Born in Shreveport, Louisiana, Cramer grew up in the small town of Huttig, Arkansas, teaching himself to play the piano. After finishing high school, he returned to Shreveport, where he worked as a pianist for the Louisiana Hayride radio show.
In 1952, he made his way to Nashville at a time when the use of piano accompanists in country music was growing in popularity. Before long, Cramer would become one of the busiest studio musicians in the industry, playing piano for stars such as Elvis Presley, Brenda Lee, Patsy Cline, The Browns, Jim Reeves, Roy Orbison, Don Gibson and the Everly Brothers, and many others. It is Cramer's piano that is heard, for example, on Presley's first national hit, "Heartbreak Hotel."
However, Cramer remained a virtual unknown to anyone but music industry insiders until he recorded a 45 rpm single in 1960 called "Last Date." An instrumental, the music exhibited a relatively new concept for piano playing known as the "slip note" style. The record went to Number two on the Billboard Hot 100 pop music chart. By the mid-1960s, Cramer had become a respected performer, making numerous record albums and touring with guitar maestro Chet Atkins and saxophonist Boots Randolph.
Floyd Cramer died of lung cancer in 1997 at the age of 64 and was interred in the Spring Hill Cemetery in the Nashville suburb of Madison, Tennessee.
In 2003, he was inducted into both the Country Music Hall of Fame and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
East Tennessee State University in Johnson City, Tennessee offers the "Floyd Cramer Competitive Scholarship."
Time in a Bottle
Floyd Cramer Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The first thing that I'd like to do
Is to save every day
'til Eternity passes away
Just to spend them with you
If I could make days last forever
If words could make wishes come true
Again, I would spend them with you
But there never seems to be enough time
To do the things you want to do
Once you find them
I've looked around enough to know
That you're the one I want to go
Through time with
If I had a box just for wishes
And dreams that had never come true
The box would be empty
Except for the memory
Of how they were answered by you
But there never seems to be enough time
To do the things you want to do
Once you find them
I've looked around enough to know
That you're the one I want to go
Through time with
The song Time in a Bottle by Floyd Cramer is a reflection on the finite nature of time, and how the singer would spend that time if it were possible to save it. The first verse highlights the desire to save time so that every day could be spent with the person he loves, even until the end of eternity. The use of the phrase "save Time in a bottle" gives the impression of trying to preserve something that is fleeting, much like memories or emotions. The second verse follows a similar theme, as the singer wishes that wishes could come true and that every day could be saved as a treasure to be spent with that special someone.
However, the third verse introduces a touch of melancholy, as the singer admits that there never seems to be enough time to do everything they want to do. Despite this, the singer knows that the person they want to spend time with is the one they love, and that is more important than anything else. The final verse brings the song full circle, as the singer reflects on how the person they love has made their dreams come true, even though they may have seemed impossible at times.
Line by Line Meaning
If I could save Time in a bottle
If I had the ability to hold onto time indefinitely
The first thing that I'd like to do
My priority would be
Is to save every day
To cherish and keep every single moment
'til Eternity passes away
For an infinite amount of time
Just to spend them with you
Just to share those moments with you
If I could make days last forever
If I was capable of extending time beyond the usual limits
If words could make wishes come true
If my hopes could materialize through words alone
I'd save every day like a treasure and then,
I'd preserve each day like a precious gem and then
Again, I would spend them with you
Use them as an opportunity to be with you
But there never seems to be enough time
But it always feels like there's not enough time
To do the things you want to do
To accomplish everything you desire
Once you find them
When you finally discover those things
I've looked around enough to know
I've explored and experienced enough to be certain
That you're the one I want to go
That I want to have you by my side
Through time with
Through all the moments that lie ahead
If I had a box just for wishes
If there was a vessel solely for hopes
And dreams that had never come true
Containing all the aspirations that were unfulfilled
The box would be empty
That container would be vacant
Except for the memory
Except for the recollection
Of how they were answered by you
Of how you brought those dreams to life
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: Jim Croce
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind