's highlights to this song. It was such a perfect song for the moment.
they had this song play during the promos for 40 year old virgin..haha