Singer/Songwriter Colin Hay is the former front-man of the classic Australian band Men at Work. Since the group disbanded he has released several solo albums, including Man at Work, which featured re-recordings of classic Men at Work songs in an acoustic environment.
Hay has also been involved with the NBC TV series Scrubs, lending several songs to the sitcom, including "Waiting for My Real Life to Begin," "My Brilliant Feat" and "Beautiful World." He also starred as a troubadour in the first episode of season two, "My Overkill," performing his song "Overkill," which was also the basis for the episode's title.
No Time
Colin Hay Lyrics
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No time for you, no time for I, no time to watch the world go by.
And I've got no time for sorrow.
And I've got no time to cry.
And I've got no time for tomorrow.
I've got no time . . .
No time to love, no time to hate, no time to sleep or stay up late.
No time to rise, no time to fall, no time to see or do it all.
No time to give, no time to take, time is just one big mistake.
And I've got no time to borrow
And I can't procrastinate
And I've got no time to follow
I've got no time . . . to read between the lines
To see what I could find, or shed a tear.
No time to laugh, no time to sing, no time for much of anything
No time to fear, no time to fight, no time to ever see the light
And I've got no time for sorrow.
And I've got no time to cry.
And I've got no time for tomorrow.
I've got no time . . . to read between the lines
To see what I could find, or shed a tear.
The lyrics of the song "No Time" by Colin Hay are a reflection on the fast-paced nature of life and how it leaves no room for reflection or emotion. The singer highlights that there is no time to live or die, to sit and wonder or watch the world go by. It seems as though he is saying that time is fleeting and there is no sense in wasting it on things that do not matter. He stresses that there is no time for love or hate, no time to rise or fall, and no time to give or take.
As the song progresses, the singer emphasizes that he has no time for sorrow, crying, or thinking about tomorrow. He doesn't have time to procrastinate or even read between the lines, fearing that he will miss out on something important. Ultimately, the song seems to be a commentary on the human condition and how we often get caught up with the trivial things in life, sacrificing the meaningful moments because we think we don't have time for them.
Line by Line Meaning
No time to live, no time to die, no time to sit and wonder why.
There's not enough time to even contemplate the purpose of life or death.
No time for you, no time for I, no time to watch the world go by.
There's not enough time for personal relationships or to even enjoy one's surroundings.
And I've got no time for sorrow.
There's no time to dwell on sadness or regret.
And I've got no time to cry.
There's no time to take a moment to express or process emotions.
And I've got no time for tomorrow.
There's no time to plan or consider the future.
No time for her, no time for him, no time to let the sunshine in.
There's not enough time for relationships or to appreciate the beauty of life.
No time to love, no time to hate, no time to sleep or stay up late.
There's not enough time to experience any intense emotions, indulge in leisure or self-care.
No time to rise, no time to fall, no time to see or do it all.
There's not enough time to experience life's ups and downs, to achieve all one's goals.
No time to give, no time to take, time is just one big mistake.
Neither giving nor receiving make sense in the limited time available.
And I've got no time to borrow
There's no time to rely on others or seek external help.
And I can't procrastinate
There's no time to delay or postpone tasks and responsibilities.
And I've got no time to follow
There's no time to join or follow any movements or ideologies.
No time to laugh, no time to sing, no time for much of anything.
There's not enough time to enjoy any simple pleasures of life.
No time to fear, no time to fight, no time to ever see the light.
There's not enough time to overcome fears, fight for justice, or gain enlightenment.
I've got no time . . . to read between the lines
There's no time to analyze complex situations or subtexts.
To see what I could find, or shed a tear.
There's no time to discover anything new or contemplate emotionally charged moments.
Contributed by Parker Y. Suggest a correction in the comments below.