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Robert De Niro's Waiting...
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Wikipedia article
"'Robert De Niro's Waiting...'" is a song written by Sara Dallin, Siobhan Fahey, Keren Woodward, Steve Jolley, and Tony Swain, recorded for English girl group Bananarama's self-titled second album. Produced by Jolley & Swain, it was released as the album's second single on 20 February 1984. It namechecks American actor Robert De Niro. The single is one of the group's strongest-performing releases, peaking at number three in the UK Singles Chart. It made a brief appearance on the US 'Billboard' Hot 100, peaking at number 95. 'Billboard' ranked the song at number 74 on their list of the "100 Greatest Girl Group Songs of All Time".
An extended version of the song is available on the 12-inch single. The B-side of both 7-inch and 12-inch singles is a song called "Push!". The version of "Push!" on the 12-inch single is not extended but preceded by an unlisted alternate version of the brief track that would be called "Link" at the end of side one of the 'Bananarama' album. Bananarama have re-recorded "Robert De Niro's Waiting..." twice, in 2000 for the 'G-A-Y' compilation and the next year another new re-recording was included on their album 'Exotica'.
Lyrical content
Original group member Siobhan Fahey said the song is "about date rape" in Bananarama's 2017 reunion interview with 'The Guardian'. This echoed similar statements in the group's contemporaneous interviews. However, in a 2019 interview with 'The Telegraph', bandmate Sara Dallin offered a different explanation of the song's meaning: "It was just about hero worship. It wasn't about rape. I don't know where that came from. It's absolute rubbish."
Music video
The music video for "Robert De Niro's Waiting..." was directed by Duncan Gibbins and shows Bananarama walking around dark streets, possibly followed by mafia-style clothed men. When it gets to the bridge part of the song, Dallin is shown running along, looking behind her as if being followed. As the video winds down, Dallin, Fahey, and Keren Woodward are back in their apartment, when the door bell rings. Woodward answers the door, only to be confronted by the man who might have been chasing them, armed with a Mafia-style violin case. As she looks nervously at him, the case falls open to reveal a sign saying "Pizza Delivery", along with three pizzas. Both the man and Woodward start laughing, and the video ends with Bananarama in their apartment eating the pizza and laughing.
Track listings
'UK and US 7-inch vinyl single'
'UK: London Records NANA 6 / USA: London Records 820 033-7'
#"Robert De Niro's Waiting..." 3:27
#"Push!" 4:08
+ some copies of the UK 7-inch came with a cut out postcard of Fahey, Woodward, or Dallin
+ there were also 3 separate UK picture disc releases each with a photo of Fahey, Woodward, or Dallin.
'UK and US 12-inch vinyl single'
'UK: London Records NANX 6 / USA: London Records 820 033-1'
#"Robert De Niro's Waiting..." (extended version) 5:43
#"Link" (single version - unlisted on label and artwork) 1:59
#"Push!" 4:08 (S. Dallin/S. Fahey/S. Jolley /A. Swain/K. Woodward)
+ the UK 12-inch was also available in 3 different vinyl colours: pink for Woodward, green for Fahey, and blue for Dallin, each with a large picture label.
'Other versions'
#"Robert De Niro's Waiting..." (2000 version)
#:Taken from the album 'G-A-Y'.
#"Robert De Niro's Waiting..." (2001 version)
#:Taken from the album 'Exotica'.
Charts
Year-end charts
Cover versions
A cover version by Subterfuge appears on the compilation 'Punk Chartbusters, Vol. 1,' released in 2000.
The German Hip Hop trio Fettes Brot released a German version called "Nicolette Krebitz wartet" on their album 'Fettes Brot lsst Gren', released in 1998. The Russian band Nautilus Pompilus released a darker version of the song called "Alain Delon," or "The View From The Screen."
References
Category:1983 songs
Category:1984 singles
Category:Bananarama songs
Category:London Records singles
Category:Robert De Niro
Category:Song recordings produced by Jolley & Swain
Category:Songs about actors
Category:Songs written by Keren Woodward
Category:Songs written by Sara Dallin
Category:Songs written by Siobhan Fahey
Category:Songs written by Steve Jolley (songwriter)
Category:Songs written by Tony Swain (musician)
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