Waiting on the World to Change Lyrics

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About

Genius Annotation

“Waiting on the World to Change” centers John and his generation’s inaction in regard to current world conditions as the youth feel powerless in this situation. They feel as though they don’t have the means to fight because they are young and to some degree ignorant and scared.

He also laments the corruption among leaders,
John confirmed this feeling of discontent between the leaders and during an interview with The Advocate, explains:

“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.”

The song is the first single released from John Mayer’s 2006 studio album, Continuum. It won the Grammy for Best Male Pop Vocal Performance at the 49th Grammy Awards.

Q&A

Find answers to frequently asked questions about the song and explore its deeper meaning

What did John Mayer say about "Waiting on the World to Change"?
Genius Answer

On the Bobby Bones show in 2017, John was asked which song he was tired of playing and candidly answered “Waiting on the World to Change”:

It’s just a tactile thing… It’s right outside of my range. When I had a vocal surgery, it cost me like two or three notes, and I needed those notes for Waiting on the World to Change, so I kind of have to sneak around it. It never really was the most comfortable thing to sing. Weirdly enough, all the songs that became very popular are difficult to sing for me.

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