"Waiting in Vain" is a song written by reggae musician Bob Marley and recorded by Bob Marley and the Wailers, for their 1977 album Exodus. Released as a single, it reached number 27 on the UK Singles Chart. The single was one of only a few of Marley's Island singles to feature a non-album B-side, this being the song "Roots", an outtake from the Rastaman Vibration sessions. This later appeared on the compilation Rebel Music and on Exodus (Deluxe Edition). The 1981 reissue of Waiting in Vain featured a megamix called Marley Mix Up Medley instead. A rare 19-minute long acoustic version is available on YouTube.

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Lee Ritenour version

In 1993, American Jazz guitarist Lee Ritenour recorded his version of the song featuring British reggae artist Maxi Priest. It was also included on his 21st album Wes Bound. The single peaked at number 54 in the US R&B chart.

Charts

Annie Lennox version

"Waiting in Vain" was recorded by Annie Lennox for her album Medusa in 1995, 18 years after Marley recorded it. It was released as the album's third single in 1995 and reached number thirty-one on the UK Singles Chart. Lennox's version was used in the 2001 film Serendipity, the 2002 film Changing Lanes, the 2003 film In the Cut, and the final episode of Peter Kay's Car Share in 2018.

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Hawaiian Language Re-imagination by TheVitals808

In 2023, the song was translated into the traditional Hawaiian language and released by Hawaiian Reggae band theVitals808 under the title "Kali Ana Au".