Lightsey had piano instruction from age five and studied piano and clarinet through high school. After service in the Army, Lightsey worked in Detroit and California in the 1960s as an accompanist to singers. He also worked with jazz musicians such as Yusef Lateef, Betty Carter, Pharoah Sanders, Bobby Hutcherson, Sonny Stitt, Chet Baker, and Kenny Burrell. From 1979 to 1983 he toured with Dexter Gordon and was a member of The Leaders in the late 1980s. During the 1980s he led several sessions of his own, including duets with pianist Harold Danko. In the 1980s and since he has worked with Jimmy Raney, Clifford Jordan, Woody Shaw, David Murray, Joe Lee Wilson, Adam Taubitz and Harold Land.
Rooted in the hard bop genre, Lightsey's sound is marked by a certain openness and even playfulness. He is also an accomplished flautist and occasionally doubles on flute in live performances.
A Time for Love
Kirk Lightsey Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
paranoia time
i'm running out of life
clockwise and the seconds tick away
each line that cuts my face
cut as each hand moves into place
paranoia
amped and wired
there's so much to be said
they're so much living dead
walking corpses shambling through life
with nothing in their sight
dance on their bones step in and fight
paranoia
amped and wired
life and death are fighting for my time
i can't seem to find the time
i want what's mine
time through the clock just keeps talking
it just walks any damn place
it feels like walkin'
my mind keeps thinking
clockwise as the seconds tick away
i make my move today
time and life
life and time
to have and hold
and sometimes find
it isn't mine it isn't yours
man to man i'll fight you for
time and life
life and time
one day i'll get what's mine
through the persistence of time
life and death as words they don't mean shit
it's what you do with them
and how you live with it
racing like a bull inside a cage
just give me a stage
where this bull can race
paranoia
amped and wired
life and death are fighting for my time
i can't seem to find the time
i want what's mine
time through the clock just keeps talking
it just walks any damn place
it feels like walkin'
my mind keeps thinking
clockwise as the seconds tick away
i make my move today
time and life
life and time
to have and hold
and sometimes find
it isn't mine it isn't yours
man to man i'll fight you for
time and life
life and time
one day i'll get what's mine
through the persistence of time
paranoia's lost its hold on
paranoia's lost its hold on
paranoia's lost its hold on
paranoia's got no hold on me
time don't have nothing
to do with how high you can
time don't got nothing
The lyrics of Kirk Lightsey's "A Time For Love" portray a narrator who is struggling with his thoughts regarding the concept of time. The singer is plagued with paranoia and feels as though he is running out of time. He describes time as a force that is in control of his life and is causing him to age and mature, as represented by the "clockwise seconds ticking away" and "each line that cuts my face." The singer also senses the struggle between life and death for his time, a battle that is causing him to feel like he can't find the time he wants for the things he desires in life.
The singer asserts a sense of ownership over time and life, describing the phrase "to have and hold and sometimes find" in relation to these concepts. He feels as though they are not solely his or someone else's to claim, and that he is willing to even fight for them if necessary. The paranoid narrator mentions that he feels as though he is racing like a bull inside a cage, but hopes to find a stage where he can freely move and control his own life, free from the constraints of time and paranoia.
Overall, the song reflects the human struggle with time and its ability to control our lives, as well as the desire to take ownership of our own time and pursue the things we want in life.
Line by Line Meaning
i got so much trouble on my mind
I'm feeling anxious and restless
paranoia time
My mind is racing with fearful thoughts
i'm running out of life
I feel like time is slipping away and I'm not making the most of it
clockwise and the seconds tick away
Time keeps moving forward, relentlessly
each line that cuts my face
Each moment that passes feels like another reminder of my mortality
cut as each hand moves into place
The ticking of the clock feels like another reminder of the passage of time
amped and wired
I'm feeling jittery and anxious
bile black the thoughts that run my head
My thoughts are dark and negative
there's so much to be said
There's so much to experience in life
they're so much living dead
Many people go through life in a zombie-like state, not really living
walking corpses shambling through life
Many people go through life without purpose or direction
with nothing in their sight
They can't see the beauty and potential of life
dance on their bones step in and fight
I won't let myself become like them, I'll fight to make the most of life
life and death are fighting for my time
I feel like there's a battle between making the most of my time on earth and the inevitability of death
i can't seem to find the time
I feel like time is slipping away from me
i want what's mine
I want to make the most of the time I have
time through the clock just keeps talking
Time marches on, heedless of my desires
it just walks any damn place
It doesn't care where it takes me
it feels like walkin'
It feels like I'm just going through the motions, not really living
my mind keeps thinking
My thoughts are constantly racing
i make my move today
I need to take action to make the most of my time
to have and hold
To experience and savor the joys of life
and sometimes find
But sometimes life can be difficult and painful
it isn't mine it isn't yours
Life doesn't belong to any one person
man to man i'll fight you for
I'll fight for my right to experience life to the fullest
one day i'll get what's mine
One day I'll look back on my life and feel like I made the most of it
through the persistence of time
By making the most of each moment
paranoia's lost its hold on
I'm no longer held back by my anxious thoughts
paranoia's got no hold on me
I'm free from the grip of anxiety
time don't have nothing
Time itself is neutral
to do with how high you can
It's up to each individual to make the most of their time
time don't got nothing
Time doesn't care about our desires
Writer(s): Johnny Mandel, Paul Francis Webster
Contributed by Isabella B. Suggest a correction in the comments below.