The band's onetime stated aim was to "expand the frontiers of contemporary popular music at the risk of becoming very unpopular," although this stance was to alter significantly with time. While never achieving the commercial heights of progressive rock contemporaries such as Jethro Tull, Genesis, Yes or Emerson, Lake & Palmer, Gentle Giant was considered to be one of the most experimental bands in the genre (as well as one of the most experimental rock bands of the 1970s).
Gentle Giant's music was considered complex even by progressive rock standards, drawing on a broad swathe of music including folk, soul, jazz, and classical music. Unlike many of their progressive rock contemporaries, their "classical" influences ranged beyond the Romantic and incorporated mediaeval, baroque, and modernist chamber music elements. The band also had a taste for broad themes for their lyrics, drawing inspiration not only from personal events but from philosophy and the works of both François Rabelais and R. D. Laing.
Band members:
Members of classic lineup listed in bold.
Derek Shulman - lead vocals, saxophone, recorder, keyboards, bass, drums, percussion, "Shulberry" (3-string custom electric ukulele) (1970-1980)
Ray Shulman - bass, trumpet, violin, vocals, viola, drums, percussion, recorder, guitar (1970-1980)
Kerry Minnear - keyboards, lead vocals (on recordings only), cello, vibraphone, xylophone, recorder, guitar, bass, drums (1970-1980)
Gary Green - guitar, mandolin, vocals, recorder, bass, drums, xylophone (1970-1980)
John Weathers - drums, percussion, vibraphone, xylophone, vocals, guitar (1972-1980)
Phil Shulman - lead vocals, saxophone, trumpet, clarinet, recorder, percussion (1970–72)
Martin Smith - drums, percussion (1970–1971)
Malcolm Mortimore - drums, percussion (1971–1972)
Time To Kill
Gentle Giant Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
A place where nobody cares where he's straying or where he goes.
To find no-one in particular, footloose, adventure still,
No thoughts for reasons, he does all he's doing
Has time to kill and still he's killing the time.
Sundowner, drifting from place to place,
Where all he needs is the shelter from seasons he was to face,
For life goes on being life, time and fortune he needs no
Friends and yet he's killing the time.
Where does he come from what did he do,
You know the answers are his hopes and promises nothing new
With no regrets he goes on doing nothing.
Himself alone, but still he finds all the time isn't wasted,
His life his own and yet he's killing the time.
And with no questions then he finds his way
Tomorrow never dawn only today.
Content within his time just drifts away
He finds his way
He finds his way
In "Time to Kill," Gentle Giant shares the story of a man who lives a nomadic lifestyle with no specific destination in mind. The man finds himself in a place where no one cares about him or where he goes, and he does not have any plans or reasons for what he is doing. He simply has "time to kill," and he spends it drifting from place to place. He is not interested in making friends or seeking answers; he lives his life on his own terms, seeking shelter when he needs it and evolving with the seasons. Despite not having a clear sense of purpose or direction, he is content within himself and finds meaning in the simple act of living day by day.
The lyrics of "Time to Kill" paint a portrait of a man who is at once free-spirited and introspective. In his wanderings, he finds a kind of existential comfort that eschews the need for long-term goals and connections. He lives life on his own terms and appears content to simply exist in the present moment. The song speaks to the human desire to find meaning in life, to connect with others, and to leave a lasting legacy. However, it also explores the possibility that one can find peace in simply being present in the moment and living life as it comes.
Line by Line Meaning
Rests where he's staying, nowhere he knows,
He's staying somewhere unfamiliar and doesn't really care.
A place where nobody cares where he's straying or where he goes.
He's in a place where nobody cares where he goes or what he does.
To find no-one in particular, footloose, adventure still,
He's wandering without any specific destination, with still a desire for adventure.
No thoughts for reasons, he does all he's doing
He's not really thinking about his actions or the reasons behind them.
Has time to kill and still he's killing the time.
He has a lot of free time and is filling it with aimless activities.
Sundowner, drifting from place to place,
He's moving around aimlessly, with no real purpose.
Where all he needs is the shelter from seasons he was to face,
The only thing he really needs is a place to stay, no matter where he ends up.
No bounds or duties are his, never seeking to find an end.
He has no obligations or responsibilities and doesn't care about finding a purpose.
For life goes on being life, time and fortune he needs no
He's content with the way life is and doesn't need any specific time or fortune.
Friends and yet he's killing the time.
He doesn't have any friends but still has a lot of free time he's looking to fill.
Where does he come from what did he do,
People are curious about his past but he doesn't really have any defining moments to share.
You know the answers are his hopes and promises nothing new
The only things he has in his past are his hopes and promises, but they're not anything groundbreaking or noteworthy.
With no regrets he goes on doing nothing.
He's not doing anything purposeful, but he doesn't have any regrets about it either.
Himself alone, but still he finds all the time isn't wasted,
He's alone but he feels like he's not wasting his time.
His life his own and yet he's killing the time.
He's living life on his own terms, but still has a lot of free time he's trying to fill.
And with no questions then he finds his way
He's not really questioning his choices or actions, but he still moves forward.
Tomorrow never dawn only today.
He's living in the moment and doesn't really think about the future.
Content within his time just drifts away
He's content with how he's spending his time, but it's all just drifting by.
He finds his way
He's just moving forward, no matter where it takes him.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: Derek Shulman, Kerry Minnear, Ray Shulman
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Nelson Fragoso
Gentle Giant foi uma banda muito subestimada,na época do auge ou seja na década de 70...Steven Wilson está fazendo um belo trabalho de remixagem,para provar o valor da banda...
Mark Hudson
Ever magical! Always loved the late key change and the backing vocals.
Eric De Rosa
Keep releasing these videos because it's so good.
popguy68
Nice work Noah! So important that new generations hear this music. GG are one of a kind!
John Fitzgerald
That bass guitar sound...
Also the playing and inventiveness.
César Inca Mendoza Loyola
He complements the drums and the keyboards at the same time
Clayton Kusaj
@John Fitzgerald Yeah that’s Ray. He could make all of those instruments sing.
John Fitzgerald
@Rick Lazaroff
A P Bass is unmistakable but the player here makes a huge difference.
Rick Lazaroff
Yes a standard P Bass played with a pick / plectrum. The P Bass has a narrow frequency response. However, when you play one using a pick it comes alive. Precise and aggressive it's easy to get it up front in a mix. Ray's sound was a solid 10/10 on every Gentle Giant release.
Clayton Kusaj
@John Fitzgerald Of course you’re talking the Tower, ‘Your still a young man’, first tune I heard by them around ‘72, when radio was awesome. Wow. So, what else you still digging?