I don’t want to to wait for our lives to be over/
I want to know right now what will it be.

Paula Cole’s “I Don’t Wanna Wait” is a super popular song that gets a somewhat bad reputation because it was the theme song of Dawson’s Creek. (Even though Dawson’s Creek was awesome, it was not for everyone.) So you won’t find this song on other top 500 lists.

This song is about a young mother whose husband is away in world war two. She worries whether her kids will ever meet their father. Luckily, the husband eventually returns home, but he is a mess-both physically and mentally. It takes a toll on the marriage, but they do persevere to the later stages of their marriage (“and now he has granddaughters”).

The main issue with their marriage seems to be that he carries a lot of mental anguish from the war-still after all this time. It manifests itself in anger, and the woman fears it may ruin the relationship. She wants to break the cycle of anger and anguish that runs in the family and tells him to look at her and breath deeply. But ultimately, she doesn’t want to wait forever, will they overcome this?

“I Don’t Wanna Wait” is a great song about the anguish of war and couples relying on each other. The melody is super catchy and Paula Cole’s voice is superb throughout.

I Don’t Wanna Wait Lyrics

So open up your morning light,
And say a little prayer for I.
You know that if we are to stay alive,
And see the peace in every eye.

She had two babies,
One was six months one was three,
In the war of ’44.
Every telephone ring,
Every heartbeat stinging,
When she thought it was God calling her.
Oh, would her son grow to know his father?

I don’t want to wait
For our lives to be over,
I want to know right now,
What will it be.
I don’t want to wait
For our lives to be over,
Will it be yes or will it be sorry?

He showed up all wet,
On the rainy front step,
Wearing shrapnel in his skin.
And the war he saw,
Lives inside him still
It’s so hard to be gentle and warm.
The years passed by and now
He has a granddaughter.

I don’t want to wait
For our lives to be over,
I want to know right now,
What will it be?
I don’t want to wait,
For our lives to be over,
Will it be yes or will it be…

Oh, so you look at me
From across the room.
You’re wearing your anguish again.
Believe me I know the feeling,
It sucks you into the jaws of anger.
Oh, so breathe a little more deeply my love,
All we have is this very moment.
And I don’t want to do what
His father and his father and his father did,
I want to be here now.

So open up your morning light,
And say a little prayer for I.
You know that if we are to stay alive,
And see the peace in every eye.

I don’t want to wait
For our lives to be over,
I want to know right now,
What will it be?
I don’t want to wait
For our lives to be over,
Will it be yes or will it be…

I don’t want to wait
For our lives to be over,
I want to know right now,
What will it be?
I don’t want to wait
For our lives to be over,
Will it be yes or will it be sorry?

So open up your morning light,
And say a little prayer for I.
You know that if we are to stay alive,
And see the love in every eye.

written by: Paula Cole