[Spoken Intro — soft, almost whispered] Funny… I used to wonder if somewhere in this big old world there was somebody wondering about me too. And now… Here you are. [Background Girls — very soft] (Ooooh…) Here you are… (Ooooh…) [Verse 1] There were nights I watched the stars above, Wondering if I’d ever find my love, I’d close my eyes and make a wish, For someone I had never kissed. I didn’t know your face or name, Didn’t know from where you came, But something deep inside of me Said, “Girl, just wait… someday you’ll see.” [Background Girls] (Just you wait…) Someday you’ll see… [Pre-Chorus] Then you walked into my life Like you had always known the way… And every lonely yesterday Started fading away. [Chorus] All this time… I was waiting for you. [Girls] (Waiting for you…) All those nights I was praying for you. [Girls] (Praying for you…) Every broken road, Every tear I cried, Was leading my heart Right here to your side. Oh, baby… All this time I thought love passed me by… But love was only taking its time. [Girls] (Ooooh…) Taking its time… [Verse 2] I watched my friends all fall in love, And wondered what I wasn’t worthy of, I’d smile and say that I was fine, Then go back home alone at night. Sometimes I almost gave my heart To someone wrong just from the start, But something whispered, “Don’t you do it… The one you need is coming to you.” [Girls — softly] (He’s coming…) Just hold on… [Verse 3] Then there you stood across the room, And something in my heart just knew, You smiled at me, I looked away, Too scared to hear what my heart might say. Then you came over, took my hand, And suddenly I understood… Why every other love went wrong. Baby… I was waiting for you all along. [Background Girls] (All along…) She was waiting all along… [Chorus] All this time… I was waiting for you. [Girls] (Waiting for you…) All those nights I was praying for you. [Girls] (Praying for you…) Every broken road, Every tear I cried, Was leading my heart Right here to your side. Oh, baby… All this time I thought love passed me by… But love was only taking its time. [Instrumental Break] (Soft piano carries the melody. Bass answers underneath. A lonely tenor saxophone plays a short four-bar phrase. Tambourine enters gently as the background girls hum.) [Girls] Mmmmmmm… (Ooooh…) Mmmmmmm… [Bridge — Lead & Background Girls] Maybe I had to cry— [Girls] (To know your smile…) Maybe I had to wait— [Girls] (For just a while…) Maybe every goodbye Had to break my heart… [Girls] (So you’d know…) [Lead] How to put it back together When you came along. And if I’d found you yesterday… Maybe I wouldn’t love you Quite this way. [Girls] (Ooooh…) [Lead — almost breaking] So maybe… Maybe love knew better than me. [Final Chorus — fuller] All this time… I was waiting for you! [Girls] (Waiting for you!) Every lonely night Was leading me to you! [Girls] (Leading to you!) Every door that closed, Every love that died, Was just making room For you in my life. And, baby… If I had to live Those lonely years again… I’d do it… [Music drops down] If I knew… You’d be waiting At the end. [Girls — softly] (Ooooh… at the end…) [Outro] So hold me close, baby, Don’t say a word… I’ve waited long enough To have you in my world. [Girls] (All this time…) All this time… [Lead] I didn’t know your name… [Girls] (All this time…) [Lead] Didn’t know your face… [Girls] (Waiting for you…) [Lead] But somehow my heart… Was saving your place. [Girls — fading] (Saving your place…) (Ooooh…) All this time… All this time… [Lead — final whisper] I was waiting for you.
