" The One That I've Been Waiting For?" is second single from the album The Boatman's Call

The Boatman's Call

The Boatman's Call is the tenth studio album by Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, released in 1997. The album, which is entirely piano-based and a departure from the band's post-punk catalogue, remains one of the most critically acclaimed releases of Nick Cave's career.-Background and...

by Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds

Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds

Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds are an Australian alternative rock band, formed in Melbourne in 1983. The band is fronted by Nick Cave and has featured international personnel throughout their career.-Formation and early releases :...

. The single, released on May 19, 1997, was pressed on 7" and 12" vinyl

Gramophone record

A gramophone record, commonly known as a phonograph record , vinyl record , or colloquially, a record, is an analog sound storage medium consisting of a flat disc with an inscribed, modulated spiral groove...

, as well as a standard CD single

CD single

A CD single is a music single in the form of a standard size Compact Disc, not to be confused with the 3-inch CD single, which uses a smaller form factor. The format was introduced in the mid-1980s, but did not gain its place in the market until the early 1990s...

, though the song failed to chart in any of the countries it was released in. A promotional music video for the song was also recorded.

Background and history

The song, alike many on The Boatman's Call, seem to reflect on Nick Cave

Nick Cave

Nicholas Edward "Nick" Cave is an Australian musician, songwriter, author, screenwriter, and occasional film actor.He is best known for his work as a frontman of the critically acclaimed rock band Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, established in 1984, a group known for its eclectic influences and...

's personal relationships and spiritual yearnings at the time of writing. This song in particular is widely speculated to either be a love song

Love song

A love song is about falling in love and the feelings it brings. Anthologies of love songs often contain a mixture of both of these types of song. A bawdy song is both humorous and saucy, emphasizing the physical pleasure of love rather than the emotional joy...

 ordirected at either the mother of Cave's son Luke, Viviane Carneiro or PJ Harvey

PJ Harvey

Polly Jean Harvey is an English musician, singer-songwriter, composer and occasional artist. Primarily known as a vocalist and guitarist, she is also proficient with a wide range of instruments including piano, organ, bass, saxophone, and most recently, the autoharp.Harvey began her career in...

, with whom Cave had a brief relationship with prior to the album's recording and release.

A line from the song that states, "there's a man who spoke wonders / I've never met him / he said, 'he who seeks finds and who knocks will be let in'", which is an indirect quotation of Matthew 7:8 from The Bible.

Tracklisting

UK and Australian CD single (Liberation Records, D1626)

1. (Are You) The One That I've Been Waiting For? - 4:06
2. Come Into My Sleep - 3:48
3. Black Hair (Band Version) - 4:14
4. Babe, I Got You Bad - 3:49

UK 7" single (Mute Records, MUTE 206)

1. (Are You) The One That I've Been Waiting For? - 4:06
2. Come Into My Sleep - 3:48

Music video

Before the single's release, a promotional music video for the song was recorded. The video features the band performing the song in a small church hall.