Talk:Waiting on a Friend

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BetacommandBot (talk) 03:25, 12 February 2008 (UTC)

Song title grammar
Does the choice of "waiting on" rather than "waiting for" in the title hold any special meaning? I've always found the wording rather peculiar, but then I'm no expert on English grammar. --  x -Flare- x {{sup|{Talk)}} 00:02, 18 October 2008 (UTC)

Did I inspire lyrics for "Waiting On a Friend"? . . . yeah, right
It happened in December 1980 a short time after that terrible night at the Dakota. I was staying in Miami with family on an extended leave from the Navy, just out of rehab for alcohol abuse. I looked up an old friend, Jerry, who was working the door at a popular jazz club in Coconut Grove. With nothing better to do, I hung out at the club bar listening to the band play "Street Life" most every night, learning how to chill just sipping OJ or whatever, and waiting for Jerry to get off work. It was a crazy funny time for me, because people in the club thought I was Dan Akroyd and would ask me (Dan Akroyd) if I would come sit with them and have a drink, and if I would, please "say something funny." Jerry said the place was still abuzz that Chevy Chase was there a few weeks before and were anticipating another celebrity to show.

Anyway, one night I was sitting at the far side of the bar away from anyone whom might want ot offer me drink. Jerry was at the door over to the right and the band was playing over to left, and I'm sipping my Sunrise sans the tequila, and this tall thin cat with perfect hair, a way full beard and nice leather jacket walks up to the waitress station, orders a drink, and stands in the shadows between me and the band. I don't remember if we said anything but we were close enough to each other to nod and maybe say "hi". We were just chillin. Then a flirty blonde girl, who was there most nights, like me, walks over and takes a seat between me and my friend and starts jabbering to me about why I hangout there everynight. She wanted to know if I'm waiting for someone?, looking for someone? or wanting someone?, do I have a girlfriend?, yada, yada, yada. Then she says "hey look at this" and reaches into her bag and pulls out these way big yellow pretend glasses and puts them on. "How do I look?" I just laughed and thought what a whacky girl. She barbed me a little more with "If you don't want me then who I are you waiting for?". And then I said it "I'm just waitin on a friend" and she said "What friend?" and I said "my friend Jerry over there standing in the doorway."

Now you're probably thinking "What a crock" and I'd probably agree with you, but, three or four months later I'm back on my ship in Norfolk, VA (I was still in the Navy)and receive my Rolling Stone issue from March or April 1981. I start to read this article about Keith Richards recording in Miami at Ace Music or some place like that for several weeks in December and January, and that Mick Jagger was also in town hangin out. Then I turn the page, and, down in the corner is this little picture of Mick Jagger on a charter boat off the coast of Miami Beach and he's actually fishing AND he has this way long and bushy beard!! and then I'm thinking, "Shit, is that the same guy from the jazz club?" Well I'll probably never know, but seriously, after all these years, I really want to know. Then of course the "Tattoo You" album was released and I flipped when I heard the "Waiting on a Friend" track and pondered the curious short hair cuts on the front and back of the album, almost like a Navy haircut, like mine at the time. I know, go ahead and say it "what a load of crap!". It was like, "No freeking way, this can't be so, or can it?"

I've told this story, true or imagined, to a lot of friends over the years and they still get a big kick out it, and I have learned a smile can ease a heart that breaks and real friends are what makes life worthwhile.

So thats my story and I'm sticking to it. I'm still sober and still waiting on a friend. I have not idea how to sign this post. I somebody could please explain.Heffe Jeff Millard May 12, 2009

time signature
the article currently lists "The song contains a guitar intro with one bar in 7/4 at the very beginning, staying in 4/4 for the rest of the song." Not only is this uncited claim a clear example of "original research", it's not really even technically correct. Since the first measures are exactly the same riff as the rest of the song, it's probably more correct to just assume that the whole song, first two measures inclusive, is in 4/4, and there is just a full quarter rest at the beginning of the first measure before the guitar comes in...74.192.195.94 (talk) 16:52, 11 March 2011 (UTC)

Mick Taylor
Does Mick Taylor play on this track or not? Sealed Cargo has made two unsourced edits here and here stating that he did. But the article says: "Recording ... began in late 1972 through early 1973 in Kingston, Jamaica, during the Goats Head Soup sessions when the band still had Mick Taylor as a member, but he does not play on the official released version." So there was a contradiction, which I have reverted. That claim is unsourced, however, so I have added a cn tag. The article for Tattoo You shows clearly that Taylor played only on the song "Tops". 205.239.40.3 (talk) 12:47, 8 January 2023 (UTC)