OUT OF TIME
Rolling Stones - The Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

You don't know what's going on
You've been away for far too long
You can't come back and think you are still mine
You're out of touch, my baby
My poor discarded baby
I said, baby, baby, baby, you're out of time

Well, baby, baby, baby, you're out of time
I said, baby, baby, baby, you're out of time
You are all left out
Out of there without a doubt
'Cause baby, baby, baby, you're out of time

The girl who wants to run away, discovers that she's had her day
It's no good thinking that you are still mine
You're out of touch, my baby, my poor unfaithful baby
I said baby, baby, baby you're out of time

Well, baby, baby, baby, you're out of time
I said, baby, baby, baby, you're out of time
Yes you are all left out
Out of there without a doubt
'Cause baby, baby, baby, you're out of time

You thought you were a clever girl giving up your social whirl
But you can't come back and be the first in line, oh no
You're obsolete, my baby, my poor old fashioned baby
I said baby, baby, baby you're out of time

Well, baby, baby, baby, you're out of time
I said, baby, baby, baby, you're out of time
Yes, you are all left out
Out of there without a doubt
'Cause baby, baby, baby, you're out of time
Sing your song

Baby, baby, baby, you're out of time
I said, baby, baby, baby, you're out of time
Baby, baby, baby, you're out of time

You don't know what's going on
You've been away for far too long
But you can't come back and think you are still mine
You're out of touch, my baby
My poor discarded baby
I said, baby, baby, baby, you're out of time

Well, baby, baby, baby, you're out of time
I said, baby, baby, baby, you're out of time
Yes you are all left out
Yes you are, I said you're
Left out of there without a doubt
'Cause baby, baby, baby, you're out of time

Alright
I said, baby, baby, baby, you're out of time
I said, baby, baby, baby, you're out of time
I said, baby, baby, baby, you're out of time
I said, baby, baby, baby, you're out of time




I said, baby, baby, baby, you're out of time
I said, baby, baby, baby, you're out of time

Overall Meaning

The song "Out of Time" is about a girl who has been away for too long and has become outdated; she can no longer assume that she is still loved and wanted by the person whom she left behind. The song's lyrics contain a lot of repetition, emphasizing the point that the girl is truly "out of time" and can't come back to the way things were before. Rolling Stones' speaker seems to taunt the "poor discarded baby" who felt that she was clever enough to give up her social life and come back to a loving relationship, only to realize that things have changed beyond what she could have anticipated.


The singer points out that she can no longer be the "first in line" and is all "left out." The song expresses a sense of pity for someone who thought they were doing the right thing by walking away from one's social life to come back to a relationship, only to find everything is different, and they are outdated.


Line by Line Meaning

You don't know what's going on
You are clueless about the current situation


You've been away for far too long
You have been gone for an extended period


You can't come back and think you are still mine
You cannot return and assume that you still belong to me


You're out of touch, my baby
You have lost touch and are disconnected from reality, my darling


My poor discarded baby
My pitiful, abandoned darling


I said, baby, baby, baby, you're out of time
I repeat, you are out of time, my dear


Yes you are all left out
You are excluded from everything


Out of there without a doubt
You have been completely removed from the equation


'Cause baby, baby, baby, you're out of time
The reason being, you are out of time


The girl who wants to run away, discovers that she's had her day
A girl who desires to escape her current situation finds out that her time to do so has passed


It's no good thinking that you are still mine
It's pointless to believe that you still belong to me


You're out of touch, my baby, my poor unfaithful baby
You are disconnected from reality, my unfaithful darling


Well, baby, baby, baby, you're out of time
Well, my dear, you are out of time


You thought you were a clever girl giving up your social whirl
You assumed that you were smart by abandoning your social life


But you can't come back and be the first in line, oh no
However, you cannot return and be given priority, oh no


You're obsolete, my baby, my poor old fashioned baby
You are outdated, my darling, my old-fashioned darling


Yes, you are all left out
Certainly, you have been excluded from everything


'Cause baby, baby, baby, you're out of time
The reason being, you are out of time, my dear


Sing your song
Sing your tune


Alright
Agreement or affirmation




Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Abkco Music Inc., Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Keith Richards, Mick Jagger

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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