During the number, Evan expresses his struggles with his social anxiety and depression, as well as his longing to be accepted by his peers in his community and at school.
After the first chorus, a dialogue break takes place where Zoe Murphy runs into Evan to apologize for her brother's behavior.
The opening lyrics of the song ("I've learned to slam on the brake, before I even turn the key") return during the climax of "Words Fail" in Act 2 to bring Evan's journey full circle.
[1] In his review of the Broadway production of the musical for The New York Times, Charles Isherwood praised Ben Platt's performance, writing "...when Mr. Platt sings Evan's songs — including the touching introductory cri de coeur, "Waving Through a Window" — we can simultaneously hear the heartsore, conflicted young man and the intelligent, kindly kid buried inside him.
"Waving Through a Window" was featured in Universal Pictures' 2021 film adaptation of the musical, starring Ben Platt, who reprised his performance in the titular role.
This creative decision was negatively received by critics and audiences, largely due to the filmmakers' main goal to capture and immortalize Ben Platt's performance.
[16] In an interview with Billboard magazine, Young revealed that the Dear Evan Hansen team approached him as they wanted to re-imagine a pop version of the track.
[16] "It was them calling me saying 'We're big fans of your work' — which I still can't believe — 'we're trying to kind of re-imagine 'Waving Through a Window' in more of a pop genre versus the theatrical version.'
[18] Marc Snetiker of Entertainment Weekly stated, "In Owl City's version, the song is notably lighter and more upbeat, but don't mistake it for a lack of emotion.