Tuesday, August 15, 2017

“Waste of Time” by Nathan Ball – A Song Review

     The song reflects on the ineffectiveness of spending your time wishing things were different. “This is just a waste of time, I’ve been driving ‘round all night.” While discussing “Waste of Time,” Nathan Ball explained that he is haunted by the childhood advice that he shouldn’t wish his life away.

     The messaging of “Waste of Time” is poetically versed and is rhythmically delivered in close cooperation with the percussion. In comparison, a guitar sometimes dances with that rhythm and other times around it. During the chorus that begins at 0:40, the guitar is continuous, providing a lush texturing to the track. Then, within the verse starting at 1:19, the guitar interjects its dance during lyrical breaks.

    Staff members at Indie Obsessive tend to place a greater emphasis on lyrics than most of the music blogs we highly respect. Normally, repetition is not our friend. But “Waste of Time” builds a crescendo into its repetition of “Is it all a waste of time? I've been driving ‘round all night.” It’s another example of the skillful composition of the song.

Quoting press release content regarding Nathan Ball:
  “Writing and recording his new material, Nathan gathered a band around him — including co-writer and producer Max Radford, and began playing show after show. ‘It was a weird one because we were just moving along doing our own thing yet every show we ever played was packed out. Eventually Industry people started coming along and saying: ‘how the hell are you doing this?’ We just kept making music and playing and somehow it connected. I’ve always liked the idea of people getting on board because they want to, rather than it being shoved in their faces.’
  Nathan’s work fuses two chief loves – one for the classic songwriting of Paul Simon or Van Morrison and the other an eagerness to experiment and push boundaries sonically. Perhaps unexpectedly he finds inspiration in left-field house music. ‘That’s where I get the emotions I like to bring into my own writing,’ he explains ‘I love the way it makes you feel – it’s euphoric, but sad, introvert but expressive. I can’t quite pin down what it is… I love that darker side of the genre, I guess.’”

    “Waste of Time” by Nathan Ball 


Lyrics of “Waste of Time” by Nathan Ball (some best guesses)
I saw it comin’ head on
You sat upstairs with the light on
Waking up slowly look what you’re missing
Your curtains closed I was wishing

Gone down a road and it’s hard to know lady
If you gonna make it
You should get away sometime
Gone down a road and it’s hard to know lady
Where you gonna take it
This is just a waste of time
I've been driving ‘round all night
I've been driving ‘round all night

But I've said some things I should've kept in
But I wish I knew what you were thinking
You said that night I should have kissed you
Don't treat it like you didn't want to

Gone down a road and it’s hard to know lady
If you gonna make it
You should get away sometime
Gone down a road and it’s hard to know lady
Where you gonna take it
This is just a waste of time
I've been driving ‘round all night
I've been driving ‘round all night

Is it all a waste of time?
I've been driving ‘round all night
[Repeat 3x]

Gone down a road and it’s hard to know lady
If you gonna make it
You should get away sometime
Gone down a road and it’s hard to know lady
Where you gonna take it
Is it all a waste of time?
I've been driving ‘round all night

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