"Waiting in Vain" is a song written by reggae musician Bob Marley and recorded by Bob Marley & The Wailers, for his 1977 album Exodus. Released as a single, it hit number twenty-seven in 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). Exodus is the ninth studio album by Jamaican reggae recording band Bob Marley and the Wailers, first released though Island Records. With the other original members leaving the group, Marley recruited a new backing band. Their first major success was Rastaman Vibration (1976). On 3 December 1976, an assassination attempt was made on Bob Marley's life in which his chest was grazed and his arm was struck, but he survived. Following the assassination attempt Marley left Jamaica and was exiled to London where Exodus was recorded.
