Dr. John (born Malcolm John Rebennack on 20 November 1941; died 6 June 2019… Read Full Bio ↴Dr. John (born Malcolm John Rebennack on 20 November 1941; died 6 June 2019) was an American singer, pianist, guitarist, and songwriter whose music combined blues, boogie woogie and rock and roll. The winner of six Grammy awards, Rebennack was inducted to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame by singer John Legend on Monday, March 14, 2011. He was variously known as Mac Rebennack, Dr. John Creaux, Dr. John, the Night Tripper.

Dr. John began making his own idiosyncratic music in the 1960s. Along with Professor Longhair, Dr. John is heir to the rich New Orleans tradition. He is perhaps best known for "Right Place, Wrong Time", an international hit in 1973, reissued and used on soundtracks many times since.

Born in New Orleans, Louisiana, his professional musical career began as a session musician in New Orleans in the 1950s. Early on he also played guitar and was often known as Mac Rebennack. He switched to the bass ("the lowest time of my life"), and then the piano after his index finger was nearly shot off protecting his bandmate and longtime friend Ronnie Barron. He gained fame beginning in the late 1960s and early 1970s, with music that combined New Orleans-style rhythm and blues with psychedelic rock and stage shows that bordered on voodoo religious ceremonies, including elaborate costumes and headdress. For a time he was billed as Dr. John, The Night Tripper. The name "Dr. John" came from a legendary Louisiana voodoo practitioner from the start of the 19th century.

Dr. John has also done vocals for Popeyes Chicken & Biscuits' "Luv dat chicken..." jingle, as well as the theme song ("My Opinionation") for the early-1990s television sitcom Blossom. His movie credits include Martin Scorsese's documentary The Last Waltz (in which he joins The Band for a performance of his song "Such a Night") and Blues Brothers 2000 (in which he joins the fictional band The Louisiana Gator Boys to perform the song "New Orleans"). In the 2009 Disney film The Princess and the Frog, Dr. John sings the opening tune, "Down in New Orleans".

In January 2008 Mac Rebennack, Dr. John, was inducted into The Louisiana Music Hall Of Fame.

Time Marches On
Dr. John Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

You know last night about nine o'clock
Talking
He showed us the ??
And he jumped in bed
He looked down at me
And this is what he said
Time marches on

Now I looked at myself
Sometime ago
And I noticed that my wrinkles had begun to show
And now I know
I better take it slow

The night I used to play
A lot of sand lot balls?
I carried the pig skin
When it turn and fall
But now I can't
Can't even run it off
Time marches on

I used to have some women
Tall brown and short
I used to keep a woman in every port
The lord knows
They only in my thoughts
Time marches on

And now after all
Is said and done
What good is life without having fun
Cause life is given but only once
Time marches on

You know the young gets old

And the old gets cold
Time marches on

Overall Meaning

In Dr. John's song Time Marches On, the singer reflects on the inevitable passage of time and the effects it has had on their life. The song begins with a conversation the singer had with someone who showed them something before hopping into bed and remarking that "time marches on." This phrase sets the tone for the rest of the song, emphasizing the idea that no one can escape the passing of time. The singer then reflects on their own aging, noticing that they have started to show wrinkles and that they can't play sports like they used to. They also mention that they used to have multiple women, but now they're only memories in their mind. Despite these changes, the singer concludes that life is about having fun and enjoying it while it lasts, because time will keep moving forward and eventually everyone will get old.

The lyrics of Time Marches On highlight the feeling of helplessness that comes with the passage of time. As humans, we all have to confront our own aging and the changing circumstances of our lives. The song encourages listeners to accept the inevitability of time and to make the most of the moments they have. Dr. John's gravelly voice adds a sense of urgency and realism to the lyrics, making them feel all the more poignant.

Line by Line Meaning

You know last night about nine o'clock
Dr. John is trying to establish a setting for the song to begin, possibly referring to a conversation he had with someone last night.

Talking
Dr. John was having a conversation, setting the stage for the song's first verse.

He showed us the ??
The lyrics are unclear, but suggest that someone might have shown Dr. John something.

And he jumped in bed
It is unclear who 'he' is, but they jumped into bed.

He looked down at me
Dr. John is telling a story where someone he was with looked down on him while in bed.

And this is what he said
Dr. John is setting the stage for dialogue in the first verse.

Time marches on
This line is Dr. John's main message, that time moves inexorably forward.

Now I looked at myself
Dr. John is reflecting on his life and how he has aged.

Sometime ago
Dr. John is reminiscing about a past time in his life.

And I noticed that my wrinkles had begun to show
Dr. John realizes that he is aging and starting to show signs of it in his physical appearance.

And now I know
Dr. John has gained an understanding from the experience he is describing.

I better take it slow
Dr. John realizes he needs to pace himself as he gets older.

The night I used to play
Dr. John is remembering a time when he was younger and more active.

A lot of sand lot balls?
The lyrics are unclear, but could refer to a type of ball game.

I carried the pig skin
Dr. John is saying he played football when he was younger.

When it turn and fall
The lyrics are unclear, but could refer to a football move.

But now I can't
Dr. John is saying he is no longer capable of doing some of the things he could when he was younger.

Can't even run it off
Dr. John is saying he can no longer simply exercise to recover from physical activity, as he could when he was younger.

I used to have some women
Dr. John is reminiscing about past romantic relationships.

Tall brown and short
The lyrics suggest Dr. John had relationships with women of different heights and skin tones.

I used to keep a woman in every port
Dr. John is saying he used to have multiple relationships in different locations, such as in every town he visited.

The lord knows
Dr. John is emphasizing how much he knows about past relationships.

They only in my thoughts
Dr. John is reflecting on how thoughts of past romances are all that remain of those relationships.

And now after all
Dr. John is reflecting on his life overall.

Is said and done
Dr. John is saying that everything he has experienced has led him to the conclusion he is about to express.

What good is life without having fun
Dr. John is saying that he believes life is meant to be enjoyable.

Cause life is given but only once
Dr. John is emphasizing the importance of enjoying life, as it is the only life we have.

You know the young gets old
Dr. John is emphasizing that everyone, even young people, will eventually experience aging.

And the old gets cold
Dr. John is emphasizing that as people age, they grow more detached from the world around them.

Time marches on
Dr. John repeats his main message to end the song, emphasizing that time never stops moving forward.

Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: MAC REBENNACK, LOUIS JORDAN, JOE WILLOUGHBY

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

To comment on or correct specific content, highlight it

TRACKS