Chris Smithers song "Love you like a man" from Smithers first album has been famously covered by Bonnie Raitt who has made it a signature song of hers under the title "Love me like a man" (published on her second Album "Give it up")- she has openly expressed admiration for Chris Smithers songwriting and guitarplaying. Later Raitt's version of the song has been covered by The Dixie Chicks and Diana Krall.
The protagonist of Linda Barnes's series of "Carlotta Carlyle" mysteries is a fan of Smither's music and several of her books mention it.
Call Time
Chris Smither Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
take it every single time,
every single second that you borrow
beats against a heart like mine.
What you need to know?
Where you wanna go?
Don't you wanna do it now?
I can wait all day just to hear you say,
Small time is time that really matters,
time won't make it any bigger.
Big-time plans are like
a pistol in your hand with a
long, slow pull on the trigger.
What you wanna do?
Think of somethin' new.
All we are is where we go,
we spin in this groove,
we believe we move and
no one says it isn't so.
time out is time in a bottle,
time out of mind is what you will.
How many times will we confess our crimes
before there's nothin' left but time to kill?
What you got to say?
Let's call it a day.
This is how your soul will move,
it feels the light,
it bears to the right,
it cain't got a thing to prove.
It ain't got a thing to prove.
Chris Smither's song "Call Time" is a reflection on the importance of time and how we use it. The song is filled with poetic language and wisdom about the fleeting nature of time and how we should cherish every moment. In the first verse, Smither speaks to the listener, telling them to take their time until tomorrow, that every second they borrow beats against a heart like his. He asks what they need to know and where they want to go, urging them to do it now because he can wait all day just to hear them say "Come on down and show me how." He's telling his listeners to take chances and take their time to figure out what they really want in life, but to not waste time putting those plans into action.
In the second verse, Smither discusses the concept of time in a more general sense. He tells the listener that small-time matters, that time won't make it any bigger. He talks about big-time plans being like a pistol in your hand with a long, slow pull on the trigger. It's easy to get caught up in grand plans, but those plans often take time to execute. He implores his listeners to think of something new, to go where they want to go because all we are is where we go. We spin in this groove, believing we move, and no one says it isn't so.
In the final verse, Smither discusses the idea of time out. Time out is time in a bottle, and time out of mind is what we will get. He asks how many times we'll confess our crimes before there's nothing left but time to kill. He urges the listener to call it a day and let their soul move, feeling the light and bearing to the right because there's nothing to prove. In the end, the song is a reflection on the importance of time and how we choose to spend it. We should take chances, do what we want to do, and not let time slip away.
Line by Line Meaning
Take your time 'till tomorrow,
Don't rush, take your time until tomorrow.
Take it every single time,
Take advantage of every opportunity you have.
Every single second that you borrow
Every moment is precious and should be appreciated.
Beats against a heart like mine.
Time can affect emotions.
What you need to know?
What knowledge do you seek?
Where you wanna go?
What are your aspirations?
Don't you wanna do it now?
Are you eager to pursue your passions right away?
I can wait all day just to hear you say,
I am willing to be patient for you to express your desires.
"Come on down and show me how."
Take the initiative and demonstrate to me what you're capable of.
Small time is time that really matters,
Small amounts of time can add up to something significant.
Time won't make it any bigger.
The amount of time does not change the value.
Big-time plans are like
Plans with grand ambitions can be compared to
a pistol in your hand with a
having a gun in your possession with
long, slow pull on the trigger.
a lengthy and deliberate action required to execute them.
What you wanna do?
What activities do you want to undertake?
Think of somethin' new.
Consider exploring new experiences.
All we are is where we go,
Our actions and experiences define us.
We spin in this groove,
We move forward in this recurring pattern of life.
We believe we move and
We have allegiance to our own sense of motion while
no one says it isn't so.
there is no evidence to refute our beliefs.
time out is time in a bottle,
Experiencing a pause in time can feel surreal.
time out of mind is what you will.
Time can become a vague and distant memory.
How many times will we confess our crimes
How many confessions of wrongdoing will we make
before there's nothin' left but time to kill?
before we have nothing else to do with our time?
What you got to say?
Do you have anything to say?
Let's call it a day.
Let's end this or take a break.
This is how your soul will move,
This is how you feel on an emotional level.
it feels the light,
It experiences something positive or hopeful.
it bears to the right,
It takes the path of righteousness or morality.
it cain't got a thing to prove.
It has nothing to prove to others, it is content with itself.
It ain't got a thing to prove.
The soul has nothing to prove because it is confident in itself.
Writer(s): Chris Smither Copyright: Homunculus Music
Contributed by Ruby V. Suggest a correction in the comments below.