Each clock at the beginning of the song was recorded separately in an antiques store. This is followed by an eerie two-minute passage dominated by Nick Mason's rototoms and backgrounded by a tocking sound created by Roger Waters picking two muted strings on his bass. With David Gilmour singing lead on the verses and with Richard Wright singing lead on the bridges and with female singers providing backup vocals, the lyrics of the song deal with Roger Waters's realization that life was not about preparing yourself for what happens next, but about grabbing control of your own destiny.
A guitar solo from Gilmour provides the refrain over the same chord progressions as the verse and chorus, and it is often praised among the fans as one of his best. A reprise of the album's earlier "Breathe" brings the song to a closing, before it segues into "The Great Gig in the Sky".
Composition
"Time" is in the key of F♯ minor. Each clock at the beginning of the song was recorded separately in an antiques store. These clock sounds are followed by a two-minute passage dominated by Nick Mason's drum solo, with rototoms and backgrounded by a tick-tock sound created by Roger Waters picking two muted strings on his bass. With David Gilmour singing lead on the verses and with Richard Wright singing lead on the bridges and with female singers and Gilmour providing backup vocals, the song's lyrics deal with Roger Waters' realization that life was not about preparing yourself for what happens next, but about grabbing control of your own destiny.[3]
He [Alan Parsons] had just recently before we did that album gone out with a whole set of equipment and had recorded all these clocks in a clock shop. And we were doing the song Time, and he said "Listen, I just did all these things, I did all these clocks," and so we wheeled out his tape and listened to it and said "Great! Stick it on!" And that, actually, is Alan Parsons' idea.
— David Gilmour[5]
The drums used on the Time track are roto-toms. I think we did some experiments with some other drums called boo-bans, which are very small, tuned drums, but the roto-toms actually gave the best effect.
— Nick Mason
According to an interview by Phil Taylor in 1994, David Gilmour had been using a Lexicon PCM-70 to store the circular delay sounds heard in "Time", which could duplicate the kind of echo he used to get from his old Binson echo unit.[6]
The verse chords cycle through F♯ minor, A major, E major, and F♯ minor again. During this section, Gilmour's guitar and Wright's keyboards are panned to the extreme right and left of the stereo spectrum, respectively. Gilmour sings lead during this section.
The bridge section, with Wright singing lead, has a notably "thicker" texture, with the female backing vocalists singing multi-tracked "oohs" and "aahs" throughout, and Gilmour singing harmony with Wright in the second half. The chords of this section are D major seventh to A major ninth, which is repeated. The D major seventh, with the notes of D, F♯, A, and C♯, can be heard as an F♯ minor chord with a D in the bass, fitting the song's overall key. The second half progresses from D major seventh to C♯ minor, then B minor to E major.
The first bridge leads to a guitar solo by Gilmour, which plays over the verse and bridge progressions. The solo is followed by another verse sung by Gilmour. When the bridge is repeated, it does not conclude on E major as before. Instead, the B minor leads to an F major chord, while Waters's bass stays on B, resulting in an unusual dissonance as a transition to the key of E minor for "Breathe (Reprise)".
Pink Floyd performed the song live from 1972 to 1975, and after the departure of Waters, from 1987 to 1994. Waters began performing the song in his solo concerts, singing the verses himself, beginning in 1999 with In the Flesh and again with The Dark Side of the Moon Live from 2006 to 2008 (occasionally featuring guest appearances from Nick Mason) and the Us + Them Tour from 2017 to 2018. Gilmour has performed the song live on every one of his solo tours since Pink Floyd's Pulse tour, with the late Richard Wright sharing vocals until his death.
Reception
In a contemporary review for The Dark Side of the Moon, Loyd Grossman of Rolling Stone gave "Time" a positive review, describing the track as "a fine country-tinged rocker with a powerful guitar solo by David Gilmour".
Film
During live performances, the band back-projected a specially-commissioned, animated film by Ian Emes. The film was subsequently included as an extra on the Pulse DVD.
Time
Pink Floyd Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Fritter and waste the hours in an offhand way
Kicking around on a piece of ground in your hometown
Waiting for someone or something to show you the way
Tired of lying in the sunshine, staying home to watch the rain
You are young and life is long, and there is time to kill today
And then one day you find ten years have got behind youNo one told you when to run, you missed the starting gun
And you run, and you run to catch up with the sun but it's sinking
Racing around to come up behind you again
The sun is the same in a relative way but you're older
Shorter of breath and one day closer to death
Every year is getting shorter, never seem to find the time
Plans that either come to naught or half a page of scribbled lines
Hanging on in quiet desperation is the English way
The time is gone, the song is over, thought I'd something more to say
Home, home again
I like to be here when I can
And when I come home cold and tired
It's good to warm my bones beside the fire
Far away across the field
The tolling of the iron bell
Calls the faithful to their knees
To hear the softly spoken magic spells
The lyrics to Pink Floyd's "Time" describe the passage of time and how it slips away from us. The first two lines of the song set the tone for the rest of the lyrics. They speak to how time ticks away the moments and how we waste our hours in various forms of distraction. The next lines describe the feeling of being lost and waiting for someone or something to show us the way.
The next verse is a warning about the consequences of wasting time. The imagery of lying in the sunshine, watching the rain and missing the starting gun creates a sense of regret for opportunities missed. It is a warning to young people that life is short, and they should make the most of it.
The chorus speaks to the frustration of trying to catch up with time. The imagery of trying to race the sun and failing creates a sense of desperation. The lines “The time is gone, the song is over, thought I'd something more to say” are a reminder that time is precious and should not be wasted.
The final verse speaks to the idea of coming home and finding comfort in what is familiar. The imagery of being cold and tired and warming your bones beside the fire creates a sense of belonging. The tolling of the iron bell represents the passage of time and the inevitability of death. The lyrics “To hear the softly spoken magic spells” are a reminder that life is fleeting and that we should find meaning in what is meaningful to us.
Line by Line Meaning
Ticking away the moments that make up a dull day
Passing time, every minute adding up, yet nothing much is accomplished. A boring day, wasting the hours doing nothing meaningful.
Fritter and waste the hours in an offhand way
Wasting precious time without care or thought.
Kicking around on a piece of ground in your hometown
Being idle, without direction, in familiar surroundings.
Waiting for someone or something to show you the way
Hoping for guidance or inspiration from an external source.
Tired of lying in the sunshine, staying home to watch the rain
Bored of the monotony and routine of daily life, seeking something new and exciting.
You are young and life is long, and there is time to kill today
Feeling invincible and that there is plenty of time to do everything in life.
And then one day you find ten years have got behind you
Suddenly realizing that time has flown by and many years have passed unnoticed.
No one told you when to run, you missed the starting gun
There was no warning or guidance given, so you missed out on an opportunity or a head start in life.
And you run, and you run to catch up with the sun but it's sinking
Trying to accomplish too much too late and feeling like time is running out.
Racing around to come up behind you again
Feeling like you are chasing your tail and running in circles.
The sun is the same in a relative way but you're older
Time is a constant, but we are aging, and our perception of time changes as we grow older.
Shorter of breath and one day closer to death
The inevitability of death and the realization that time is precious and limited.
Every year is getting shorter, never seem to find the time
Time feels like it is moving faster as we age, while we struggle to find enough time to do everything we desire.
Plans that either come to naught or half a page of scribbled lines
Despite our efforts, most plans end up going nowhere, or are not fully realized.
Hanging on in quiet desperation is the English way
Enduring hardships without making a fuss is ingrained in English culture.
The time is gone, the song is over, thought I'd something more to say
Time has run out, and life is over without having accomplished everything one had hoped to achieve.
Home, home again
Finding comfort and solace in returning home.
I like to be here when I can
Appreciating the simplicity and familiarity of home.
And when I come home cold and tired
After a long and exhausting day, it feels good to come back to a warm and familiar place.
It's good to warm my bones beside the fire
Finding comfort and relief from the cold and harsh realities of life by the fireside.
Far away across the field
A distant and otherworldly place that is unfamiliar and mysterious.
The tolling of the iron bell
A solemn and ominous sound that signifies the passage of time.
Calls the faithful to their knees
The sound of the bell is a call to worshippers to bow down and pray.
To hear the softly spoken magic spells
The prayers and chants uttered in response to the bell's call are seen as mysterious and miraculous, containing a kind of magic that is beyond human comprehension.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group, CONCORD MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: David Jon Gilmour, Nicholas Berkeley Mason, George Roger Waters, Richard William Wright
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@aliciamartin8426
Ticking away the moments that make up a dull day
Fritter and waste the hours in an offhand way
Kicking around on a piece of ground in your hometown
Waiting for someone or something to show you the way
Tired of lying in the sunshine, staying home to watch the rain
You are young and life is long, and there is time to kill today
And then one day you find ten years have got behind you
No one told you when to run, you missed the starting gun
And you run, and you run to catch up with the sun but it's sinking
Racing around to come up behind you again
The sun is the same in a relative way but you're older
Shorter of breath and one day closer to death
Every year is getting shorter, never seem to find the time
Plans that either come to naught or half a page of scribbled lines
Hanging on in quiet desperation is the English way
The time is gone, the song is over, thought I'd something more to say
Home, home again
I like to be here when I can
And when I come home cold and tired
It's good to warm my bones beside the fire
Far away across the field
The tolling of the iron bell
Calls the faithful to their knees
To hear the softly spoken magic spells
@felixfilmesoficial
Lyrics:
Ticking away the moments that make up a dull day
Fritter and waste the hours in an offhand way
Kicking around on a piece of ground in your hometown
Waiting for someone or something to show you the way
Tired of lying in the sunshine, staying home to watch the rain
You are young and life is long, and there is time to kill today
And then one day you find ten years have got behind you
No one told you when to run, you missed the starting gun
And you run, and you run to catch up with the sun but it's sinking
Racing around to come up behind you again
The sun is the same in a relative way but you're older
Shorter of breath and one day closer to death
Every year is getting shorter, never seem to find the time
Plans that either come to naught or half a page of scribbled lines
Hanging on in quiet desperation is the English way
The time is gone, the song is over, thought I'd something more to say
Home, home again
I like to be here when I can
And when I come home cold and tired
It's good to warm my bones beside the fire
Far away across the field
The tolling of the iron bell
Calls the faithful to their knees
To hear the softly spoken magic spells
@migueloico
DEAR YOUNG LISTENER, This song will become more powerfull the older you get
@lawrencee1113
Absolutely!
@terrijoncarter5060
Very true
@peterf.229
I should have paid more attention to it in my youth , i’ve def missed the starting gun and have arthritis in my hands now 😮
@christinahoag6495
True that!
@CandaceCandace
Yes yes yes!!!!!
@ST0NE_206
Truly one of the greatest songs in rock history.
@miguelsebastianorcconburgo3258
Maybe
@DGOPlays
@@miguelsebastianorcconburgo3258 nah, it's for sure
@xDmoon6
First!