I've Been Waiting for You (Neil Young song)

"I've Been Waiting for You"
"I've Been Waiting for You"
Single by David Bowie
from the album Heathen
B-side	"Sunday" (Tony Visconti mix)
Released	October 2002 (Canada)
Recorded	August–September 2001; October 2001 – January 2002;
Studio	Allaire (Shokan, New York); Looking Glass (New York City);
Length	3:00
Label	Columbia
Songwriter	Neil Young
Producers	David Bowie; Tony Visconti;
David Bowie singles chronology

"I've Been Waiting for You"
"I've Been Waiting for You"
Song by Neil Young
from the album Neil Young
Released	November 12, 1968
Recorded	October 9, 1968
Studio	TTG Recording Studios, Los Angeles
Genre	Folk rock
Length	2:30
Label	Reprise
Songwriter	Neil Young
Producers	Neil Young; David Briggs;

"I've Been Waiting for You" is a song written by Neil Young, which he recorded for his 1968 self-titled debut solo album. In a song review for AllMusic, critic Matthew Greenwald described it as "One of the most powerful and well-crafted songs from Neil Young's self-titled solo debut ... A very strong and engaging melody is set against a striking, descending guitar riff, which serves as the song's hook."^[1]

Young did not perform the song with Crazy Horse or Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young,^[1] although he recorded a live solo acoustic version in November 1968, just a few days before the release of the album version. It was later included on the live album Sugar Mountain – Live at Canterbury House 1968, released in 2008.^[2]

David Bowie, the Pixies, and Dinosaur Jr. have recorded renditions of the song.^[3]^[4]

Personnel

Neil Young – guitar, piano, pipe organ, vocals
Jim Messina – bass
George Grantham – drums^[5]

David Bowie version

David Bowie recorded a version of the song, which features Dave Grohl on guitar, for his album Heathen (2002). His version of "I've Been Waiting for You" was released as a single in Canada and reached number 11 in the single charts.^[6]

Bowie's band Tin Machine performed the song during their 1991-92 It's My Life Tour, sung by Reeves Gabrels.^[7] One such live version appeared on the live video release Tin Machine Live: Oy Vey, Baby. Bowie played the song live again on his solo Heathen Tour (2002) and A Reality Tour (2003).^[8]^[9] A longer version of the album version (3:16 versus 3:00) appeared on the Heathen Super Audio CD (2002) and on the box set I Can't Give Everything Away (2002–2016) (2025).

Track listing

CD: ISO-Columbia / 38K 003369 (Canada)

"I've Been Waiting for You (album version)" – 3:00
"Sunday (Tony Visconti mix)" – 4:56
"Shadow Man" – 4:46

Personnel

According to Chris O'Leary and Benoit Clerc:^[10]^[11]

David Bowie – lead and backing vocals, synthesizers, rhythm guitar, Theremin
Dave Grohl – lead guitar
Tony Visconti – bass guitar, backing vocals
Matt Chamberlain – drums, loops

Technical

David Bowie – producer
Tony Visconti – producer, engineer
Brandon Mason – assistant engineer (Allaire Studios)
Todd Vos – assistant engineer (Allaire Studios)
Hector Castillo – assistant engineer (Looking Glass Studios)
Christian Rutledge – assistant engineer (Looking Glass Studios)

References

^ ^a ^b Greenwald, Matthew. "Neil Young: I've Been Waiting for You – Song Review". AllMusic. Retrieved February 9, 2018.
^ "Sugar Mountain Live at Canterbury House 1968". Neil Young Archives. Retrieved July 21, 2024.
^ "I've Been Waiting For You". YouTube. January 2020. Retrieved July 21, 2024.
^ "Dinosaur Jr. - I've Been Waiting For You (Neil Young) - Unreleased". YouTube. 5 March 2021. Retrieved July 21, 2024.
^ "I've Been Waiting For You". Retrieved July 4, 2025.
^ "David Bowie". Billboard.
^ "Tin Machine Setlist at Hokkai-dou Kousei Nenkin Kaikan, Sapporo, Japan". Setlistfm. Retrieved July 21, 2024.
^ "David Bowie Setlist at The Music Hall at Snug Harbor, Staten Island, NY, USA". Setlistfm. Retrieved July 21, 2024.
^ "David Bowie Setlist at Palais Omnisports de Paris-Bercy, Paris, France". Setlistfm. Retrieved July 21, 2024.
^ O'Leary, Chris (2019). Ashes to Ashes: The Songs of David Bowie 1976–2016. London: Repeater Books. p. 492. ISBN 978-1-91224-830-8.
^ Clerc, Benoît (2021). David Bowie All the Songs: The Story Behind Every Track. New York City: Black Dog & Leventhal. ISBN 978-0-7624-7471-4.

[Greenwald-1] Greenwald, Matthew. "Neil Young: I've Been Waiting for You – Song Review". AllMusic. Retrieved February 9, 2018.

[2] "Sugar Mountain Live at Canterbury House 1968". Neil Young Archives. Retrieved July 21, 2024.

[3] "I've Been Waiting For You". YouTube. January 2020. Retrieved July 21, 2024.

[4] "Dinosaur Jr. - I've Been Waiting For You (Neil Young) - Unreleased". YouTube. 5 March 2021. Retrieved July 21, 2024.

[5] "I've Been Waiting For You". Retrieved July 4, 2025.

[6] "David Bowie". Billboard.

[7] "Tin Machine Setlist at Hokkai-dou Kousei Nenkin Kaikan, Sapporo, Japan". Setlistfm. Retrieved July 21, 2024.

[8] "David Bowie Setlist at The Music Hall at Snug Harbor, Staten Island, NY, USA". Setlistfm. Retrieved July 21, 2024.

[9] "David Bowie Setlist at Palais Omnisports de Paris-Bercy, Paris, France". Setlistfm. Retrieved July 21, 2024.

[10] O'Leary, Chris (2019). Ashes to Ashes: The Songs of David Bowie 1976–2016. London: Repeater Books. p. 492. ISBN 978-1-91224-830-8.

[11] Clerc, Benoît (2021). David Bowie All the Songs: The Story Behind Every Track. New York City: Black Dog & Leventhal. ISBN 978-0-7624-7471-4.

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David Bowie singles
Discography Songs
1960s	"Liza Jane" "I Pity the Fool" "You've Got a Habit of Leaving" "Baby Loves That Way" "Can't Help Thinking About Me" "Do Anything You Say" "I Dig Everything" "Rubber Band" "The London Boys" "The Laughing Gnome" "Love You till Tuesday" "Space Oddity"
1970s	"The Prettiest Star" "Memory of a Free Festival" "Holy Holy" "Moonage Daydream" "Hang On to Yourself" "Changes" "Starman" "John, I'm Only Dancing" "The Jean Genie" "Drive-In Saturday" "Time" "Life on Mars?" "Let's Spend the Night Together" "Sorrow" "Rebel Rebel" "Rock 'n' Roll Suicide" "Diamond Dogs" "1984" "Knock on Wood" "Rock 'n' Roll with Me" "Young Americans" "Fame" "Golden Years" "Station to Station" (French promo) "TVC 15" "Suffragette City" "Stay" "Sound and Vision" "Be My Wife" "'Heroes'" "Beauty and the Beast" "Breaking Glass" "Boys Keep Swinging" "D.J." "Yassassin" "Look Back in Anger" "John, I'm Only Dancing (Again)"
1980s	"Alabama Song" "Crystal Japan" "Ashes to Ashes" "Fashion" "Scary Monsters (And Super Creeps)" "Up the Hill Backwards" "Under Pressure" "Wild Is the Wind" "The Drowned Girl" "Cat People (Putting Out Fire)" "Peace on Earth/Little Drummer Boy" "Let's Dance" "China Girl" "Modern Love" "Without You" "White Light/White Heat" "Blue Jean" "Tonight" "This Is Not America" "Loving the Alien" "Dancing in the Street" "Absolute Beginners" "Underground" "When the Wind Blows" "Magic Dance" "Day-In Day-Out" "Time Will Crawl" "Never Let Me Down" "Under the God" "Heaven's in Here" "Tin Machine" / "Maggie's Farm (live)" "Prisoner of Love"
1990s	"Fame '90" "You Belong in Rock n' Roll" "Baby Universal" "One Shot" "Real Cool World" "Jump They Say" "Black Tie White Noise" "Miracle Goodnight" "The Buddha of Suburbia" "Ziggy Stardust" "The Hearts Filthy Lesson" "Strangers When We Meet" "Hallo Spaceboy" "Telling Lies" "Little Wonder" "Dead Man Walking" "Seven Years in Tibet" "Pallas Athena" "I'm Afraid of Americans" "I Can't Read" "Without You I'm Nothing" "Thursday's Child" "The Pretty Things Are Going to Hell"
2000s	"Survive" "Seven" "Slow Burn" "Everyone Says 'Hi'" "I've Been Waiting for You" "Shadow Man" "New Killer Star" "Just for One Day (Heroes)" "Rebel Never Gets Old"
2010s	"Where Are We Now?" "The Stars (Are Out Tonight)" "The Next Day" "Valentine's Day" "Love Is Lost" "'Tis a Pity She Was a Whore" "Sue (Or in a Season of Crime)" "Blackstar" "Lazarus" "I Can't Give Everything Away"
Other songs	"Silly Boy Blue" "Let Me Sleep Beside You" "Karma Man" "Unwashed and Somewhat Slightly Dazed" "Cygnet Committee" "Wild Eyed Boy from Freecloud" "The Width of a Circle" "All the Madmen" "Black Country Rock" "After All" "She Shook Me Cold" "The Man Who Sold the World" "The Supermen" "Oh! You Pretty Things" "Kooks" "Quicksand" "Andy Warhol" "Song for Bob Dylan" "Queen Bitch" "The Bewlay Brothers" "Bombers" "Five Years" "Soul Love" "Lady Stardust" "Velvet Goldmine" "Sweet Head" "Amsterdam" "Round and Round" "Watch That Man" "Aladdin Sane" "Panic in Detroit" "Cracked Actor" "Lady Grinning Soul" "All the Young Dudes" "Future Legend" "Sweet Thing" "Big Brother" "Can You Hear Me?" "Right" "Fascination" "Word on a Wing" "Speed of Life" "What in the World" "Always Crashing in the Same Car" "Warszawa" "Art Decade" "Weeping Wall" "Subterraneans" "Joe the Lion" "Sons of the Silent Age" "Blackout" "V-2 Schneider" "Fantastic Voyage" "It's No Game" "Teenage Wildlife" "Scream Like a Baby" "As the World Falls Down" "Girls" "Nite Flights" "I'm Deranged" "Nature Boy" "Cactus" "Pablo Picasso" "The Loneliest Guy" "Try Some, Buy Some" "Fall Dog Bombs the Moon" "Bring Me the Disco King" "Girl Loves Me" "Dollar Days"