Attending Goldsmiths College, London, where he studied Drama, Innes started a band with other students that was originally named The Bonzo Dog Dada Band (after the art movement Dada) which they renamed the Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band (later shortened to The Bonzo Dog Band). Innes had met Vivian Stanshall at the Central School of Art, where both studied drawing. Together they wrote most of the band's songs, including "The Urban Spaceman", their sole hit (produced by Apollo C. Vermouth, an alias for Paul McCartney), and "Death Cab for Cutie", which featured in The Beatles' film Magical Mystery Tour (1967). Innes won an Ivor Novello Award for Best Novel(ty) Song in 1968 for "I'm the Urban Spaceman".
After the break-up of The Bonzo Dog Band, Innes joined with former Dog Band bassist Dennis Cowan, drummer Ian Wallace and guitarist Roger McKew to form The World, a band hoping for "more commercial" success with music ranging from rock to pure pop, yet still retaining some Doo-Dah flavour and even some of the humour. Unfortunately for them, by the time their sole album, Lucky Planet, was released in 1970, the members had already disbanded and were moving on to other projects.
Innes went on to collaborate with members of Monty Python and released several solo albums in the Seventies. In 1978, Innes and Eric Idle (of Python) created a Beatles spoof band, The Rutles, and filmed a mockumentary of the same name. Innes then became the star of a BBC television series, The Innes Book of Records which ran from 1979 to 1981.
In late 2010, Innes took part in the formation of The Idiot Bastard Band, a comedy musical collective featuring himself, Adrian Edmondson, Phill Jupitus, Simon Brint and Rowland Rivron. The band debuted at The Wilmington Arms in London in December that year, playing a range of comedy songs old and new, with deliberately little rehearsal. In 2011, Jupitus was unable to take part due to prior commitments and was replaced by several special guests, including Paul Whitehouse, Barry Cryer and Nigel Planer. Following the death of Brint in May 2011, the band performed a further tour in 2012.
Time to Kill
Neil Innes Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The stars still burn
Beneath my feet the earth is newly-turned
All the seeds are sown
And when they're fully grown
I shall sleep just like a stone in shallow water
A little time to live
Is such a lot of time to kill
Looking for an end and wondering how or when it will
But when it's gone and in the past
The stars will surely last
Forever
The sun is in the sky
The stars still burn
Beneath my feet the earth is newly-turned
All the seeds are sown
And when they're fully grown
I shall sleep just like a stone in shallow water
A little time to live
Is such a lot of time to kill
Keep on moving even when you're standing still
Looking for an end and wondering how or when it will
But when it's gone and in the past
The stars will surely last
Forever
In Neil Innes's song "Time To Kill," the lyrics capture the fleeting nature of life and the desire to make the most out of the time we have. The opening line "The sun is in the sky, The stars still burn" implies that time is continuously moving forward and that we should make the most of what we have in the present. The metaphor of "Beneath my feet the earth is newly-turned, All the seeds are sown, And when they're fully grown" highlights the idea of growth and how we should use every opportunity to nurture our growth and potential. The reference to sleeping "just like a stone in shallow water" suggests a peaceful acceptance of the inevitability of death, but also serves as a reminder to make the most out of the time we do have.
The second half of the song speaks to the idea that time is precious, and we must keep pushing forward even when it feels like we are standing still. The line "A little time to live, Is such a lot of time to kill" reminds us that our time on Earth is limited and we should make every moment count. The idea of "Looking for an end and wondering how or when it will, But when it's gone and in the past, The stars will surely last, Forever" brings together the themes of mortality and perseverance. Time may be fleeting, but the beauty of the stars serves as a reminder that some things are eternal.
Overall, "Time To Kill" urges us to live fully in the present, appreciate the world around us, and make every moment count.
Line by Line Meaning
The sun is in the sky
The day has begun
The stars still burn
The night has not ended
Beneath my feet the earth is newly-turned
The ground has recently been disturbed
All the seeds are sown
Everything that needs to be done has been done
And when they're fully grown
And when everything has completed its cycle
I shall sleep just like a stone in shallow water
I will rest peacefully and without worry
A little time to live
We only have a short period of life
Is such a lot of time to kill
It feels like a lot of time to waste
Keep on moving even when you're standing still
Don't stop pushing forward
Looking for an end and wondering how or when it will
Sometimes we're unsure of our destination
But when it's gone and in the past
But eventually it will be over
The stars will surely last
The universe will go on without us
Forever
For all eternity
Contributed by Owen K. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
sajid
Neil Innes was a genius
Jessica Haines
This makes me cry every time. Our beautiful, innocent boys.