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| Wasted
(Rick Springfield) Her eyes are blue and her skin's so white Her emails read just like a porno site She wears her tank top way too tight Yea she knows it If she could lose the Polaroids from that weekend If she'd quit trying to make every boy her boyfriend Man I bet she could be president But it's wasted and just like me you erased it oh no, it's wasted You had the power to save my soul I had the power to make you whole (it's wasted) We had the power and we had control But we blew it The shit you pulled goes round my head I still see your face in every face in my bed Tell me was it something I said At the lake you lost my pretty toe ring But in the grand scheme it doesn't really mean a thing You just spread your wings and you forget about it But it's wasted Like so many things you erased it Oh no it's wasted You had the power to purify my soul I had the power to make you whole (it's wasted) We had the power and we had control But we blew it (it's wasted You had the power to save my soul I had the power to make you whole (it's wasted) We had the power and we had control But we blew it You always call me when I'm at home I try my best to duck the phone But I'm drawn to you like a dog to a bone and it's wasted Song Facts: This can be found on shock/denial/anger/acceptance. More Reviews: This is not my favorite song. I am not skipping it, but I am not singing it loudly while driving down the freeway.
To me, this song is all about accepting a person for who they are-even when that means that you are losing your soul mate. I picture the singer and the girl standing out in the rain and the guy trying to explain how he feels and at the same time realizing that the girl cannot change even for her own good. He can see what she could be and she is looking past him for her next conquest.
I could not agree more about the "toe ring". I have no idea what that means. How is it "his" pretty toe ring? If there is a deep meaning in that line...on me...it's wasted (sorry I could not resist) I guess the first thing to think about is the title, "wasted." There's the obvious, "waste", like something that is of no use or value. Then there's the "intoxicated" meaning. since the end of this song sounds like he's still dealing with an addiction, I think there's value in both.
Her eyes are blue; and her skin's so white Pure, all American. Her emails read just like a porno site Oh, the contrast. Not so pure. But still very American (we girls have a very bad reputation outside of the US) She wears her tank top way too tight; Yea she knows it Oh, this reminds me of a thousand catty comments that I've thought or heard while seeing a woman who's not quite appropriate, mostly at concerts, mostly getting to go up for IGE (yep, HE likes it, who am I to complain?) If she could lose the Polaroids from that weekend
But polaroids are easy to get rid of, no negatives. Not posted on the internet. It'd be easy to do, if they were in her possession. If she wanted to get rid of them. If she'd quit trying to make every boy her boyfriend
Oh, man. but we've been trained from birth to "get the boy." There's no other reason for us to exist.... but then, there are "those girls" who just go from guy to guy another prize, that "trail of broken hearts". Man I bet she could be president
Only women who are more perfect than perfect can stand the public scrutiny that being elected seems to necessitate, and women who are also "sexy" can't have respect. This whole first verse reminds me of the "girlie crap" that goes on at shows, that is killing us at my job, that has kept us from being equal citizens on the planet.... but I digress. It's all human stuff, mostly female criticisms of other females. But it's wasted and just like me you erased it oh no, it's wasted
The effort wouldn't be worth it. Or maybe it's the lack of effort. Either way, she's blocked him out. He's history. You had the power to save my soul; I had the power to make you whole (it's wasted)
Rick's common theme. Being a whole, content person. Religion.Souls.Sigh. We had the power and we had control; But we blew it
I love the way he dumps that last line on us. He had it all. But it's gone now. I see what I wanted and what I settled for. He's accepted it. He's not happy about it, but "it is what it is." The shit you pulled goes round my head
Ok, it's her fault. I still see your face in every face in my bed.
How many faces is this exactly???? Oh, that ol' double standard, it's okay for him to have a whole list, but hers should be less than a handful... But he's still stuck on her, obviously, still obsessed. Tell me was it something I said
Dammit, man, have a spine! (she was a spoiled baby, but baby she could love--reminds me of that song, just can't get the right line in my head. It's her fault, she screwed him over, but he's still willing to be trampled on, yet again...) At the lake you lost my pretty toe ring
I wondered what the h*** he was saying here... my pretty pony??? huh? Now it makes me wonder if this isn't a teenager's story (like his boys or their friends--toe rings haven't been popular for all that long....) Either way, this sounds like a very homey sort of situation. Around here, anyway, people don't just go to the lake. It's a family thing. Or a thing with friends. You don't just "bump into" people, it's not your typical meat market. But in the grand scheme it doesn't really mean a thing. More acceptance. more maturity. Take a step back. Don't sweat the small stuff. You just spread your wings and you forget about it When I hear this line, I think, it's sex. She has another guy, and the old guy, the old mistakes melt away, to be replaced by a new guy, more mistakes, or whatever. You always call me when I'm at home
This line goes thru my head every time I have to page my boss.... so now she's after him. or she's still after him. Whatever it is, it's not over. I try my best to duck the phone
(why does he say "duck" when "avoid" would flow so much better?) But I'm drawn to you like a dog to a bone and it's wasted
heh heh...he said bone. heh heh. It's not over. He's still battling this addiction. All the energy, all the angst, all the emotion. It's a waste. It's going no where. For nothing. But it still goes on. I love this song. Love the rhythm, love the acoustic guitars. It's easy to sing along with, easy to sing in the shower. And we all have those mistakes that we live with and relive frequently, and some mistakes that we wish we HAD made, but didn't. I've loved this song from the first and it's no different today. It was the one song from s/d/a/a that could always put a smile on my face and get my toe tapping. Don't ask me why I love it so much, I've been pondering that, too. It's really a simple song, with a straight-forward message. Waste has always been my pet peeve...I hate to waste anything, maybe that's the reason.
I love this song live especially Rick's cute little hand gestures...the 'lose the polaroid' signal is very imaginative, along with others...*cough, sputter*. I can't even relate to the woman in the song, but I admire Rick for noticing that women can be more than just eye candy. And he seems to think it's a shame that we sometimes have to rely on our feminine wiles, other than our brains to get attention in this world. Of course, that idea is only true if the woman "buys into" it.
As far as the relationship in the lyrics..."like so many things", that seems to be wasted, too. So Rick is admitting that he is guilty of waste as well. Everyone is, at least to some extent. We all feel, at one time or another that we haven't done as well as we should have in some aspect of our lives. But as the song also states......."we've got the power and we've got control".....so don't blow it!! A good lesson.
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Fan Reviews
I love this song. I think at the moment, it is my favorite. It's the one that I press "repeat" on. The music just grabs me and I think this is one of the best visualizations of a story that Rick gives, much like Karma (can't you just see that toe ring dropping to the bottom of the lake, or a pretty blond woman with a tight tank on (seriously, how many of us have looked around Rick's audience when he sings this song?)).
For me I hear two stories going on in this song. The first one is about a woman, using her 'talents' for superficial purposes instead of for the real, substantial things. The lyrics throughout the song tell us she's pretty and smart and could be so much more than she is. She's wasted? She has discarded what could be and she is discarded by others because of it. I also hear a story about two people who have a connection with each other that most people dream of having with someone. Unfortunately these two people have lost their way with each other and have used that connection, that hold they have over each other, to hurt the other one. They could easily unite and be a force to be reckoned with but instead they've both been hurt and as a result, they're using the 'power' to destroy each other. They're wasted? Throwing away love, partnership, a life together. This is my favorite song on the cd. Before the cd came out and we were catching glimpses of lyrics here and there, I wasn't sure I was going to like it. We got the first 4 lines and I'm thinking, "hmmm, the 911 song"....
But then I heard it and it was the song that grabbed me right away. I'm not a big fan of the stuff in between the tracks either, but I like the footsteps. I don't even know what this song is about, so it's surprising to me that I like it so much. Usually the songs I really like are the ones that kind of have a full meaning from beginning to end. This songs almost seems like it's about two different people to me. I just love the tune and I love the rhyme that's going on. It does have one of my least favorite lines of all time in it.....uh Toe Ring? Couldn't we have taken some poetic license and changed it to something less weird? But I like this song so much, I can't even let that ruin it for me. I do feel like it ends too soon, though. I've heard some live versions of this song that were just incredible. The angst in his voice has really made for some powerful performances. Ahh, the Toe Ring. For months and months we pondered over that phrase, just wondering what in the heck he was saying, thinking to ourselves "it cannot possibly be toe ring" and then when the LE came out with the lyrics...BOOM there it was. Toe Ring.
Definitely a "what the heck?" line. Sounds kind of cheap to me, for weeks after I received confirmation *in writing* that yep, that's what he was singing... I kept thinking to myself, "All you bought her was a pretty toe ring??" Humph. I guess that was Rick being frugal (again). But wait...then someone pointed out to me that he says, "You lost my pretty toe ring." Since then I've been on a mission to check out Rick's feet. Ever see him without socks?? That's been a hard one to confirm. I like this song a lot. I guess I like it because it reminds me of how a lot of people feel at some point in their lives. The whole thing about "Man, I bet she could be President" makes me think of how "wasted" I feel I am here in this little town unable to use my job skills. I feel like the song just laments all of the potential that we have as individuals or in a relationship that we throw away or don't use. I like the line "It's wasted, and just like me you erased it...Oh no, it's wasted, etc..." I think I've been there. You finally let a relationship go and then you look back and see what was wasted.
This song screams out of my mind at this dilapidated little town. (Notice my frustration at where I live yet? ;-))I'm seriously working on my attitude, honest. I did notice the lyric: "you lost my pretty toe ring" I thought he said "you lost my pretty toy". What's up with the toe ring????LOL! I can't relate. Now, a diamond ring is another thing...teehee. Okay, if Rick Springfield gave me a toe ring, I would guard it well. I wouldn't wear it, but I would guard it well.
I really really like the music to this song and the chorus. I can listen to it over and over and the song sticks in my head. What's that called a good 'hook'?
I must admit I was not very fond of the verses when I first heard the song. The man can write such great lyrics and these verses seem almost juvenile. The toe ring line really threw me for a loop, he goes from Gethsemane to toe ring on the same CD - what's up with that. The chorus does seem to reflect past relationships, often times you look back on them and wonder 'coulda, woulda, shoulda'. Other than the chorus my fav line in the song is ' the shit you pulled goes round my head'. I think most people tend to dwell on what went wrong not what was right. I don't know what to think about this song. I love it, and I know Rick doesn't want to name names but it would be nice if he would just tell us if the songs were or were not about him! lol Sounds to me like they had a situation set up and someone or both of them "blew it". The song sounds like he is still tempted and wishes they hadn't blown it! "the shit you pulled goes round my head, I still see your face in every face in my bed"---evidently it was some great sex,uh?
"tell me was it something I said"---she did something maybe that ruined the set-up and he does not understand why she did what she did. "at the lake you lost my pretty toe ring"---what the heck is this? This is such a personal reference that someone out there is bound to know its about them! lol The last verse "you always call me when I'm at home, I try my best to duck the phone, but I'm drawn to you like a dog to a bone, and its wasted."----Maybe he still picks up that phone on occasion, can't help himself, but since whatever occurred, he know its an impossible relationship and of course he has to put the "dog to a bone" reference since Gomer is the love of his life!! That's the best I can do on this one, but I do LOVE the song. I've had lots of ideas about this one but one point is that the song creates a lot of visual images - in the first verse you can clearly create your own image of the woman. I get the impression that she's trying too hard and going to such an extreme it's almost laughable.
For example in the first verse - her emails read like a porno site, so it's not that they are intriguing or enticing but like porn which is usually over the top and doesn't leave much to the imagination. Then there's the line about wearing your "tank top way too tight" - as in you could get the point of her slim figure but with that tank top it's too much. Then it ends with "Yeah she knows it" as if she knows she's going over the edge - and perhaps cannot stop herself. The next verse continues this - it's as if she's using the Polaroids as leverage over someone's head, and that she's the type that tries to get with every guy (or always thinks there are greener pastures over yonder) instead of focusing on one relationship. Both are a bit immature behaviors. Then the line "Man I bet she could be president" as if she focused all her energies on something more productive she could achieve a heck of a lot more. And in using the president as a goal I think it shows how high he thinks she could reach - there has not yet been a female president after all (but I did say yet!). The chorus seems to indicate that in their relationship they both had the opportunity to help each other get better or be better people but both failed. Perhaps if both parties were as over the top and immature then that would certainly not lead to a really successful healthy relationship. The rest of the song seems to indicate that the relationship haunts them - it could be that the relationship burned bright and fast -- thus it's over but both are still thinking "what if".... as in the lyrics "I still see your face in every face in my bed" and "You always call me when I'm at home" -- but he seems to come to the realization that there may forever be this connection and yet it will never be more than that - so it's simply wasted. Well, here it is. My least favorite song on the CD. Yes, I said it. I'm bucking popular opinion on this one. I just don't really feel this one. I'm not wild about it musically, which is I think the major hang up with me. But I have also figured out I just don't really care for the lyrics, with the exception of the chorus. I like the chorus. There are some powerful lines there. "You had the power to save my soul, I had the power to make you whole." Wow. That just kind of just socks you in the gut doesn't it. I makes me think of interviews you see with people that are in a deeply committed relationship that are asked what it is about that other person that let them know they were "the one." The person's response is usually somewhere along the lines of that when they met this person they felt they found a part of themselves that was missing in that other person. That this other person somehow "completed" them. That is some powerful stuff and that is what I feel in the chorus here. Obviously even finding the perfect love like that doesn't always mean it's all a bed of roses. Sometimes that might not be enough, even though it is everything.
Wasted was one of the songs that, when I first heard SDAA I thought, "whew...finally one I can really grab on to". I just liked it from the first moment I heard Rick strumming acoustically. I REALLY like that they left his footsteps walking away on it. It reminded me of how excited I was in 1983 when he sighed on Souls. I will never honestly tell anyone how many times I replayed the sigh....over and over :) The footsteps oddly kind of give me a glimpse of what it was like to be in the studio then...hearing the hard boots on the floor.
A few lines (or the way Rick sings them) stick in my mind the most....."Yea, she knows it"...this one gives me goose bumps. I can't really explain why, such a small voice inflection would cause a physical reaction (also happens when he sometimes sings "you know he'll only USE you up" a little higher, in DTTS in concert) ....it just does. "You had the power to save my soul", is my favorite line from the song. It just says it all. This woman had a sacred power over Rick Springfield, if it was autobiographical and I think it was from a few of the comments I have heard him make about it. I will admit, I have wondered who this song was about 1 million times. Part of me feels a little guilty for it, like I should just enjoy the music for what it is and for how much Rick is willing to share with us all. But then the other part, the one that wants to know every-single-thing-I-ever could about Rick Springfield wonders all the time, speculates. Does SHE know she possessed this power? How does this all fit into reality, um....like a marriage? I know we will never know and I will always wonder. And a review would not be complete without mention of the dreaded TOE RING. I really do think it is an actual ring you put on the actual toe of your actual foot. It bugged me a lot in the beginning, but not so much now. We now know that the reference really does fit in the song, from the mouth of Mr. Springfield, so we will have to just go with it I guess. Overall, I love the words and I love the melody. I think Rick said he worked really hard on the vocals and hoped he got the right result in the end. They are perfect Mr. Springfield.... see....there are SOME perfect things in this world :) | |
