Overtime
Joe Walsh/Toby Keith/Willie Nelson Lyrics
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That's what they all tell me
That's what they say to me
Over time
Your blue eyes and your black eyelashes
The way you looked at life in your funny way
I guess out of the blue you won't cross my mind
Your pale skin and your sexy crooked teeth
The trouble you get in in your clumsy way
I guess one afternoon you won't cross my mind
And I'll get over you over time
I guess out of the blue you won't cross my mind
And I'll get over you over time
The song "Overtime" by Joe Walsh, Toby Keith, and Willie Nelson is a slow, mournful ballad about the pain of moving on from a past love. Walsh sets the tone with his moody guitar riffs, while Keith and Nelson take turns singing the verses. The lyrics describe the many specific details of the lost love's appearance and personality, including "blue eyes and black eyelashes," "sexy crooked teeth," and a "funny way" of looking at life. At first, it seems like the singer is unable to stop thinking about the ex-lover, but the recurring refrain of "over time" suggests that healing and recovery are possible, even if they will take a long time to achieve.
Despite the melancholy subject matter, there is a sense of resilience and hopefulness in the song. The fact that the singer acknowledges that they will eventually "get over" the lost love suggests that they are capable of moving on and finding happiness again. The lyrics also emphasize the unique qualities that made the lost love so captivating in the first place, which suggests that the singer doesn't regret the relationship even though it ended. Overall, "Overtime" is a poignant meditation on the complexity of love and loss.
Line by Line Meaning
Over time
With the passage of time
That's what they all tell me
That's what everyone advises me
That's what they say to me
That's what I hear from everyone
Over time
With the passage of time
Your blue eyes and your black eyelashes
Your attractive looks that caught my attention
The way you looked at life in your funny way
Your unique perspective on life that amused me
I guess out of the blue you won't cross my mind
I think I will forget you suddenly without any warning
And I'll get over you over time
And eventually, I will move on from you, with the passage of time
Your pale skin and your sexy crooked teeth
Your physical features that I found attractive
The trouble you get in in your clumsy way
The situations you got into due to your clumsiness
I guess one afternoon you won't cross my mind
I think there will be a time when I won't think of you even for a moment
And I'll get over you over time
And eventually, I will move on from you, with the passage of time
I guess out of the blue you won't cross my mind
I think I will forget you suddenly without any warning
And I'll get over you over time
And eventually, I will move on from you, with the passage of time
Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: LUCINDA WILLIAMS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Ronja CCQ
Lyrics:
My hat don't hang on the same nail too long
My ears can't stand to hear the same old song
And I don't leave the highway long enough
To bog down in the mud
'Cause I've got ramblin' fever in my blood
I caught this ramblin' fever long ago
When I first heard a lonesome whistle blow
If someone said I ever gave a damn
They damn sure told you wrong
I've had ramblin' fever all along
Ramblin' fever, the kind that can't be measured by degrees
Ramblin' fever, there ain't no kind of cure for my disease
There's times I'd like to bed down on a sofa
And let some pretty lady rub my back
And spend the early morning drinking coffee
And talking about when I'll be coming back
'Cause I don't let know no woman tie me down
And I'll never get too old to get around
I'm gonna die along the highway and rot away
Like some old high-line pole,
Rest this ramblin' fever in my soul
Ramblin' fever, the kind that can't be measured by degrees
Ramblin' fever, there ain't no kind of cure for my diseas
Ronja CCQ
Lyrics:
My hat don't hang on the same nail too long
My ears can't stand to hear the same old song
And I don't leave the highway long enough
To bog down in the mud
'Cause I've got ramblin' fever in my blood
I caught this ramblin' fever long ago
When I first heard a lonesome whistle blow
If someone said I ever gave a damn
They damn sure told you wrong
I've had ramblin' fever all along
Ramblin' fever, the kind that can't be measured by degrees
Ramblin' fever, there ain't no kind of cure for my disease
There's times I'd like to bed down on a sofa
And let some pretty lady rub my back
And spend the early morning drinking coffee
And talking about when I'll be coming back
'Cause I don't let know no woman tie me down
And I'll never get too old to get around
I'm gonna die along the highway and rot away
Like some old high-line pole,
Rest this ramblin' fever in my soul
Ramblin' fever, the kind that can't be measured by degrees
Ramblin' fever, there ain't no kind of cure for my diseas
SurfWriter
The song is a combination of catchy, rolicking melody and unusually strong lyrics. This is not your typical country cliche lyric. It's got a powerful message in creative images that are sometimes dark and sometimes lighter and more playful. My only minor correction of your lyric printed here, other than the desire to separate stanzas, is that I don't think he uses "and" in a couple of places where you have it. For example, in the section where he's imagining a morning spent on some woman's sofa, after drinking coffee, he goes directly to "talkin' about when I'll be coming back," with no "and" before it. It's very concise there and doesn't need "and" to fill the poetic lines out. The imagery of dying along the highway is remarkably rough stuff for a country lyric, too. Merle is the king, no question.
Robert Pope
@SurfWriter Coming from a small city in south central Texas (Hondo) where my dad and I farmed a couple of 100 acre plots south of town while he worked in the post office, " ...die along the highway and rot away..." is just poetic!! This is my favorite song of all my country songs.
Jessie James
All of these guys had arrived in the place in their careers that they could just enjoy playing together. Very cool!!
Friedrich Schmidt
Merle is king. If you're an aspiring songwriter, listen to him. He was a lyricist of the highest order: intense while using a language that everyone could understand and combining it with a melody that you wanted to sing along with.
Robert Tooth
You are spot on !
Dustin Martin
Merle was king but he shared the crown with mr George Jones
Friedrich Schmidt
@Dustin Martin
George Jones was a magnificent singer, but he wrote very few songs himself.
Sam's Piano Page
Heck I just read the title, how can you get a much better lineup, Joe Walsh on guitar, Merle /Willie and Toby. What a class act and a classic song.
Bob Winterfeld
Freaking Keltner on drums!!