Hinton was born in Evansville, Indiana. He began as a gospel singer with the Chosen Gospel Quartet and the Spirit of Memphis Quartet. Producer Don Robey asked the singer to try doing secular tunes, and Hinton began recording for Robey's record label, Peacock Records, in 1958. It was not until 1963, with his fifth single on the label, that he managed to chart with "You Know It Ain't Right". The next single, "Better to Give Than to Receive", also hit the lower regions of the charts. His biggest hit was 1964's "Funny (How Time Slips Away)", written by Willie Nelson; the tune (simply credited as "Funny" on the original record label) peaked at #13 on the Billboard Hot 100 that year. Cash Box magazine listed "Funny How Time Slips Away" as #1 for four weeks on their R&B chart. The track sold over one million copies, and was awarded a gold disc. "I Want a Little Girl", the next single, also charted, but it was his last hit.
Hinton died of skin cancer in 1968 in Boston, Massachusetts, at the age of 38, while still in the prime of his recording career.
He is not to be confused with another R&B singer, who recorded for the Arvee and Soul labels as Little Joe Hinton, for Hotlanta as Joe Hinton, and who is also believed to have recorded under the name Jay Lewis.[4
Funny
Joe Hinton Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
My, it's been a long
Long time
How am I doing? You really want to know?
Oh, I guess I'm
Doing fine
But it seems like
It was only
Yesterday
Ain't it funny?
It's so funny how time
Can slip right on away
I want to ask you a question is it alright?
How's your new love?
I wonder can you truthly say
He's doing fine
You know I heard something the other day
I heard you told him
That you were going to love him
Till the end of time
Well, that's the same thing
That you told me
It seems like
Just the other day
Ain't it funny
It's so funny how time
Can just slip right on away
I hate to leave you baby
But I've gotta go now
Oh, I guess I'll see you
Somewhere around
But here's one thing you just can't tell
You don't know when, though
You never can tell when Joe Hinton
Will come back in town
But here's what I want you to do
Oh, please remember
What I told you
That in time, in time
You're gonna pay
Ain't it funny
It's funny how time...
Slips...
A... way...
The song "Funny" by Joe Hinton talks about running into an old lover and catching up on each other's lives. The song begins with a cordial greeting after a long time apart, but the tone soon turns cautious as the singer probes their prior lover's emotions. The singer notes that it's been a long time since they've seen each other, but it feels familiar, as if it were only yesterday. The chorus continues with a reflection on how funny it is that time can slip away so quickly.
The second verse is the most revealing, as the singer asks how their former lover's new relationship is going, wondering if they can "truthfully say he's doing fine." They mention hearing that their former lover promised to love the new lover "until the end of time," which triggers memories of their own relationship. The song's final verse is both a goodbye and a warning, with the singer reminding their former lover that they will return someday, reminding them that "in time, you're gonna pay."
The lyrics suggest that the singer is still carrying feelings for his former lover, and the questions he asks are less about idle curiosity and more about looking for a glimmer of hope or evidence that they might still have a chance together. The song's wistful tone conveys unresolved feelings, a sense of regret, and acceptance that time changes everything.
Line by Line Meaning
Well, hello, there
Greeting a person after a long time.
My, it's been a long
Long time
Admitting that a significant amount of time has passed since meeting someone last.
How am I doing? You really want to know?
Oh, I guess I'm
Doing fine
Opening up about the current state of being and confirming that everything is going okay.
It's been so long now
But it seems like
It was only
Yesterday
Reflecting on the time that has passed, feeling like it has gone by so quickly.
Ain't it funny?
It's so funny how time
Can slip right on away
Acknowledging how peculiar it is that time can pass so quickly and getting away in a humorous tone.
I want to ask you a question is it alright?
How's your new love?
I wonder can you truthly say
He's doing fine
Inquiring about the person's love life and if their partner is doing well.
You know I heard something the other day
I heard you told him
That you were going to love him
Till the end of time
Recounting a recent conversation with someone about their promise to love their partner forever.
Well, that's the same thing
That you told me
It seems like
Just the other day
Realizing that the conversation they had with the person about their new love is identical to what they were told previously.
Ain't it funny
It's so funny how time
Can just slip right on away
Commenting on how amusing it is (in a slightly sarcastic way) that the same things keep happening over time.
I hate to leave you baby
But I've gotta go now
Oh, I guess I'll see you
Somewhere around
Expressing regret for having to leave but looking forward to seeing them in the future.
But here's one thing you just can't tell
You don't know when, though
You never can tell when Joe Hinton
Will come back in town
Hinting that the singer's return to town is uncertain and can happen at any time.
But here's what I want you to do
Oh, please remember
What I told you
That in time, in time
You're gonna pay
Warning the person that they will have to answer for their actions in the future, implying that there will be consequences.
Ain't it funny
It's funny how time...
Slips...
Away...
Reiterating and concluding the idea that time passes quickly, in a somewhat playful and humorous tone.
Contributed by Charlotte F. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@davidsteele6563
This is music! Nothing like the "noise" you hear today!
@rennyshelton
This brought back memories--and made me smile.😊
@EC4400
God honors us all with his longevity. I've sung this song so many times. Thx.
@towannataylor1105
My dad use to listen to this on a Saturday evening while cooking ☺️❤️
@yvonneskinner2363
This is my grandfather and still at 80 years old can sing. I'm just mad people think he's dead
@drkayesfca
Yvonne Skinner Thank you for sharing. Say "well hello there. MY it's been a long, long, time"to your Grandfather. Please thank him for me. Glad to hear he's "doing just fine."
@ThePonceman
Glad to know he's good
@GarwinWayne
Glad to hear that. Hope you know your grandfather can sue the publishers who print that he passed away. Singer George McCrae who sang Rock Your Baby, did that. Them companies put out stories that he died back in 1986 but he is alive and well living in London. Contact me, I can inform you on how to go about doing this.
@unique74muzik
Salute!!
@michaelstevenson952
Your grandfather wrote a classic i listen to it all the time gots a voice nobody can touch very nicely written