Wait Your Turn Lyrics

[Refrain]
It's just the way
The game is played
It's best if you just
Wait your turn

[Verse 2]
So you don't wanna wait?
I hate to hear that, such a shame
'Cause if you play it sideways, ain't no timeout in my game
They already underway

I know you want to win
And you wish I would let you in
Get in line over here
You can play but hold up

[Refrain]
It's just the way the game is played
It's best if you just wait your turn

[Chorus]
It's getting crowded over here
But babe, the wait is over
Sometimes it takes a thousand tries to win
The wait is over

Fumble, don't you fumble, that's a flag on the play
Babe, if you don't wanna then you don't have to wait
But together, we gon' be taking over
[Refrain]
It's just the way the game is played
It's best if you just wait your turn

[Verse 3]
Baby put the work in like a champion
But the crowd is screaming with their hands way up
Couldn't be with no one else, you're the only way I'll win
Baby got the whole world standing up
Damn, I'm glad I picked ya, took a chance on love
Babe, you're up
The time is now and now the wait is over

[Bridge]
The wait is over, the wait is over
The wait is over, the wait is over
Just wait your turn
The wait is over, the wait is over
The wait is over, the wait is over
Just wait your turn

[Chorus]
It's getting crowded over here
But babe, the wait is over
Sometimes it takes a thousand tries to win
The wait is over

Fumble, don't you fumble, that's a flag on the play
Babe, if you don't wanna then you don't have to wait
But together, we gon' be taking over
[Refrain]
It's just the way the game is played
It's best if you just wait your turn

[Outro]
Just wait your turn
The wait is over, the wait is over
The wait is over, the wait is over

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About

Genius Annotation

“Wait Your Turn” features Rihanna returning to her island roots, rapping over a heavy reggae dub beat. It was the third single off Rated R.

The song received mixed reviews from critics and was one of two singles not to chart the Billboard Hot 100—the other being 2006’s “We Ride.”

The music video was directed by Anthony Mandler who had previously directed the videos for “Take a Bow” and “Rehab.”

Q&A

Find answers to frequently asked questions about the song and explore its deeper meaning

How did the song perform commercially?
Genius Answer

Though not promoted as an official single, the song peaked at #10 on Billboard’s US Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles chart, as well as #45 on the UK Singles chart and #82 on Australia’s ARIA chart.

What has the music video director said about the music video?
Genius Answer

Anthony Mandler:

We shot the clip in mid-October on a cold day in New York City. The vibe and feeling was great. It was the first video for the album, so obviously everyone was excited and focused on setting the tone for what’s to come. Rihanna and I spoke in depth about creating a piece that was gritty, raw and more of a street video then a classic beauty piece. We loved the energy and bravado of early hip-hop videos that were made without a lot of resources, working more with the textures and shapes of the surroundings, then trying to build and manipulate environments as we have done in the past,“ he explained. "I wanted to try and take everything we have done in the past and put it to the side. We used very unconventional beauty light, camera and film stock for an artist like Rihanna. We wanted the grain and texture of the film to jump off the screen. The whole visual approach was more attuned to a grimy street video than a polished beauty performance.

–via MTV News (2009)

Is there a behind-the-scenes look at the making of the music video?
Genius Answer

Televised Live Performances
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