Gregory Porter was born in Sacramento and was raised in Bakersfield, California, where his mother was a minister. A 1989 graduate of Highland High School, he received a "full-ride" (tuition, books, medical coverage, and living expenses) athletic scholarship as a football lineman to San Diego State University (SDSU Aztecs), but a shoulder injury during his junior year cut short his football career.[3] At the age of 21, Porter lost his mother to cancer, but only after she entreated him from her death bed: "Sing, baby, sing!"
Porter moved to the Bedford-Stuyvesant section of Brooklyn in 2004, along with his brother Lloyd. He worked as a chef at Lloyd's restaurant Bread-Stuy (now defunct), where he also performed. Porter performed at other neighborhood venues including Sista's Place and Solomon's Porch, and moved on to Harlem club St. Nick's Pub, where he maintained a weekly residency. Out of this residency evolved what would become Porter's touring band.[4]
Porter released two albums on the Motéma label together with Membran Entertainment Group, 2010's Water and 2012's Be Good, before signing with Blue Note Records (under Universal Music Group) on May 17, 2013. His third album, Liquid Spirit, was released on September 2, 2013, in Europe and on September 17, 2013, in the US.[5] The album was produced by Brian Bacchus.[6] The album won the 2014 Grammy for Best Jazz Vocal Album.[7]
Liquid Spirit enjoyed commercial success rarely achieved by albums in the jazz genre, reaching the top 10 on the UK album charts. It was certified gold by the BPI, selling over 100,000 units in the UK.[8]
In August 2014 Porter released "The 'In' Crowd" as a single.[9] On May 9, 2015 Porter participated in VE Day 70: A Party to Remember, a televised commemorative concert from Horse Guards Parade in London, singing "As Time Goes By".[10]
His fourth album, Take Me to the Alley, was released on May 6, 2016.[11] In UK's The Guardian it was Alexis Petridis's album of the week.[12]
On June 26, 2016, Porter performed on the Pyramid Stage at the Glastonbury Festival 2016. Writing for The Daily Telegraph, Neil McCormick said, "The portly middle-aged jazzer may be the oddest pop star on the planet but he is a refreshing testament to the notion that the most important organ for musical appreciation should always be our ears. And Porter has one of the most easy-on-the-ear voices in popular music, a creamy baritone that flows thick and smooth across a rich gateaux of juicy melody. It's a voice that makes you want to lick your lips and dive right in."[13]
In September 2016 Porter performed at Radio 2 Live in Hyde Park from Hyde Park, London. He would go on to perform in the annual BBC Children in Need show in November, a night dedicated to Sir Terry Wogan, who hosted it in previous years and was a fan of Porter.[14]
In January 2017 Porter performed the song "Holding On" on BBC One's The Graham Norton Show.[15] In September 2017 he performed as part of the Later... with Jools Holland: Later 25 concert at the Royal Albert Hall.[16]
In October 2017 he performed the song "Mona Lisa" on BBC One's The Graham Norton Show with Jeff Goldblum on piano.[17]
Time Is Ticking
Gregory Porter Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Time is ticking
Did you dance out in the rain?
Hmm Hmmhmm
Time is ticking
Time is ticking
Did you jump out of a plane?
Did you make love on a train? It's not too late...
Time is ticking
Time is ticking
Did you wash away the pain?
Hmm Hmmhmm
Time is ticking
Time is ticking
Did you finish war and peace?
Did you make peace with a friend? It's not too late...
Does life just spin round like the hands of a clock?
Are we just pushing time?
Or is time pushing us?
The grind, to the train, to the bus, to the plane
Be on time till the end of your life
No it's no life for me
Let's make life sublime
Time is ticking
Time is ticking
Did you dance out in the rain?
Hmm Hmmhmm
Time is ticking
Time is ticking
Did you jump out of a plane?
Did you make love on a train? It's not too late...
Time is ticking
Time is ticking
Time is ticking
Time is ticking
Time is ticking
Time is ticking
Time is ticking
Time is ticking
"Time is Ticking" is a song by Gregory Porter, urging listeners to take advantage of their time and make the most of it. The song starts with Porter repeating the phrase "Time is ticking," emphasizing the urgency of the message. He then asks if the listener has done anything out of the ordinary, such as dancing in the rain or jumping out of a plane. He encourages them to cross these items off their bucket list before it's too late.
In the second verse, Porter asks if the listener has dealt with emotional pain, finished a long novel, or made amends with a friend. Again, he emphasizes that it's not too late to do these things. The chorus repeats the message that time is running out, and the song ends with Porter repeating the phrase "time is ticking" multiple times.
The overall message of the song is that life is short and time is precious. Porter wants listeners to live a fulfilling life, take risks, and make the most of their time on Earth. The song encourages listeners to step out of their comfort zone and try new things, as well as mend old relationships and say goodbye to emotional pain.
Line by Line Meaning
Time is ticking
Life is passing by and time is continuously moving forward.
Did you dance out in the rain?
Have you experienced the beauty of life in the simplest moments, such as dancing in the rain?
Time is ticking
Time is a constant reminder that life is short and we must make the most of it while we can.
Did you jump out of a plane?
Did you make love on a train? It's not too late...
Have you experienced the thrill of life, such as jumping out of a plane or making love on a train? It's not too late to make more memories.
Time is ticking
The constant repetition of this line emphasizes the importance of time and how it moves forward relentlessly.
Did you wash away the pain?
Have you found ways to heal and move on from the pain life can bring?
Time is ticking
Time is always moving forward, and we have to make the most of it.
Did you finish war and peace?
Did you make peace with a friend? It's not too late...
Have you accomplished the things you've always wanted to do or mended broken relationships? It's not too late to start.
Does life just spin round like the hands of a clock?
Are we just pushing time?
Or is time pushing us?
Are our lives pre-determined, or do we have control over our actions and decisions? Is time merely an external force, or are we actively engaged with it?
The grind, to the train, to the bus, to the plane
Be on time till the end of your life
No it's no life for me
Let's make life sublime
Living life in the same routine is not living at all. Let's create a life worth living, a life full of meaningful experiences and joy, and stray from monotony.
Time is ticking
The repetition of this line serves as a reminder to live in the present and enjoy life to the fullest while we can.
Time is ticking
Time is ticking
Time is ticking
Time is ticking
Time is ticking
Time is ticking
Time is ticking
Time is ticking
This repetition serves as a constant reminder that time is fleeting and we must make the most out of every moment.
Writer(s): Gregory Porter Copyright: Golden Slipper Publishing
Contributed by Leo I. Suggest a correction in the comments below.