You just don’t hear the derogatory term “filler” associated with The Beatles very often. Their singles were brilliant, of course, but the band also held their album tracks and B-sides to the same rigorous standards, insisting upon impeccably written and performed songs.
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“Wait,” which popped up on the band’s 1965 album Rubber Soul, crackles with the energy of a single, even though it was never released as such. The song’s title and message were appropriate, because the track had to wait a bit itself before appearing on a Beatles record.
Worth the “Wait”
When The Beatles released their Anthology compilations in the ‘90s, a ton of never-heard material became available for the first time to fans. But only a handful of those songs were fully recorded, originally written tracks that were never released either on albums or as B-sides.
That’s because the band showed vigilance in only going forward with songs that were worthy of being recorded and included on some sort of release. If a song wasn’t up to snuff in terms of the writing, it probably never reached the point where the Fab Four even gave it a cursory try once they made it to the studio.
In most cases, the songs they recorded didn’t loiter around very long before making it onto some sort of release. “Wait” proved to be an exception to that rule. They initially wrote it while in the Bahamas filming the movie Help! with the intent that it would pop up on the soundtrack.
But, for some unclear reason, they decided not to go forward with it, at least not at that time. About five months later, they were back at it, recording Rubber Soul. (It’s at this point we should stop and marvel about how they produced so much incredible music in such a short span of time.) They decided to bring back “Wait” for those sessions, and it ended up on the album.
Paul McCartney has claimed he wrote the bulk of “Wait,” with John Lennon helping on it. If that’s true, it would make it one of the rare Fab Four tracks where the chief writer wasn’t the lead singer. Lennon is the lead vocalist in both the verses and chorus (with McCartney harmonizing), although Paul does take the lead on the middle eights.
Examining the Lyrics to “Wait”
The message of “Wait” is fitting, considering the song had to bide its time before getting its release. It comes from the perspective of a guy planning a return to his love, stressing the need for her to be patient. After all, he’s been in the same boat, missing her: It’s been a long time, now I’m coming back home / I’ve been away now, oh, how I’ve been alone.
His point is the reunion will make everything right again: Wait till I come back to your side / We’ll forget the tears we’ve cried. Yet he understands it’s not a sure thing that she can hold out, and he even understands her reluctance: But if your heart breaks, don’t wait, turn me away / And if your heart’s strong, hold on, I won’t be late.
The middle eight is a testament to this guy’s unwavering belief in their love, as he reassures her: I feel as though, you ought to know / That I’ve been good, as good as I can be. That phrase as I can be might give her a bit of pause, as it suggests his fidelity could have been tested.
Nonetheless, he hopes she can give him the benefit of the doubt: And if you do, I’ll trust in you / And know that you will wait for me. With “Wait,” The Beatles preached the benefits that patience can bring, and their own patience in finding a home for this song was well rewarded.
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