What a Waste

"What a Waste" is a song and single by Ian Dury and the Blockheads, originally released on the Stiff Records single BUY 27 "What a Waste" / "Wake Up and Make Love with Me". The song has remained in The Blockheads' set following Dury's death.

Essentially a song about being in a job that makes you happy, Dury claimed in a 1984 interview with Penthouse that while not condemning 9-to-5 jobs, he had written the song to make people question their lives, echoing the sentiments of his earlier single "Sex and Drugs and Rock and Roll". The song's verses list a number of things the song's narrator could have been, from a driver, poet, teacher or soldier to an inmate in a long-term institution and the ticket man at Fulham Broadway station before the chorus reveals that instead he chose to 'play the fool in a six-piece band' highlighting some of the pitfalls of this (loneliness specifically), before deciding that 'rock and roll don't mind'.

The song was written following the break-up of Kilburn and the Highroads in a lull between the formation of Ian Dury & the Kilburns and was written with Rod Melvin in mid-1975, two years before it was released. Originally a third writing credit was given to Chaz Jankel (Dury's long-term songwriting companion): this third writing credit has gradually been phased out and the 2004 Edsel Records re-issue of Do it Yourself credits the song to Dury/Melvin solely. However in Ian Dury & The Blockheads: Song By Song, John Turnbull (guitarist with the Blockheads) claims that the middle instrumental section was brought over from one of the songs four of the The Blockheads had written while they were in their previous band, Loving Awareness.

Dury's first hit, "What A Waste / Wake Up And Make Love With Me" was released in April 1978 just before the start of a headlining tour, entering the Top 75 on 29 April and spent 12 weeks there. It peaked at number 9 in the UK Singles Chart, becoming Stiff Records' biggest selling single to date. A very limited 12" pressing was also released.

The single has most likely contributed to the confusion over exactly what Ian Dury songs are by 'Ian Dury & The Blockheads' including as it did "Wake Up and Make Love with Me" on its B-side: this is not a new version of the song re-recorded by the band but the version from New Boots and Panties!! which is not a Blockheads album (although some of the band do play on it). "What a Waste", however, is a Blockheads track.

On their eponymous album from 1998, English indie rock band, theaudience quote the song in the chorus of 'Running Out Of Space': "It's high time for summer and for honesty / when you're drunk you will sing 'What A Waste'" followed by a short phrase on keyboards based on the chorus guitar riff.

Re-releases and versions

Re-releases

The song was omitted from Do It Yourself in keeping with Dury's then policy of not including singles on albums: the song was not available again until the compilation album Jukebox Dury. The song can be found in abundance today, not only on Dury compilations but on various punk, new wave and rock albums.

"What a Waste" is included as the final track on the Demon Records re-issue of New Boots and Panties!!, and as the first track on the Edsel Records re-issue of Do It Yourself.

Versions

Live versions can be found on both Warts 'n' Audience and Straight from the Desk.

Dury re-recorded the song with Curve in 1993 for the Peace Together album. The recording was also included on Curve's 2004 compilation album, The Way of Curve.

"What a Waste" is sometimes written with an exclamation mark, including on Live! Warts 'n' Audience: the original single omits the exclamation mark.

The bridge section of "What a Waste" was sampled by A Tribe Called Quest on their 1991 single "Can I Kick It?".

Sources

Sex and Drugs and Rock And Roll: the Life of Ian Dury by Richard Balls, first published 2000, Omnibus Press.
Ian Dury & The Blockheads: Song by Song by Jim Drury, first published 2003, Sanctuary Publishing.

v t e The Blockheads

Chaz Jankel Norman Watt-Roy John Turnbull Mick Gallagher Derek Hussey John Roberts Lee Harris Gilad Atzmon Davey Payne Dave Lewis Luke Gallagher Ian Dury Charlie Charles Stephen Monti Merlin Rhys-Jones Will Parnell Dylan Howe Wilko Johnson

Studio albums	Do It Yourself Laughter Mr. Love Pants Ten More Turnips from the Tip

Live albums	Straight from the Desk

Compilation albums	Live Stiffs Live

Singles	"What a Waste" "Hit Me with Your Rhythm Stick" "Reasons to be Cheerful, Part 3" "Sueperman's Big Sister" "Dance Little Rude Boy"

Related	Discography

v t e Ian Dury

Studio albums	New Boots and Panties!! Lord Upminster 4,000 Weeks' Holiday (w/The Music Students) Apples The Bus Driver's Prayer & Other Stories

With The Blockheads	Do It Yourself Laughter Live! Warts 'n' Audience Mr. Love Pants Straight from the Desk Ten More Turnips from the Tip

With Kilburn & the High Roads	Handsome Wotabunch! The Best Of Kilburn & the High Roads

Singles	"Rough Kids" "Crippled With Nerves" "Sex & Drugs & Rock & Roll" "Sweet Gene Vincent" "What a Waste" "Hit Me with Your Rhythm Stick" "Billy Bentley" "Reasons to be Cheerful, Part 3" "I Want To Be Straight" "Sueperman's Big Sister" "Spasticus Autisticus" "Really Glad You Came" "Very Personal" "Hit Me with Your Rhythm Stick (remix)" "Profoundly In Love With Pandora" "Apples" "Dance Little Rude Boy" "Sex & Drugs & Rock & Roll" (re-release)

Compilations	Live Stiffs Live

Films	Sex & Drugs & Rock & Roll

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